San Marino
A full collection of photos from this trip can be found in:- San Marino
The Guinness
Well, I wasn't expecting it to be quite so hard to find a Guinness in San Marino. After booking my flights and accommodation I had sat down in front of the computer and search desperately for places selling Guinness. This microstate must be one of the few capital cities in Europe without an Irish bar. Eventually I found the London Pub that may sell bottled but not draught Guinness but would you believe it, it is closed on a Monday night, the only night I had booked to stay.
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| My new friends in San Marino! Natalie at the Strange Bar picks out my next destination - Moldova. |
On arriving in San Marino I scoured the bars. San Marino has its own beer - I know this because every bar I went into and asked told me so. I had managed to buy some 'emergency' Guinness in Bologne on the way but was desperate to try and find some here. My hours of internet research had found one place which may just sell bottled Guinness, the Strange Bar. The only problem was it was a short way out of the centre or in San Marino terms - off the edge of the cliff. The main road in and out of the centre is not designed for pedestrians and any thoughts of walking there were quickly dismissed. An early evening trip there on the bus therefore was the only option.
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| You thought I was making up the bar name didn't you! |
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| Not quite the type of Guinness I was expecting but nevertheless much appreciated. |
Arriving dead on opening time at 6.30 I got some strange looks and even more when I asked for a Guinness. After Naomi made lots of phone calls, presumably to the bar owner, a bottle of Guinness was found hiding at the back of the fridge.
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| The pub may have been closed but it didn't stop me having a Guinness there. |
The sightseeing
At the very top of San Marino there are three tower about a kilometer apart. I never did work out why they had to build towers as they were already on top of a cliff and could see for miles anyway.
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| A view to die for - it would be if you lost your footing. |
I sort of liked and didn't like the city. Some of the architecture, towers and narrow streets were lovely but it was very much geared towards the tourist with almost every shop selling knickknacks and those that weren't sold guns and knives for some reason. At this time of year the streets were quiet and the place lived up to it's official title of 'the Most Serene Republic of San Marino'.
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| San Marino |
Getting there and around
I flew out of Bristol for the first time on the first flight of the year to Bologne. Luckily the pilot remembered their way from last year. It took the train down to Rimini and then the regular bus up to San Marino. The centre of San Marino is compact - very compact, and everywhere is on a steep slope. Its a good place to build up your leg muscles.
The food and drink
San Marino pasta is something different. It's sort of a thick worm in size, khaki in colour and a bit chewy but tasty at the same time. Their white wine is very nice too but beware - 0.5 I think means half a litre and not half a bottle.
Bologne has some lovely places to but slices of pizza and their cheeses are great too. In fact cheese is in abundance everywhere!
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| Fast food, Bologne style. |
Outside San Marino
I spent two nights in Bologne and had a good opportunity to look around this old city with its covered arcades and many churches. I also took some time out in Rimini on my way back and walked down to the seafront and lay on the sand in the sunshine. It may just have been possible that I fell asleep for a minute or two.
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| Rimini and time for 40 winks I think. |
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| Bologne towers |
The Accommodation
In Bologne I stayed two nights in the Il BaGatto B&B and I just could not fault it. It was a comfortable spacious room in an apartment near the centre. In San Marino itself I stayed at Hotel Joli and had a lovely view of the mountains from my bedroom window.
The Quirky moments
When you have scoured every bar in the country for Guinness its somewhat ironic to find a shop selling Guinness souvenirs. I pointed out the irony to the elderly shopkeeper who tried to sell me a bottle opener!
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| The only Guinness I found for sale in the centre of San Marino! |
