October 2025. Bucharest. Friday was the Big Tourist Tick Day in Bucharest, and Mrs RM had targeted Caru’ cu Bere as the must visit Romania restaurant. And not just because it was close to Ground Zero and it was raining. Chat GPT had told me to go to Caru’ cu Bere (Ale Wagon) as well,… Continue reading Caru’ cu Bere. Your must visit for pork knuckle in Bucharest.
Tag: travel
MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
October 2025. Bucharest. Six hours on the Bucharest tourist trail, time for a beer. Luckily for Mrs RM, a brand new bar awaited yards from our coach drop-off. Seven years on from our first trip, the capital has lost a couple of Old Town craft bars, including one with London Pride on handpump, denying BRAPA… Continue reading MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
GOLDEN BATHROOMS AND PARLIAMENTARY WHITE ELEPHANTS. A TOURIST DAY IN BUCHAREST
October 2025. Bucharest. “All I remember about that first Bucharest trip is your ****ing craft beer pubs” said Mrs RM angrily. Somewhat unfair, as I distinctly recall it was her making me go in places called “Beer O’Clock” and “100 Beers”, and it was me getting tickets to the Beethoven violin concerto that night but… Continue reading GOLDEN BATHROOMS AND PARLIAMENTARY WHITE ELEPHANTS. A TOURIST DAY IN BUCHAREST
Grand Café Van Gogh, Bucharest
October 2025. Bucharest. Romania. Yes ! It’s those forrin muck posts you love ! It’s Mrs RM’s fault. With the old folk heading downhill she’s taking every opportunity to kill the planet fly to Eastern Europe for £20 while we can. A fellow ticker, I expected her to be tackling the “Rest of World” badges… Continue reading Grand Café Van Gogh, Bucharest
SEPTEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + OCTOBER PREVIEW
A few hours early for the contractually obligated monthly highlights post, let’s hope it’s not tempting fate and something really significant happens this afternoon. September was a month of returns. Biggest of all, Russ returned to the comments page after a traumatic period out, and how we’d missed him (and not just to correct the… Continue reading SEPTEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + OCTOBER PREVIEW
GORDON HILL ! A WALK TO THE JOLLY BUTCHERS IN ENFIELD
September 2025. Enfield. Home from Carshalton, and straight back into London the next day. “Proper” tickers would have squeezed in halves in all three remaining London pubs that Friday night, but post-completion I only deal in pints, and want to take the time to appreciate the culture in places like Carshalton, and Atherstone, and Enfield.… Continue reading GORDON HILL ! A WALK TO THE JOLLY BUTCHERS IN ENFIELD
MATCHING M & B MILD WITH DESI BAKRA IN SMETHWICK’S RED COW
August 2025. Smethwick. Our last day in Birmingham, though the new GBG is going to send me back there soon enough (NO SPOILERS) and a rare stop in Smethwick, famed for its Gurdwara. The fast train from Kiddy to Brum takes you past fields of pumpkins at Blakedown and drops you at Galton Bridge, handy… Continue reading MATCHING M & B MILD WITH DESI BAKRA IN SMETHWICK’S RED COW
DID I ENJOY THE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL ?
August 2025. Birmingham (or is it Solihull ?) I’m not a beer festival fan. I always say this to folk who equate beer with pubs. Frankly, the venues are dull, the beer not as cool and crisp as in the pub next door and if I’m going solo I find it hard to start the… Continue reading DID I ENJOY THE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL ?
LACINGS DON’T LIE. THE COMMERCIAL, BURNLEY
August 2025. Burnley. My feeble attempts to visit GBG pubs since Guide completion seem limited by a) having to spend the weekends ploughing up and down the A1 between Sheffield and Cambridge, b) only drinking pints and c) using public transport. Just as well none of the other tickers would do b) and c)…. Shockingly,… Continue reading LACINGS DON’T LIE. THE COMMERCIAL, BURNLEY
80 SHILLING. ONE QUID.
July 2025. Edinburgh. Yes, Edinburgh. A second Scottish tickathon in a month. This would normally have been a prohibitively expensive trip, but by the mere act of being old, fixing train times and also starting at 6am from a car park halfway up the A1 in Darlington, I got the cost down significantly. Just imagine… Continue reading 80 SHILLING. ONE QUID.