Cologne – Cuban Memories With Frank

Happy I held back on the booze the night before as the driving up to Cologne was as shitty, lousy and nerve-wrecking as it gets on a windy Tuesday afternoon with highway construction, torrential showers and trucks all over the road.

The first hour was a nightmare, driving blind basically in the downpour.

Just a minute ahead of me in the extreme left lane a Porsche lost traction, aquaplanned and slammed into the middle divider of the Autobahn, totalling the car but the driver making it out safely and across the 3 busy lanes by miracle. Nothing I could do but drive over some of the debris – fortunately nothing metallic.

Further up I could hear the sirens and see the blue lights of the police trying to manage the chaos.

It got better after a while and I arrived in Cologne in a drizzle.

Soon enough Frank, coming down from Belgium and I were having coffee and a LGC ER Suiza, not the best cigar I’ve smoked, at Peter Heinrich’s genial lounge and relaxing.

Of course the conversation revolved about our, or rather his, experiences in Havana last month.

Looks like nothing I threw at him there will deter him from raising his hand, step forward and volunteer to do it again. He’s a true stubborn Flemish daredevil that asks for more punishment like… cigars, experiences, rum and a good time with our Cuban friends.

Ok, he can have it. Next year. Stay tuned. Will be fun again.

After I passed over the thousands of pictures into his laptop, the fruits of his trip and a good and lasting Cuban memory, we had finished a tasty little cigar, the Diplomaticos ER España and proceeded to do some shopping upstairs.

A handful of Lancero boxes boxcoded 2001 and controlled in 2005 were up for grabs at a very decent price, we also took some Quintero Favoritos and the soon to disappear Fonseca also made its way into the bag.

I had the chance to put the right name to a bundle of Piramides Extras I had received in Havana – as Frank and I suspected, we had been given the Cohiba Piramide Extra by a good friend there.
Great service, as always, by the dedicated staff at this great Casa.

Having admired Andreas new ST Dupont Defi Extreme lighter recently and having thought : Me Want One I was extremely happy to get me one in red and can attest to its aesthetic good rugged look, its great grip, the large tank having a visible external indication and the overall high quality perception of the little flame thrower.

I’ve been told this piece of engineering will light up in high altitude, so no more problems lighting my cigar again in places like Kazakhstan at 3.500 meters …

To pacify my wife I even found a really nice and colourful watch for her in yellowone of her favourite summer colours.

That out of the way it was time for dinner across the street at the really excellent and friendly Trattoria Stella that we ( Gino, Frank and I ) have chosen as best in fresh Italian food.

Baby calamari in garlic and a big plate of yummy seafood Risotto was the right dinner for us.

We returned to the lounge for a last Montecristo EL 2000 from that exceptional box we found in Havana and some coffee before saying bye at 10 pm for the ride home.

By midnight I was back in the village and smoking a Siglo I in the pub and Frank was just locking his car in Belgium.

Funny how one can get addicted to having cigars with Frank in Cologne between Cuba trips …

Nino

An Update – Here’s a comment on the lighter and the Quinteros I posted on a board :

I have enough cheap lighters and cutters to equip an infantry company by now – also enough classy and expensive lighters & cutters to decorate the officer’s mess, but I guess it’s the hunter & collector in one that keeps saying: Me Want!

Great piece of equipment, large and rugged, excellent grip, large flame wheel, large gas tank with visible indication, superb quality finish and a nice colour.

Wonderwhat to do now with my more elegant classic line Duponts … guess I will use them only for the nice ping & clack sound 🙂

I also bought Quintero Favoritos and must say they are fast on their way to become favourites of mine for the daily pub visit or the coffee hour at myCafe.

Extremely ugly, rough, veiny & dry wrapper, brutal finish, no oils, no shine, wrapped in cardboard but …. really pleasant, thoroughly tasty, mild and creamy, smoke them almost to the nub without any harsh- or bitterness, absolutely fantastic at 2,70 € a stick. Can’t find anything wrong ( or anything better at that price ) with these.

Splendid Robustos !

Nino