Having not posted in some time, I see I got a spam comment today. Reminded me of my blog so thought I'd try posting again from time to time. As I post this particular entry, I am enjoying an Arturo Fuente Anejo #49 with a Cuba Libre.
We just returned from a holiday weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island with the whole family, including Dad, who's ashes we spread over the ocean per his wishes.
Over the course of the weekend I enjoyed several fine cigars including an H Upmann Magnum 50, Ashton ESG 22-Year Salute, R&J Short Churchill, Fuente Opux X Perfecxion #5, HdM Epicure Especial, Tatuaje Noella and some Petites,along with a few others, several great meals, a bit of the Zaya rum, Tito's vodka, Ritz champagne, mimosas, Curvy Grandmas (Grand Marnier and Courvosier), and some fine wines including Mer Soleil's Late Harvest Viognier with foie gras, Mt Veeder Cab with a tasty dry-aged strip, and a really nice Sancerre with an excellent Halibut (forget the particulars on the wine but remember it was very good).
As a remembrance of and final memorial for my Dad, my sisters and I waded into the ocean under the full blue moon and the 3 of us began tossing his ashes into the waves as my Mom and our significant others watched on.
While I was extremely emotional during his service, the mood was light as we returned from the sea onto the beach. It was a good time and we all felt the weight dissipate after the wait
since Memorial Day when we held his memorial service, the bagpipes and
21-gun salute still ringing in my ears.
Both my brothers-in-law (1 in spirit if not actually in law) and I then proceeded to smoke some cigars to honor the occasion. I had a Bolivar Belicoso Fino SLB along with some of Balvenie's Carribean Cask 14. The conversation was deep and the fellowship good as we recounted tales of his life and ours.
Following that, my wife and I sat on our top-floor ocean front balcony where I enjoyed a very yellow-celloed Padron Serie 1924 #1 maduro from the original release along with a few more drams of the Balvenie, the whole time watching the ocean disperse my Dad across the Atlantic and onto the beach, bone and ash joining sand and sea as he settled to his final resting place.
My Mom reported that she slept for 6 hours straight that night, and actually ate her entire meal the following evening as we celebrated his life and the 5 birthdays that occurred during the past couple of weeks. Those are all things she hasn't really done since my Dad entered the long-term care facility following his second stroke almost 3 years ago.
While there was a sense of relief among us when he passed away, having watched him deteriorate over that time, there was a sense of joy and finality following our private ceremony on the beach.
Mom later
asked that when she eventually passes on she'd like us all to reconvene
in the same spot to memorialize her and have her join my father for
their eternity together.
He was a fine man, and though we certainly had our differences over the years, I realize that I am the man I am today due to the man he was. He'll be missed but always remembered. It's funny how a cigar and some Scotch allow so much reflection at such times.
Rest in peace Dad, we love you.
As I have had the opportunity to travel quite extensively in Europe I've had the opportunity to visit many tobacconists in various countries.
Some of my favorites include:
P.G.C. Hajenius in Amsterdam.Close to 100 years old, the furnishings are luxurious. The tobacco musuem on the second floor in the back and the library are a wealth of cigar knowledge, as is the cigar display - just about every Habano produced in the past 45 years. Shames these are pinned like butterflies and not humidified as I'm sure most of them have substantial age.
Excellent selection in the humidor and I took the opportunity to enjoy a fine Cuaba Diademas on Father's Day there this past June.
Peter Heinrichs / CologneThis shop on the Hahnenstrasse appears to be very pipe-centric upon entry. Once guided up and through a room connecting to an adjoining shop you are in the LCDH part of the store.
Lots of vintage goodies and regional edition smokes like the Por Larranaga Lonsdale and Bolivar Colosales to be had.
Downstairs from the humidor is a lovely cigar lounge with a fully stocked bar - great place to spend a reflective afternoon.
J.J. Fox / LondonThis St. James street fixture offers vintage cigars in an open display just inside the store. While pricey with the current exchange rate, it's worth picking out a stick that catches your fancy and enjoying it with some coffee and conversation with the staff.
The
Davidoff shop just up the street also has a nice cabinet with vintage cigars inside the humidor and a host of gracious shopkeepers.
Boutique 22 / ParisWhile this shop does not have a smoking area it does have a wide selection of fine smokes and accessories. A plus is that just around the corner from the shop and about a block from the Arc d'Triomphe is the Mojito Habana Club, a lovely place to spend the afternoon with a smoke and drink.
Estanco Magallanes / MadridExcellent selection and amazing prices. The proprietor, José MartÃnez Franco, was named Retailer of the Year at the 1st International Festival of the Habano. Again no smoking unfortunately due to new laws banning smoking in the workplace (yes, even cigar stores!).
Linzbach / DusseldorfThis shop has an outstanding humidor and some of the friendliest people I've met.
Once Margret Schmitz, the owner, found I was looking for vintage cigars and Lonsdales were one of my preferred sizes, she exclaimed this was her son's favorite vitola and went to collect him.
