tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29291274728326345322024-03-19T05:08:16.726-07:00Cigar Loving DoormanCigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-14707676138804244102013-03-20T19:19:00.000-07:002013-03-20T19:23:03.328-07:00Celebrate endings - for they precede new beginningsI have not done a proper post in almost three months so it is about time I update you all, whether you like it or not. A lot has changed in my life in that space of time, most notably, I am no longer in the Security Business.<br />
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David Weinbaum said "The Secret To A Rich Life Is To Have More Beginnings Than Endings"<br />
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After working the doors for thirteen years or so I have quit and moved on. The last four off those I spent were in the <a href="http://www.thechurch.ie/">The Church Cafe,Bar and Restaurant</a> (Nightclub,Tourist Attraction,Juice Bar,Summer BBQ....and so on). From my first night on the 12th February 2009 to my last on the 9th February 2013, I worked there with pride. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed every night (Who does??) but the people I met and the friendships I forged over the years made it all worthwhile. What I will miss most is the fun and slagging with Hollywood standing beside me on the door as well as the strangely varied and obscure conversation we normally would have. When we were standing outside battling the rain, wind or snow it made the night pass by a lot quicker. Thank you Dave!!<br />
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So on to the new venture. My friend owns a restaurant in the city center and on the run up to Christmas I helped him out during the day, serving tables. I loved it. It had been years since I waited tables and before long I was back in the swing of it. In January he offered me a trial position as a manager and in February he offered me the position full time. I took it. Longer hours and harder work but I am indoors and the time flies...and the weight is dropping off.<br />
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I may no longer be a Doorman but I am now a Godfather. My godchild was christened two weeks ago and I am not one for kids but I love little Byrne Jr as if he was my own. He doesn't do much at the moment (He's a baby!!!) but I cant wait until he is old enough for me to fill him full of ice-cream, skittles and coke and send him back to his parents. I wonder how often I will be on child minding duty!! Fun times!!!<br />
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Now to the Cigars. My collection has grown substantially.<br />
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The Mrs got me some lovely sticks for my Birthday and a few more for Valentines. She also got me a set of Cufflinks made from a Pre-Embargo RyJ Cigar band and a nice leather travel humidor.<br />
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I also received a few goodies in the post:<br />
I won a competition that was run by <a href="https://twitter.com/Cigar_G">Cigar_G</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/joseblanco809">Jose Blanco</a> and was sent 2 x Joya's, 2 x MUWAT and a Liga Privada.<br />
After tuning into <a href="http://robbyrasreviews.com/cigarchat/">Cigar Chat</a> one night, <a href="https://twitter.com/cigarsPS">Paul Stulac</a> generously promised all the viewers one Cigar. When I received my package I had been given three.<br />
Finally I ordered a box of Partagas Culebras. They come in a box of nine, 3x3 in separate coffin boxes. I have been wanting to get my hands on some and they seem to be very hard to find. Now I have them.<br />
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I now have a very impressive display of Cigars but that is all it is at the moment. With the new job but more importantly the weather I have not had many opportunities to smoke anything. I did manage to sneak a few in over the past few months but not as many as I wanted. Roll on the summer!!<br />
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BIG NEWS ALERT: <a href="https://twitter.com/CigarAficMag">Cigar Aficionado Magazine</a> published one of my tweets. I will confess that I am not an avid reader. Too much advertising and not enough Cuban content for my liking but I do realise that for so many people it is the Cigar bible. Getting a mention in the publication is kind of a big deal so I will take that. Maybe they will read my blogs and publish some thing else.....or give me a job. I could do Savanos job!!<br />
