Beer for the Euro Finals England V Italy

I had a bottle of St Austell Proper Job,
but it was for the scotland game

The last couple of games it has been easy to open a beer but to get around to drinking it all took some time.
Tension.
Not 'Alf.

 

Saltaire Blonde or Bombardier Bitter (bottled) for me if I watch at home as I have with the games so far. If I watch at my local it will be hand pulled Saltaire Blonde.
When I drink lager it is usually Morreti or Peroni but NOT this Sunday. If I don't drink English Ale on the day of the final it will have to be Thatchers Gold, something English.
Strangely my good lady and myself will be going to an Italian restaurant on Saturday evening.

 

You'll laugh at this, but I've had 10 cases of Carling shipped over just for the final! Never been in Estonia before, so I will market it as a "niche, crisp lager, with notes of the River Trent". It'll fly out the fridges
Of course all the English here know it's pisswater, but it's a bit exciting for them too, as they don't often get a chance to drink it.

I'll be on the Boddingtons.

 

Italy is a fantastic country. I've been there lots of times - Garda, Tuscany, Venice, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terra, Umbria, Verona. Three years ago we did a two week circular tour of Sicily including Syracusa - fabulous. I love how the food is so regional. In the Cinque Terra there's loads of great seafood, but an hour away, in Noto, it's meat stews and speciality soups.
Before I moved to Bratfud I was in a youth drama group in Essex. Essex county council had a cultural exchange agreement with Emilia Romagna region. I did two drama trips to Forli, where we were royally wined and dined by the locals. The food was amazing and we drank some excellent Chianti. On the first trip, we arrived at Bologna station very tired and hungry after a long overnight train journey from the UK. We thought about going into the bar/restaurant for refreshments, but decided against it, because our local contacts were waiting outside in a minibus to take us to Forli. Five minutes into the journey to Forli, a bomb went off in the bar at Bologna station, killing 85 people and wounding over 200 more. Had we gone into the bar we'd have been blown to smithereens. I still have the following day's newspaper with a picture of the station. Where the minibus was parked is a big hole in the ground. Lucky escape.

 

You have lived a drama filled life mate, both real and acting out, and that is before you factor in the drama that is Bradford City.
I have never visited Italy, much to my regret. The nearest I get is regular visits to the Ital or Aldo's as it is now, which is where we will be this evening. After an home game it is, or rather was, a couple of pints of Morreti followed by some pasta or a pizza at Mama Mia's.

 

I must admit I find most of the Italian food on offer here to be a pale shadow of the real thing in Italy. The range, in particular, is so limited. It's the same choice of pizza, pasta sauces and boring chicken dishes everywhere. In Italy you get superb rabbit and game casseroles, beautiful fish and vegetable dishes and lots of different pasta types and sauces, depending on where in the country you are.

 

Couple of Landlord and a couple of Doom Bar for me. Some Leffe on the bench and a few craft beers if things go really well.

I’ve had a couple of holidays travelling around Italy as well. Great country.

 

TIme for some strong IPA. Grrrrr!



RCB