Sat in a local pub enjoying their beer festival and reading @atjbeer.bsky.social A Pub For All Seasons. The realisation that my humble writing has a long way to go! 😂

New Post: London to Istanbul - Epic Rail Journey : Day 11 musinganorak.com/london-to-is...

New Post: London to Istanbul - Epic Rail Journey : Day 11 musinganorak.com/london-to-is...

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 10 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-10/

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 10 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-10/

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 9 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-9/

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 9 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-9/

9th, and final, stop of the day is the Dodo Micropub. Fantastic micropub offering 3 gravity cask and 4 keg.

Headed west for stop 8, The Owl& The Pussycat, home of Marko Paulo brewery. 6 taps and 6 handpumps of their beers in this shop conversion.

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 8 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-8/

New post: London to Istanbul – Epic Rail Journey : Day 7 https://musinganorak.com/london-to-istanbul-epic-rail-journey-day-7/

@seanayling.bsky.social having a really good chat with your son in the Pillars Brewery Taproom.

New post: The Elephant Trail at Battersea Power Station https://musinganorak.com/the-elephant-trail-at-battersea-power-station/

Simultaneously terrifying and thoroughly enjoyable to do!

And back for the main event!

Come to Bermondsey for a De Molen tasting event at It Ain't Much. Barman recommended the Polly's beer that was on at Cloudwater so I've nipped here before the event starts!

Just waiting for check in to open when the entire station is evacuated... No idea what's happening.

Monday is always the worst day for a beer tourist. After consulting @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social map I've found somewhere nearby and, more importantly, open, Cafe Bebo. Smart corner bar offering 10 on tap and a decent packaged list of around 100.

Stop 4 is my first visit to La Fleur en Papier Doré. Wow! It lives up to everything I've heard. Just 6 taps and 8 bottles, but the place is beautiful and their house saison is fantastic.

A short walk to Little Delirium Café. Functional bar on a street of functional bars. 29 on tap and they offer "Beer Metres," flights of 10 for €32.50.

Next up is the Delirium "village," seven different bars in a dead end street. I've opted for the ground floor in the Tap House offering a mere 29 taps.

Feeling a bit jaded but now in Brussels for a final day push. 2 tick book venues are closed on Monday, BrewDog is "temporarily closed" which leaves just 3 to visit. First up is Bier Central, very smart with seating on 3 levels. 33 taps but none are particularly outstanding.

Just a short walk to the end of the street and The Monk. 18 taps plus the expected fridges. Popular corner bar with sport on multiple screens.

Across the street, literally, to 't Poatersgat. Another cellar bar, 8 taps plus fridges. And tonight there is live music.

Headed to the top end of town where stop 2 is Bruges Pub. Cellar bar with a dozen taps plus well stocked fridge.

So I hit the wall in Gent and somehow got back to my hotel in Brugge. 😂 A bit of rest and I'm making a final push. 't Nieuw Walnutje tried to tell me they were closed but I persuaded them that I only wanted one beer. They relented and a beer appeared, not that I got to choose or see a list!

Just a few doors up the street is Edelrot. 6 beers on tap plus packaged.

A short hop on the bus and I'm at stop 3, Stadsbrouwerij Artevelde. City centre taproom with 8 taps. Solid beers.

Bus back in to Gent and then a walk to the industrial area where stop 2 is DOK Brewing Company. An amazing space. 30 taps, theirs plus guests, and two food outlets. Flights of 6 x 10cl are available.

Train to Gent and a wait for a bus that was longer than the eventual journey but I made it to the middle of nowhere and the seriously impressive tap room of Brouwerij Haeseveld. 7 of theirs on tap with a flight of 4 available.

Missing post from last night was a visit to In De Reisduif with @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social Another locals bar away from the centre with a small, but very good, list.

Tortuous bus journey, thanks to my own incompetence, but I made it to Stacks bottle shop to claim my stamp and free bottle before a 15 minute stroll to 't Hof van Beroep. Classic Belgian cafe far enough away from the tourist centre to mean it's full of locals. 6 taps plus bottle list.

On my umpteenth visit to Brugge I've finally hit the four hour window in the week when Fort Lapin Taproom is open. Large single room, popular with locals, offering one of their beers on tap today plus others in bottle.

Five minutes walk to Botteltje. Classic Belgian bar, lots of wood. 16 on tap and I've had them all except for the the alcohol free one. On to the extensive bottle list it is then.

Tram back in to Oostende where 't Koelschip is closed until Tuesday 🤦 Next...

Ahead of schedule now, and given the choice in Den Toogoloog that is no bad thing!! 10 beers on tap, with flights available, and an amazing bottle list. The book freebie is cheese!

Left Blankenberge on the planned tram, got off at Bredene and I'm now outside a very closed Cafe Bij Plop. Back to the tram!

Just along the road to Havenhuis which definitely has more of a bar feel. 6 taps and a large packaged selection. I don't always claim the tick book freebie but here they gave me the bottle to take away. Dank u wel!

Short walk back towards the sea where the second stop is Paravang. Smart bistro bar with 15 taps of fairly mainstream beers.

Tucked away in the back streets of Blankenberge is Bistro De Perse, my first tick book visit of the day. The ceiling is covered in football scarves with lots more memorabilia on display. 6 taps and a modest packaged selection.

Got myself out to Knokke for some coastal tram riding and bar visits. Let's see if the plan holds together...

Just down the road is Delaney's. Irish bar that has some interesting beers across its 15 taps

A few doors down is Cambrinus. 18 taps plus an extensive packaged list. Very popular for food but possible to sit at the bar to drink.

Next up is Cafe Cambrinus. 16 taps in this cosy bar

Popped in to the Bottle Shop to get the stamp in my tick book before continuing to Paula Mostaert. A great bar and hot dog joint with 4 beers on tap plus packaged.

Checked in to my hotel and then headed to Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres. Been before, very touristy, but got the tick book stamp!

A couple of minutes down the road is HOPtimist, the best of three great bars in this part of town. 6 taps plus a large packaged selection.

A short walk brings me to De Papil, closed on my previous attempt. Nice cafe style bar with 6 taps and around 50 packaged beers.

A bus out to Sint-Michiels where the first stop is Tafel en Toog. 10 beers on tap and 6 fridges.

After a failed attempt to visit a bar in Beernem I've now made it to Brugge. First stop, and first stamp in the tick book, is JeanMax next to the station. Met up with @carolinedebenh1.bsky.social and @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social is due to arrive soon. What could possibly...