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Which brings me to the 15th Annual Festival del Habano. There are so many festival I would love to go to. IPCPR, Cigarnival, CigarFest and so on but this is the Holy Grail. Some year I will get there. Maybe for my 40th (*Drops hint to the Mrs*) This year the focus was on Montecristo, Partagas and the relaunch of the Vegueros Brand.<br />
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There were three new Edition Limitada's released:<br />
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Romeo y Julieta Romeo De Luxe EL 2013<br />
Hoyo De Monterrey Gran Epicure El 2013<br />
Punch Serie D'Oro No.2 El 2013<br />
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Four new regular production cigars:<br />
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Montecristo Double Edmundo<br />
Montecristo Petit No.2<br />
H. Upmann Connossieur A<br />
Bolivar Libertadores (Only available in a LCDH store)<br />
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One New Gran Reserva:</div>
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Partagas Lusitanias Gran Reserva<br />
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The Vegueros brand was also relaunced and include:<br />
Tapados<br />
Mananitas<br />
Entretiempos<br />
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I dont know much about the Veguros brand but if Habanos SA included them as a headliner in the Festival they must be worth checking out. The Gran Reserva will be the one everybody want but for me its the Montecristo Petit No.2. I love the normal No.2 so hopefully this will be as good although their was rumours of a new blend.<br />
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Finally all future Montecristo's will now be sporting a new band and it looks great.<br />
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So that's it from me for now. Hopefully it wont be as long before my next post. Enjoy the Pics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollywood and I on my last night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuP7avWXENFF4i_I2ch8tlVyOYUbQPEIGa46XusVnHU_OkT6uL_LJe3MqmpMk2w73LWX9VCbtKcatl9oY1MBYXyB284BIWwYwhkPPO0F_-0vKa_-28wR4CYRK8sXV0VocablBXfjRKns/s1600/Bday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuP7avWXENFF4i_I2ch8tlVyOYUbQPEIGa46XusVnHU_OkT6uL_LJe3MqmpMk2w73LWX9VCbtKcatl9oY1MBYXyB284BIWwYwhkPPO0F_-0vKa_-28wR4CYRK8sXV0VocablBXfjRKns/s320/Bday.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bday Cigars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNfLhWBu4hBScCEil8edQUQaBaa-X8wNLX1_gstzadL_mzMY7H-mTHU8qa_5KNDIbe-FSM1lRMS7bfOQ6XpZRA_4YYel8Y754_LZZfPtnBYQ2XLlVWiYqDaZpnZadls0PCMbYU7DEunE/s1600/Valentines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNfLhWBu4hBScCEil8edQUQaBaa-X8wNLX1_gstzadL_mzMY7H-mTHU8qa_5KNDIbe-FSM1lRMS7bfOQ6XpZRA_4YYel8Y754_LZZfPtnBYQ2XLlVWiYqDaZpnZadls0PCMbYU7DEunE/s320/Valentines.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valentines Present</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2tar18vWTqG4TAF4LTTGo3-eLw2v0R9lZLhhdCRB_LSbINdgK39baDGFbw519QQv8jcCaVJ4GgM70n3GfF1zvbPuXP-KvbIlzsvh7oH_WkjjVGQ55RSXc91ugMiN6HwpRfxnlplY-Bg/s1600/IMG_2773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2tar18vWTqG4TAF4LTTGo3-eLw2v0R9lZLhhdCRB_LSbINdgK39baDGFbw519QQv8jcCaVJ4GgM70n3GfF1zvbPuXP-KvbIlzsvh7oH_WkjjVGQ55RSXc91ugMiN6HwpRfxnlplY-Bg/s320/IMG_2773.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bday Present - Leather Travel Humidor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d8cxw7m2kQYDdleqFrYVCgqJw96l6HlgupkyC7l2XcmYVNe5dnGp36KGSS2K716dSUcD6exHPPySsv97S_3JjuB36vpjLEdYBGD_ar0T3SpKbVr79naG1WEQlzHauXv9-tosUC73FUA/s1600/Cigar_G.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d8cxw7m2kQYDdleqFrYVCgqJw96l6HlgupkyC7l2XcmYVNe5dnGp36KGSS2K716dSUcD6exHPPySsv97S_3JjuB36vpjLEdYBGD_ar0T3SpKbVr79naG1WEQlzHauXv9-tosUC73FUA/s320/Cigar_G.