February 2026. Genoa. Last Genoa post, I promise, but I know many of you share my evangelical zeal to see hand pumps in developing nations, so I welcome the cask in Scurerria Beer & Bagel. I love a trad pub name, me. If Public House, the other real ale outlet I found in Genoa was… Continue reading ONE OF THE BEER GUIDES IS MISSING….
Tag: europe
CALAMARI
February 2026. Genoa. The best way to get a sense of Genoa Old Town is from the Spianata Castelletto, reached by an attractive Art Nouveau lift, or by persuading Mrs RM to take an exhausting half hour zig zag of a walk from Via Balbi. You can see the giant cruise ships from that viewpoint,… Continue reading CALAMARI
PAVIA – COFFEE, CAKE, COBBLES AND CHURCHES
February 2026. Pavia. I was going to skip the architecture of Pavia and go straight back to Italian real ale, but Lana on her Retirement Chapter blog just got a great post out of Shirley, so how could I leave out the castle, the bridge, the cobbled streets, and those beautiful shops. In truth, Pavia… Continue reading PAVIA – COFFEE, CAKE, COBBLES AND CHURCHES
THE BLACK BULL, PAVIA
February 2026. Pavia. I’d booked Trenitalia tickets to Pavia, reckoning a 7pm return* would be ideal to allow us to have a quick pint before a mad 20 minute dash for the train to Genoa (though I would caution against ever making Mrs RM dash for anything). But as we stood outside the Black Bull… Continue reading THE BLACK BULL, PAVIA
PASTA IN PAVIA
February 2026. Pavia. For those bored of foreign muck, here’s a Bass mirror from Turin last night. Quite a bit of travel to go before we get there, though. A week in Italy was enough to confirm the greatness of Genoa, tick a new country, finally see what Turin is all about (food) and revisit… Continue reading PASTA IN PAVIA
Via di Prè, Genoa. My Favourite Street.
February 2026. Genoa. It was actually that first morning in Genoa, leaving the grandeur of Via Balbi and those World Heritage palaces and descending to the noise and colour of Via di Prè, a half mile of multi-ethnic shops and barbers and even tinier lanes down to the sea, that I suddenly realised why Genoa… Continue reading Via di Prè, Genoa. My Favourite Street.
THE CINQUE TERRE ON THE CHEAP – LUNCH IN CAMOGLI
February 2026. Camogli. Italy. 25 years ago we flew to Genoa, hired a car, and set off around the Ligurian coast towards the Cinque Terre looking for signs saying “Zimmer Frei” “Camera” to stay for the night. In a world before websites and Booking.com, turning up at 4pm with two toddlers without accommodation seems reckless… Continue reading THE CINQUE TERRE ON THE CHEAP – LUNCH IN CAMOGLI
VIA BALBI
February 2025. Genoa. You’ll have to excuse this post, a little worse for wear after a night on the beer in Turin and now watching Mariah Carey introduce the Winter Olympics. Don’t the Italians have any singers ? It’s a dozen years since I was last in Genoa, marvelling at the 17th century palaces along… Continue reading VIA BALBI
RAISING A PINT (OR TWO) TO MUDGIE IN WIDNES
January 2026. Widnes. A confession. I intended to make that post on Mudgie’s funeral a long read including the post-wake pubs, but Mrs RM had finished her pint/wine/Amaretto Disaronno in St Annes Spoons and I had to press “PUBLISH” in case the WiFi ran out in our Travelodge (£29.99). It would have been rude not… Continue reading RAISING A PINT (OR TWO) TO MUDGIE IN WIDNES
TAKING DOWN THE TREE
January 2026. Rye. Obligatory video, from the best Christmas album. I‘ve used this one, and the title before, (twice !) which is sort of self-plagiarism, no ? No decorations for us again this year, in Sheffield or Waterbeach or Rye. Mumsnet would be outraged. But, in keeping with the need of the country to honour… Continue reading TAKING DOWN THE TREE
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