A pub in autumn

This is a picture of a local pub I took back in 2012. I say it is local, but to say it is local is an understatement: it is very local, in an almost forgotten part of town. It is an old and old fashioned pub, with old customers, old furniture, old stuff all around. When I was unemployed, I used to go there very often, trying new beers, or just drinking something non alcoholic. Now I only go there on very rare occasions. When I remember it exists. But anyway, I went there for a beer tonight. And it reminded me of the picture I took back in 2012. I thought it looked quite nice.

Plans for tomorrow

I went to the Duke of Cambridge today. I missed their weekend beer festival, but there are loads of beers left, so I will be there tomorrow at some point and will celebrate our Fête Nationale there. In a British pub, of all places.

Black Pearl

I went to the Duke of Cambridge this afternoon, and I tried a Black Pearl, from the Wooden Hand Brewery. It's a dark (read: black) beer, the kind of thing I would appreciate more during winter or autumn, but it tasted nice anyway. I was in the mood for a Pimm's, as it is so hot here, but they ran out of Pimm's today.

In contact with the locals

I knew it: when you feel bored in England, go to the nearest pub. As long as it is old-fashioned enough and serves real ales, it will make you feel better. There is something utterly right about English pubs. Anyway, I went to the Duke of Cambridge, where I got into a bit of chit chat with the locals, I drank a Aonach, a beer from Stationhouse Brewery. I bit too caramelised for my taste, but enjoyable. I scared the pub's rottweiler and it scared me. Basically, that monster of a dog (cause a rottweiler is big and bulky, see) sniffed me, which made me jump, so by jumping I scared the rottweiler, which looks scary but obviously isn't very dangerous.

Quoi faire un mardi pluvieux?

Réponse: on va prendre un verre. Au Duke of Cambridge parce que c'est proche et sympathique. Et parce qu'on espère y trouver de nouvelles real ales.

Je sais que ce blogue est particulièrement ennuyeux ces temps-ci, étant donné que ma vie est très (trop) tranquille. Une visite au pub, j'ose espérer, va me fournir certaines anecdotes pour alimenter un peu le blogue. Il en a bien besoin.

There is nothing wrong with British beef

That's what my wife told me once when I said I was a tad concerned with MCD. Coming from a vegetarian, it meant that the bad press England got because of MCD really must have hurt the pride of everybody here. What she said that day is now my motto everytime I want to eat beef in this country. Since there is nothing wrong with it, I might as well have some. Sometimes she regrets saying that to me. Anyway, my wife is in Windsor for a dinner with her friend tonight, so I decided to go in a pub for a pint and a burger. I love burgers. The Duke of Cambridge didn't seem to have their kitchen open, so I went to the Cross Keys, where there was a barbecue and some...burgers. I had it with a side salad (there was no chips). There was no French mustard, but some nice HP sauce, tabasco sauce and a tiny bit of ketchup did the trick and gave the burger some flavour. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with British beef indeed. Especially with a nice pint of real ale.

Mai a des chaleurs de juillet

Je suis sorti pour une heure et un peu plus. Il fait très chaud aujourd'hui, ce n'est pas le mois de mai, c'est juillet! Mais je ne me plains pas: c'est le premier vrai été qu'on a en deux ans. Cela dit, j'espère qu'on n'aura pas les chaleurs tropicales de 2006. Ou de 2002 à Montréal, alors que c'était absolument insoutenable.

Je ne suis pas allé au Duke of Cambridge. Un, parce que je vais leur laisser le temps de changer de guest ale, deux parce que je crois que je vais prendre congé de bière aujourd'hui. Quoique je ne détesterais pas une bière froide avec le repas de ce soir, qui sera peut-être du poisson vu que c'est vendredi. Un vin blanc très sec ne serait pas dégueulasse non plus mais, la bière étant l'équivalent anglais du vin, je préfère encore boire ce qu'ils font de mieux.

An afternoon at the Duke

I went to the Duke of Cambridge this afternoon, I love this pub more and more. When I feel down and out and I am in England, and especially when I feel down about England, I go and get a drink in an old pub, and everything gets just right. And it's not because of the booze! Anyway, I love their little ménagerie, with the chickens (as I said to my wife: I go there for the chicks), the doves, the dogs (there is a big scary one, but he doesn't seem dangerous, he smelled me and looked at me with curious, but not agressive, eyes), the parrots (one is name Joey and he bites and swears, what's not to love for?). Anyway, I was there, I had half a pint of stout (not ideal for this kind of weather, but there was not much of a choice, surprisingly) and then a cider with fruits des bois, not bad but it tasted like a soft drink, it was a bit too easy to drink really, especially with this temperature. As usual, the people there were nice and just chatty enough.

I swear, I will write an entry in English about Omertà.

Duke of Cambridge

I got back from The Duke of Cambridge, which I always wanted to visit. Very nice pub. There is a beer garden that is actually a ménagerie, with parrots, doves and hens, anyway various birds, some kept in cages, some flying free. Too bad it is a smoking place (beer gardens usually are) because although a bit kitsch (the place is decorated with gnome gardens and such), it was lovely. The very few locals that were there today were quite nice and friendly. I had two half pints, one bitter (can't remember the name, it won an award in 2005) and one ale called The Spirit of Saint George. They seem to have a good turnover of real ales, so I am quite happy. They are proud of their Sunday lunch, so I will have to get back there one day. However, since they sell their hens to butchers so they can get killed, I am not sure my wife will want to encourage this local pub.