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars from Cigar G and Jose Blanco</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTPRfgd9hxic2EG19rUqw60RYfhsf6ExYs_y5lzsq9cyiKsgOWlQFy67cnkKf3Gz3F1QvR6cuw08omJdaHE-kwmKHenHhvgSwaNoR_Ken7fvtlRC1e7opW2GLlO3SF6_xss-xx3D8eqQ/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTPRfgd9hxic2EG19rUqw60RYfhsf6ExYs_y5lzsq9cyiKsgOWlQFy67cnkKf3Gz3F1QvR6cuw08omJdaHE-kwmKHenHhvgSwaNoR_Ken7fvtlRC1e7opW2GLlO3SF6_xss-xx3D8eqQ/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars from Cigar Chat and Paul Stulac</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas Culebras Box</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Coffins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas Culebras- The Cigar(s)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trinidad Fundadores</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxhyphenhyphenpYy2zSAu8mrYuRrdstsEJZOUNOSfejJEfd8BAcd457_7y5qp8NIwd6DwC1T2WVw2JQUEMsJN0Mrdza8XLHha5UV6mJiA4Z_2MS-ahv2DTcfaXwLt32xo4ol6MvoV9rNskf5ndrVE/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxhyphenhyphenpYy2zSAu8mrYuRrdstsEJZOUNOSfejJEfd8BAcd457_7y5qp8NIwd6DwC1T2WVw2JQUEMsJN0Mrdza8XLHha5UV6mJiA4Z_2MS-ahv2DTcfaXwLt32xo4ol6MvoV9rNskf5ndrVE/s320/IMG_0005.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House blend from La Maraleja Restaurant in Cuba - Delish</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H.Upmann Petit Corona</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cohiba Maduro 5 Secrectos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz9tgmKquVAzhUH8YD-niNokCgHoFYY7gwJUtCUDgFcmqovUD71gsqZQJtG3-4oLHTy7yLvnjH3_YnelZwSZ6gE7taJZ95hoeykDa3O25IrblhEMZN4SRyfu4EfPR67CfTOnYqOIdZH8/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz9tgmKquVAzhUH8YD-niNokCgHoFYY7gwJUtCUDgFcmqovUD71gsqZQJtG3-4oLHTy7yLvnjH3_YnelZwSZ6gE7taJZ95hoeykDa3O25IrblhEMZN4SRyfu4EfPR67CfTOnYqOIdZH8/s320/image+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man O War Side Project Little Devil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCxOvtQd48w-MDDFZmYtZcTYRYpphMiAZx21omLGjspBI5qGgLKMQzcXIbOr9xIydijyzEFanKIBRcBrLPJSYU8rShSAOgGlbHpf3W4B8tXuOfGJZzEyXSaS575DLEdxGpENME5gRt-I/s1600/BEJxQY2CAAAnN7y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCxOvtQd48w-MDDFZmYtZcTYRYpphMiAZx21omLGjspBI5qGgLKMQzcXIbOr9xIydijyzEFanKIBRcBrLPJSYU8rShSAOgGlbHpf3W4B8tXuOfGJZzEyXSaS575DLEdxGpENME5gRt-I/s320/BEJxQY2CAAAnN7y.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigar Aficionado Magazine</td></tr>
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CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-69468210667379107632013-01-09T17:28:00.000-08:002013-01-09T17:28:49.628-08:00Top 25 Cigars of 2012With all the furore, excitement and debate surrounding <a href="http://www.cigaraficionado.com/top25/show/id/16816">Cigar Aficionado's</a> Top 25 Cigars of 2012 I decided to do my own list. Only three Cubans are included in their list and seeing that I have little or no access to the other twenty two Cigars, I thought I would compile my personal favourites of 2012.<br />
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Bearing in mind that at the start of the year I was a complete novice. I had no idea of the rituals, etiquette or do's and don'ts when it comes to truly enjoying a 100% hand rolled Cigar. Throughout 2012 I have smoked a lot, and I mean A LOT of Cigars. Some were just OK, others I will try again and some were downright terrible. Compiled below are the Top 25 Cigars that I really loved.<br />
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My list was mainly decided on smoking experience With a few of the Cigars included, I was overwhelmed by the flavours of Chocolate, Ceder, Coffee etc.. There are also Cigars included that I couldn't find a flavour if it was on a chart in front of me yet I still enjoyed smoking. I have also included Cigars that I have enjoyed because of the situation or surroundings I was in at the time of smoking each Cigar.<br />
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Finally I have included the Cigars I truly love, the Cigars that you don't have to pay attention to, the Cigars you enjoy while sitting around with friends, enjoying good company and solving the worlds problems. The Cigars that you hold in your hand, sitting back after hearing a good joke or story or maybe you're contemplating a though or idea and only breaking the silence to say<br />
"This is a good Cigar"<br />
