28 Mar
Always a pleasure to meet my old friend Ziqui, a Chinese businessman residing for more than a decade in Havana and to share his passion for cigars and having a few hours of good conversation. We have met both in Havana and in Beijing and share some funny adventures and good times over the last Read more…
27 Mar
Curse my luck, after deciding to finally stay at his Vega for a few days to do some serious R&R from the Havana stress, Hector decided to fly to Nicaragua a few days earlier. So the Rest & Recover days with him have been postponed … again. Which is OK, really, gives me a good Read more…
26 Mar
Once again I had carried half my suitcase full of Chinese food, condiments, cooking utensils and assorted stuff for my Cuban-Chinese friends at Lung Kong, sent to me courtesy of a friend and cigar collector from Hong Kong. We visited them along with Urs and Thomas Portmann, Yannick, Michel, Luca and “Buddha” Keith who had Read more…
24 Mar
Potatoes. Truly a rare commodity in Cuba. People stand in line for hours and hours to get some when they rarely do finally arrive at the agromercados. Five hours in line to get some pounds is the norm. And a few of my favourite dishes are potato based …. I was lucky. At El Templete Read more…
23 Mar
Some impressions of the cigar accessories and antiques/collectibles at the commercial fair in Havana during the Festival. I went there to look for some older stuff – but looking too young and casual I guess as I was not allowed into the trade fair wearing shorts, like many others who thought WTF should we wear Read more…
22 Mar
Another one of those nights that start “official” and end private among friends. The Partagas LCDH held a reception during the Festival week and I met some of the usual suspects there after saying hello to Grecia, Odalys and Leopoldina. A few Cuba libres with the guys, a truly international band really, and we decided Read more…
21 Mar
My friend Yannick was kind enough to invite me to a high calibre tasting of the 2015 Punch Suiza Edicion Regional at LCDH Quinta y 16. High calibre it was with many renowned Swiss merchants and Intertabak representatives attending as well as a very well known Cuban contingent and selected Aficionados from Switzerland and Italy. Read more…
