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The Highs and Lows of Beer in Europe
It started off quite innocently.. Two beers on a corner cafe on the streets of Paris. A plate of cheese, and those delicious bubbly brews gone.. We had arrived and our vacation had begun.. No worries in the world---- Then the check came. 25 euros for a couple of beers and a plate of cheese??? The cheese wasn't the expensive part. Oh well lesson learned. The night before we had found wine for much cheaper than that. It was to be a wine only trip. We could do that.
Then came riding bikes in Burgundy. After the long, hot, hard day of riding it (and less than 48 hours after previously swearing off beer) nothing seemed as thirst quenching as a cold pint at a local pub. Once again the it was amazing beer. So cold, so refreshing. the perfect amount of hops. We didn't care how many Euros it was going to set us back. After shaking the glasses upside down into our mouth, to ensure we got the most liquid to Euro ratio, we asked the the check. A Pleasant smile came to our faces when we saw the two pints only set us back 5 big ones.. Not so bad. Maybe beer shouldn't be on the no-no list?
Down the road in Nice after a day of fun, we wanted a little night life- to be found in the form of a live band in an "Irish Pub". We felt adventurous and decided to try some brews that were not familiar. Michelle ordered "weiss" and I ended up with "Desperado". Turns out Michelle's was a poorly made hefeweizen, not a favorite. Mine, we later figured out was a Spanish beer that, judging by the flavor was made with a good amount of lemons. The end result was a beer that sort of tasted like a long island iced tea, sans coke and add a beer like substance. Not good. To add insult to injury the bill was equally as shocking as the incident in Paris... Why does this have to happen to such a good thing as beer???
The next day our faith in barley and hops was renewed with the wine shop that provided us with the one Euro 1664s. Now remember this--- it will be important very soon. We got a beer in France, that was made in France for one Euro. Kind like a bud light for a buck..
Later that night we stopped for some more live music at a place labeled "piano bar". we walked in full of hope and thirst. The kind only something ice cold can cure. We saw them shining through the refrigerator glass like beacons of joy saying "yes. yes. yes." our beloved 1664s. Out of bottle, but still the cheap beer of France. The barkeep handed us our beer and took our 20 Euros. As he made changes we enjoyed the first sip and smiled. Four Euros were returned to us... That's right 4. We looked at each other and each of us thought "we just got screwed because we are American..." This feeling lasted through the next couple of chugs of beer, until we saw a few other patrons receiving roughly the same amount of change for the product that was probably brewed no more than 20 Kilometers away... We did not order a second round. Back to the wine shop for our 88% discounted cans.
What is it about physical exertion that calls for cold suds? It was after 7 hours of hiking through the beautiful towns of Cinque Terre, that we next decided to enjoy the sound of aluminum caps (I think that is what they are made of?) being removed from glass. Nothing fancy, just a couple of Becks pulled from a fridge. Oh Lord, they were good. A couple of Euros each, and just amazing. Needed to quench the fire that started at the feet and ended in the throat.
Today we are in Florance and it sets the scene for our latest discovery. "The Lions Fountain" A great barkeep, pouring drafts of coldness to beat the heat of the day. A couple of Kilkennys (Guiness product, very good) and a quite reasonable check. Once again our faith in the goodness of all that is beer was renewed.. Rome is still ahead, who knows what trials await us there, but tonight we can sleep well...
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