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Enjoy my List!!!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1.Montecristo EL 2012 Grand Robusto</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN1Sd3X2mEnVHOW5-5qT8kDEmmZ4amw_EhDdTOWqx1DepF5uTdgHBTO-3ar_aE8JfwMEZcSreN4IVC2HV9E__0D5hh7talprhi8TqRTyyUKoF193d7dnn4xGhJG8TXwk7rMRSA3ZaMpE/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN1Sd3X2mEnVHOW5-5qT8kDEmmZ4amw_EhDdTOWqx1DepF5uTdgHBTO-3ar_aE8JfwMEZcSreN4IVC2HV9E__0D5hh7talprhi8TqRTyyUKoF193d7dnn4xGhJG8TXwk7rMRSA3ZaMpE/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" width="236" /></a>From the first draw of my first ever Monte El 2012 I fell in love with it. Full of Chocolate and Coffee and ending with a nice spice. This Cigar is Lush from start to finish and worthy of my Number one Cigar of 2012<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2.Trinidad Fundadores</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimuQLfNLKomxqA1nTpqiHiMmrMt-NT6T-kC3sqO4esF1pmg_myY18AaXfbpwW2EKkNCIobgMshtexDiMQWGbxCIYbIqnzbNje4WxObofNuHb6w183JOhmsSn79EbUuRJ0tiYKcz6vYTs/s1600/Trinidad+Fundadore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimuQLfNLKomxqA1nTpqiHiMmrMt-NT6T-kC3sqO4esF1pmg_myY18AaXfbpwW2EKkNCIobgMshtexDiMQWGbxCIYbIqnzbNje4WxObofNuHb6w183JOhmsSn79EbUuRJ0tiYKcz6vYTs/s320/Trinidad+Fundadore.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Sixteen years ago this was the rarest Cigar in the world. Only handed out by Castro to visiting diplomats. Thankfully it was released to the public in 1998. I love this Cigar!! Elegant and full of flavour it is a pleasure to smoke at any time or any occasion. If it hadn't been for my first experience with the Monte El 2012 this would have been my No.1 Cigar of 2012.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.Vegas Robiana Unicos</b></span><br />
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A Go-To Cigar for me if I had enough of them. The VR Unicos seems to take on the flavour profile of whatever you are eating or drinking at the time and amazingly complements it. Well worthy of its place in the Top 3.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4.Partagas Series P No.2</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz09xhWM0OA-fS_bw3_f4g0FautJ8vhZcgfUjDCUBOaYy1qoqRaEzIHEbaN_uIzZZkU2C1HyZB_1RE9t6AUw0svbrtWE021hS8fBtr4nv2TG43ixxPnt07nd5TY4mAj1tJLLxp7mII4z0/s1600/Partagas+P2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz09xhWM0OA-fS_bw3_f4g0FautJ8vhZcgfUjDCUBOaYy1qoqRaEzIHEbaN_uIzZZkU2C1HyZB_1RE9t6AUw0svbrtWE021hS8fBtr4nv2TG43ixxPnt07nd5TY4mAj1tJLLxp7mII4z0/s320/Partagas+P2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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This is my Go-To Cigar. A powerful spicy stick that never disappoints.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5.Jose Blanco 5 Wrapper Cigar</span></b><br />
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The Fudadores may have been the rarest Cigar in the World in 1997. This is probably the current one. Made by <a href="http://www.joyadenicaragua.com.ni/">Joya de Nicaragua</a> solely for Jose Blanco's Wrapper Seminars. I was lucky enough to be sent one and participated in the seminar online. A fantastic smoke made all the better as Jose talks you through the characteristics of each wrapper and the effect it has on the blend. If you get the opportunity to smoke this Cigar don't pass it up. I may never smoke another in my lifetime.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6.Partagas 898</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBohO9TTV5k2UxgdQcj8TicQF7uk9L9EBzCYiV1tl3Dd79giqlYcvFOq6VIWyrKx0hkN9SBt2CEbllO_T8BAVdopmS3cVEiMGhyphenhyphenmG5Xg_iWA1fzlVvPHx8dMIFkimYQNVRKZ09qvGwLxs/s1600/IMG_2417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBohO9TTV5k2UxgdQcj8TicQF7uk9L9EBzCYiV1tl3Dd79giqlYcvFOq6VIWyrKx0hkN9SBt2CEbllO_T8BAVdopmS3cVEiMGhyphenhyphenmG5Xg_iWA1fzlVvPHx8dMIFkimYQNVRKZ09qvGwLxs/s320/IMG_2417.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I sampled my first 898 in Havana and it was that good I went out and bought a box. Typical Partagas spice and with a smaller ring gauge that brings out more elegant flavours than the P2<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7.Cohiba Siglo V</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgbArrc_xepYztxeqUOKR6dTEAqDb88pruQt6tZb9jEsHZSR9Gh0aNe2WaxKbJ9GxsAghZZDBazXCKFc3hbveGqBt-odaDSLdWXFjx-pP5WwQcF6eB-WoqgW0iMgiVQBnb6gMKJNhZhU/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgbArrc_xepYztxeqUOKR6dTEAqDb88pruQt6tZb9jEsHZSR9Gh0aNe2WaxKbJ9GxsAghZZDBazXCKFc3hbveGqBt-odaDSLdWXFjx-pP5WwQcF6eB-WoqgW0iMgiVQBnb6gMKJNhZhU/s320/IMG_2018.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Cohiba is a brand that I tend to overlook. Probably the most well known brand in the world and a price tag that matches. I wont buy a Cigar just because it is a Cohiba. The Siglo V may have changed all of that. I have tried the Robusto, Esplendido's and a few of the Siglo range. None compared to the Siglo V. Again, a smaller ring gauge cigar, full of flavour that I now recognise as Cohiba. I just may have been converted.