Werner and I scoured the humidor finding numerous vintage samples for my selection. Once the damage was done he invited me back to the lounge for a rum tasting with my smoke of choice.
Here I also met the proprietor of a local cigar club. We exchanged conversation and I gifted a couple of unique smokes to each of them. Werner escorted me to the cellar (certainly a misnomer, this was a grand space) where he showed me through the main storage area stopping at his private cabinet.
Both he and his companion offered up a variety of smokes for my selection - I came away with two exceptional cigars, a Bolivar Inmensa and an R&J Cazadores which they proclaimed some of the best examples of each.
Le Roi du Cigare / BrusselsThis unassuming shopfront at 60 rue de l'Enseignement features a well-stocked humidor and many hidden gems.
On my first visit the owner's daughter was minding the shop, and while she possessed good knowledge her English was limited (not as much as my Dutch or French however). We managed to communicate enough that I came away with some good cigars.
On my second visit M. Philippe Vanderbruggen was present and set about to provide me a tour of his selection. Quite a few boxes with 8 or more years of age were produced and we discussed the merits of each.
We decided upon a couple plus some other interesting samples though I had to decline the offer of taking home the 35th Anniversary Cohiba humidor he had for sale.
He did taunt me with the Behike he had collected at this year's Habanos Festival.
This represents just a few of the shops I've visited, many providing fond memories. There are many more I've visited and hope to in the future.
While I've previously posted much of this on other forums, I thought I'd share it here as well. I look forward to hearing from others as I'm always looking for new places to check out.
Labels: Cigar travelogue part I
So besides my initial foray here, I've been posting at cigar forums across the net since before the turn of the century.
After my period(s) of unemployment as somewhat documented in earlier posts I landed a job in spring 0f '04 that lasted quite awhile. Matter of fact, I just changed jobs voluntarilry just a few weeks back.
At any rate my last job allowed me to travel extensively in Europe and South America.
As such, I had begun a cigar travelogue on a couple of forums: international cigar club and vintage cigar club.
I'm going to bring excepts of those posts here in the event you stumble across this without having frequented those other sites.
BTW, today's been fairly cigar heavy already. I started with a Trinidad Fundadore while putting away the Christmas lights. A bud of mine dropped by so I slipped him a Monte #4 while I polished off the Fundy.
We poured up a couple of Beantinis (martini with jalapeno-pickled green beans) concocted with Skyy 90 - the premium vodka entry from this particular distiller.
Upon extinguishing the starter smokes we fired up a couple of the Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos. An awesome little powerhouse of a smoke released this year. A couple more Beantinis were called for so of course we obliged ourselves.
As I write, I'm burning a Punch SS#1 (can't find the #2's anymore - shame). Enjoying this with a cuppa joe while the chicken's finishing in the Schlemmertopf.
Whoa, it's been quite some time since I've been here.
Stumbled across blogger.com today as a result of a search and recalled I had an account here.
Some crazy stuff from a while back. Things have changed a bit since then.....
Still smoking and drinking - almost exlcusively Habanos now, got past the whole Fuente marketing machine thing.
Last night after a small neighborhood get-together sat on the deck with a Montecristo Especiale #1 from 1998 and a bit of Edradour Distiller's Edition 10yo scotch.
A bit nostalgic as I had recently visited the distillery - just outside Pitlochry Scotland in the Highlands, smallest distillery in Scotland - back in October on my Scotland/Germany/Amsterdam run.
Perhaps I'll remember to swing back by from time to time for a little update on what I've been smoking and drinking plus things I think about.
Cheers!
Labels: Back after all these years
I'm a Spirograph!! I'm pretty tripped out,
even though i've been known to be a bit
boring at times. I manage to serve my
purpose in life while expending hardly any
effort (and am usually stoned to the gills
all the while).
What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
I lied....not back at all - hehehe/////
Welp, that job's gone dammittohell. looking for another.
I'm baaaaccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Six weeks later - finally got a job, start Monday. Been smoking Partagas Perfecto, RyJ Cazadore, Diplo #4, Punch Punch, and BOli PC. Alos many fine smoke like Maduro Opus Super Belicoso and Phantom, Davidoff #2 Habana, and Dunhill Don Candido #500 among others.
Looks like I took over a week off....just tiredof the thig. Smoked alots of cigar and drank many drink.
Cohiba LE Pyramid, lots of PPC and RyJ TPC, FFOX/VSG, a Padron, some ONeOff, and more RyJ Belicoso, RyJ EL Prominente, lotsa stuffs.
I smoked a La Unica TOrpedo earlier in the week, forget exactly when. Yesterday drum shopping, smoked a Partagas Charlotte and a PPC while driving about. Dinner party - Fajitas/Margaritas smoked a PPC, FFOX #4, and a SHort Story.
Today had a Maduro Hemingway Classic - yummy older one. Then a PPC with Wyborova martini (Stilton-stuffed Olives), and a VSG Beli #1 w/ Brugal Rum. Picked up a Sosa GOvernor (new band) at TB Mall of Georgia.
