{"id":4835,"date":"2013-04-10T16:05:17","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T14:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/?p=4835"},"modified":"2013-04-11T19:43:52","modified_gmt":"2013-04-11T17:43:52","slug":"cologne-cuban-memories-with-frank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/startseite\/cologne-cuban-memories-with-frank\/","title":{"rendered":"Cologne – Cuban Memories With Frank"},"content":{"rendered":"

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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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first hour was a nightmare, driving blind basically in the downpour.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further up I could hear the sirens and see the blue lights of the police trying to manage the chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n

It got better after a while and I arrived in Cologne in a drizzle.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course the conversation revolved about our, or rather his, experiences in Havana last month.<\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, he can have it. Next year. Stay tuned. Will be fun again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 Espa\u00f1a and proceeded to do some shopping upstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.
\nGreat service, as always, by the dedicated staff at this great Casa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having admired Andreas new ST Dupont Defi Extreme lighter recently and having thought : Me Want One<\/span><\/b> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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 …<\/span><\/p>\n

To pacify my wife I even found a really nice and colourful watch for her in yellow<\/span><\/b>one of her favourite summer colours.<\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

Baby calamari in garlic and a big plate of yummy seafood Risotto was the right dinner for us. <\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Funny how one can get addicted to having cigars with Frank in Cologne between Cuba trips …
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Nino<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

An Update – Here’s a comment on the lighter and the Quinteros I posted on a board :<\/p>\n

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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!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Wonder<\/span>what to do now with my more elegant classic line Duponts … guess I will use them only for the nice ping & clack sound \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n

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 \u20ac a stick. Can’t find anything wrong ( or anything better at that price ) with these.<\/em><\/p>\n

Splendid Robustos !<\/em><\/p>\n

Nino<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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