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8.Montecristo No.2</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhAykX7PguW_cSMGGE9WSpw_-xG0xzQ-iQXBjvotY8JxTV7LVKY4pt21VXmJNt_uelVBN_KYcT3MIV1iTk626M432gU6oVPgMp77nV-VXrRCL8HDBHq8QRVnX-A_Ap6BdBevkyPZA75o/s1600/Monte+No+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhAykX7PguW_cSMGGE9WSpw_-xG0xzQ-iQXBjvotY8JxTV7LVKY4pt21VXmJNt_uelVBN_KYcT3MIV1iTk626M432gU6oVPgMp77nV-VXrRCL8HDBHq8QRVnX-A_Ap6BdBevkyPZA75o/s320/Monte+No+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Another Go-To Cigar for me. Milder than the P2 but doesn't fall down on flavour. A great afternoon smoke with friends. You can light a Monte 2 and on each occasion you know exactly what you will get. Probably the most consistent Cigar I have ever smoked.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9.Romeo y Julieta No.1</b></span><br />
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I had smoked so many large ring gauge cigars in 2012 that the though of smoking another was putting me off. I needed a small, short, pleasant smoke for those evening when a 50+ Cigar was too much effort. I found this baby and have never looked back. I love it so much that I think I will be buying a box as soon as I can.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10.Montecristo Petit Edmundo</span></b><br />
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Like a few others, this Cigar is placed largely on my first experience I had just finished off a large meal and a few glasses of wine. I sat back, lit up the Petit Edmundo and lost myself for almost an hour. Any I have had since the first have also been top notch.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11.H. Upman Magnum 50</span></b><br />
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I dont smoke many H.Upmans and I sit here wondering why not. It is a brand I always forget to buy and based on the Magnum 50 I must be mad. A smooth rich easy smoke. Creamy and spicy at the same time. I really should try some more.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12.Grafton Reserve Salomon</span></b><br />
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This is a cigar I smoked early on in the year. One of the <a href="http://www.decent-cigar.com/">Decent Cigar Emporium's</a> own blends and it is delicious. When you walk into a Cigar Store and are faced with the array beautifully decorated bands and boxes its easy to forget the un-banded gem in the corner.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13.Partagas Series D No.4</span></b><br />
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Before I discovered the P2 this was my Go-To Partagas. I still love it. A small fat stick than never disapoints. Apparently the best selling Cigar coming out of Cuba today.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14.Ramon Allones El 2011 Allones Extra</span></b><br />
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Another Cigar that I tried for the first time while in Cuba. I smoked it in the idyllic surroundings of the Hotel National's terraced area in Havana. It looked great, a nice shiny oily wrapper had me excited and the taste didn't let me down either.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15.Macanudo Vintage 2000</span></b><br />
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My first Macanudo Vintage was smoked on the Champs Elysees in Paris. I loved it. I have had a few since and each one has been as good. A nice treat when you can get them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16.Padron 6000</b></span><br />
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I picked up a couple of these one day without even thinking. I love a torpedo and they looked good. No more thought went into it. Thankfully it was a great choice. I have been told that there are better Padrons on the market. If they are better than the 6000 I will have to pick some up.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">17.Trinidad Reyes</span></b><br />
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A lovely morning Cigar is what I was informed about the Reyes. Morning, Lunch, Afternoon, Night, having a shower, I dont care. This Cigar is good at any time. Typical Trinidad. Smooth and full of flavour.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18.Ramon Allones Specially Selected</b></span><br />
