#111. The Barrels Ale House, 59 Bridge End, Berwick Upon Tweed

Check out the view as you cross from Tweedmouth into Berwick.



The first thing you find along Bridge End is this traditional ale house.



The place was busy, and when I entered the room fell quiet. "Am I interrupting a private party?" I asked. This was met with laughter, and more laughs when I ordered the 6.8% Sublime Stout from Fyne Ales of Scotland. Apparently I had interrupted a story one of the regulars was telling about how his friend was drinking this potent beer the night before and found he couldn't make his way home without assistance.

Amateurs.

This place rocks. Maybe it was because I had spent a day walking in the footsteps of my ancestors, but I felt very much at home here, with Bob, Josie, Paul, Dave... all salt of the earth. Simon the bartender was wearing a tourist t-shirt from Victoria! We talked at length about how much he loves Canada's west coast, but how he and his wife almost ended up a statistic when they attempted to walk the 21 km Juan de Fuca trail in one day.