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I don't know if I would call this a Go-To Cigar. What it is for me is a Cigar I reach for when I cant make up my mind what to smoke. If I spend too long routing through my humidor I will just give up and smoke a RASS. I have never had a bad one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>19.Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art</b></span><br />
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Doesn't it look great. No matter what anyone tells you, most Cigar choices are based on appearance and this cigar smoked as good as it looked. I had mixed experiences when it comes to Fuente Cigars. The Ugliest looking Cigar I have ever smoked was a Fuente Cuban Corona, however the WOA was superb.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">20.Bolivar Belicoso Fino</span></b><br />
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Bolivar, like Cohiba, has a stigma attached to its brand. The most powerful Cuban you can smoke, only for the true aficionado, novice beware. In someways its true, they can blow your socks off however I found the Belicoso Fino to be bordering just below Full body. Be careful of the cut though, too little and it will be very harsh, too much and you risk losing your Cigar.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21.Montecristo Edmundo</b></span><br />
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The Big brother to the Petit Edmundo. Same flavour profile and just as good. I favour the Petit purely because as soon as you light it you are into the "Sweet Spot" of the Cigar. The Edmundo is on par, you just have to wait that little bit longer.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">22.Davidoff Classic Special R</span></b><br />
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Ahh the Special "R". This Cigar will always have my affection as it was my "Starter" Cigar when I took up my journey. Subtle and very creamy. How could you not like it?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>23.Davidoff Short Perfecto</b></span><br />
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Like the WOA it looks fantastic. Davidoff are a fantastic brand and when I want a change of pace from a spicy Cigar, I would reach for one. I picked up a small pack of these in the Airport. A pleasure to smoke but I need to smoke more to get a real feel for them. They differ from the Special "R" because as well as all the creaminess coating your tongue there is a bit of a spicy kick that follows.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">24.Punch Double Corona</span></b><br />
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I have not got into Long Cigars (Lonsdales aside) purely because I dont have the time to dedicate to smoking them. I dont see the point in lighting one if you are not going to enjoy it to the end. In saying that, I have had a few of these and they were very pleasent. You just need to give it the time it deserves.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25.Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill</b></span><br />
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This Cigar puzzles me. I could light one tonight and say its the best Cigar I ever had, light another next week and say its the worst. It barely made the list but I decided to include it for one reason. If you get a good one, you will love it!!CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-87283526927997351862013-01-06T09:25:00.001-08:002013-01-06T09:25:30.715-08:00Happy New Year!!January the 6th is called Little Christmas in Ireland.<br />
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It is also the 12th Day of Christmas. On this day the Decorations come down as it is said to be bad luck to take them down earlier; It is traditionally the end of the school holidays for all the kids; Another tradition states that any food left over from Christmas Day should be thrown out today. It worries me that people would still be eating leftovers eleven days after it was cooked.<br />
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So the Mrs dismantled the tree and packed it up for another year. Christmas ended well before today for the two of us. The Mrs was back in work on the 27th Dec and I was back on the 28th. Last year we spent Christmas in Paris with the Byrnes. We had a great time and apart from a few Christmas Markets it didn't feel very festive. This year in Dublin was the same.<br />
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Christmas Day was spent in the In-laws and Boxing Day (St.Stephens Day) was spent with the Byrnes. The 27th we met the Byrnes again for a few sociables in the city center.<br />
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The Byrnes, due to their new arrival, had not had a night out in almost a year. A few Long Island Ice Tea's later that fact was evident. A nice relaxing night ended up with the Byrnes parting company slightly drunk and very tired, or the other way around, i'm not sure!! Maybe next time the will listen to me and go for a nice meal before hand!!!!<br />
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It was back to the grindstone after that for everyone and especially me in the lead up to New Years Eve. For the 4th year in a row, Hollywood and I watched the (Now) world famous balloon drop in the <a href="http://www.thechurch.ie/">Church Bar</a>, hugged each other (In a manly way... really....it was!!!) and quietly contemplated what 2013 had in store.<br />
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The week just passed has seen me back in the day job as well as working the door. My cigar smoking has been very muted due to the weather as well as being far too tired to really enjoy a good smoke. I had a Macanudo Vintage 2000 on Christmas night and a <a href="http://cldreviews.blogspot.ie/2012/12/sosa-churchill-natural.html">Sosa Churchill</a> on one of the other nights.<br />
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I followed them two cigars up with another two when I met Hollywood during the week. We met up for "one or two" and about eight pints of Guinness later I had smoked a Tatuaje Mini Mum and a Ramon Allones Specially Selected.<br />
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I received a parcel in the post the next morning. Three fantastic Cigars from somebody in the states. The only problem was that I didn't have a clue who they were from. A lot of hours googling and tweeting later I found out they were sent by one of my fellow BOTL (Brother of the Leaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSRoss81">@MattSRoss81</a>. Thanks again for them!!<br />
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So that just leaves me to say I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and make sure to have a prosperous and healthy New Year. Just remember, It is a new year, a clean sheet, a blank diary. The only person stopping you from doing what you want is YOU!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tatuaje Mini Mum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1YSfkl9oLvPK_CeIHTLaR6CVH6JRWShYZ5txoyBUMgZFhXfkFO6pibWfmL-Z2w6h5l_lJQMnVZ_Uxy31BAf9ZGcNSdFKKVInjs8_bn8BULfJ_DSrszDMCHZMuglXdIx-rrr-szsPfXQ/s1600/IMG_2639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1YSfkl9oLvPK_CeIHTLaR6CVH6JRWShYZ5txoyBUMgZFhXfkFO6pibWfmL-Z2w6h5l_lJQMnVZ_Uxy31BAf9ZGcNSdFKKVInjs8_bn8BULfJ_DSrszDMCHZMuglXdIx-rrr-szsPfXQ/s320/IMG_2639.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sosa Churchill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz76rSzUOFHhhyphenhyphenJBsP9rP8W1-SrCvp7YAJRkBnxpz0hdXRBWXO9eLihpchwv2Yd_gg6NfSqOp88XtOdeFDiF4B-CE9ZNbF34Nm5w82a5gLfBnis8wq5bTNLuH8axHiIYz4C09n5s5nYRc/s1600/IMG_2700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz76rSzUOFHhhyphenhyphenJBsP9rP8W1-SrCvp7YAJRkBnxpz0hdXRBWXO9eLihpchwv2Yd_gg6NfSqOp88XtOdeFDiF4B-CE9ZNbF34Nm5w82a5gLfBnis8wq5bTNLuH8axHiIYz4C09n5s5nYRc/s320/IMG_2700.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RASS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYxIBhIth-wusv4Rw9IScWr2-Ma6-vgjBkCcG4hIakA5XQcMKFl1vylc07dfxIWtoFR-X7glE8Uu6uetb69WrCrmslGz0599WOK2HrluIOU2fmDxSn22ynxch04LQkT1MxQUw8eEPDhg/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYxIBhIth-wusv4Rw9IScWr2-Ma6-vgjBkCcG4hIakA5XQcMKFl1vylc07dfxIWtoFR-X7glE8Uu6uetb69WrCrmslGz0599WOK2HrluIOU2fmDxSn22ynxch04LQkT1MxQUw8eEPDhg/s320/IMG_2662.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macanudo Vintage 2000</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0MHSDP_C4l-3L8svPDpqFv4nG163xbFuHU_7gEIEE8wSgUpeE13xp186G_rmLvhVTdzIt5Ta76IxgQ6495BSiUdYoZCrX25zOCAsliUuJZXcya4NBm5lpPqmc96ukfTwB8boP-oBjic/s1600/IMG_2702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0MHSDP_C4l-3L8svPDpqFv4nG163xbFuHU_7gEIEE8wSgUpeE13xp186G_rmLvhVTdzIt5Ta76IxgQ6495BSiUdYoZCrX25zOCAsliUuJZXcya4NBm5lpPqmc96ukfTwB8boP-oBjic/s320/IMG_2702.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars recieved from @MattSRoss81</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-63345637432324545512012-12-27T08:27:00.002-08:002012-12-27T08:27:25.359-08:00A Christmas Catch Up<div>
A Merry Christmas to everyone and apologies for the lack of Blog posts. It has been crazy over here!!</div>
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I will give you a brief update starting where we left off, our return from Cuba.</div>
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I met Hollywood for a long arranged post-Cuba cigar night. Cigars were smoked, cocktails were consumed and little did I know, I wouldn't have many more nights like that for a while.</div>
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Next up was the <a href="http://www.blogawardsireland.com/">Blog Awards</a>. I was one of the finalist's in the Best Mobile Compatible Blog. I went, I didn't win but I had a great night and met some great people especially the two behind the following great blogs, <a href="http://memineandotherbits.wordpress.com/">Me, Mine and Other Bits</a> and <a href="http://tinman18.wordpress.com/">Worth Doing Badly</a>. Real names are omitted due to legal reasons!!!</div>
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The next bit of news was the biggest of the year. The Byrnes had a baby boy called Leon. Thank Higgs Boson it was a boy as I will be the Godfather and I don't think a girl would appreciate being dragged to watch football matches.</div>
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Speaking of Football. I am now the Manager of the team I joined in the summer, South William St. Celtic FC. We wont be taking on the European stage anytime soon but we are holding our own. I could dedicate a whole other blog to their antics so I wont delve further into it here.</div>
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My New Humidor also arrived during my blogging break. It is a Adorini Habana Deluxe. It holds around 300 cigars spread among a removable tray and space for boxes of cigars. </div>
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The humidor was needed immediately as I had to store my Cuban cigars and the packages I received in the post. Most notably from <a href="https://twitter.com/LoganatDell">Logan Lawlor</a>. First of all he added a few extra cigars to the 3 pack of Monte Pascals that I won on <a href="http://robbyrasreviews.com/cigarchat/">#CigarChat</a> and then, just before Christmas I received another fantastic bundle of Cigars from him. </div>
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I love getting cigars from the US as the majority of sticks I receive cannot be bought over her. That is the reason when I spotted that <a href="http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/">Buttheads</a> were doing an offer on boxes of Tatuaje Little Monsters I just had to get one. Kevin is a great guy over there and is always eager to help even though shipping to Ireland is not a common thing for him. I was saddened to hear about the <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/14/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html">School Shooting</a> that was so close to them and must have effected many of their customers family and friends. </div>
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On a lighter note, a very good friend of mine, Mr.Black, has found love. I met him many years ago as a young, wet behind the ears, naive but eager young fellow. As he hailed from the same part of the country as me I took him under my wing and showed him the ways of the world. It up for debate how worldly my knowledge is but he has turned out alright and just recently proposed to his, now, fiance. I wish them both the best of look in the future.</div>
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So with a wedding on the horizon a godson to spoil and with Christmas around the corner I ended up taking on another job. A friend of mine is owner of a very successful restaurant in Dublin city center. He needed staff, I needed the money, It was only logical that I accepted. It is polar opposite to my regular job of standing on a door but working both funnily gives me an appreciating for the other (if that makes sense)</div>
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That brings me to my absence Working early mornings in the restaurant, late nights on the door and football in between has seriously hampered my cigar smoking, tweeting, #CigarChats etc.. On the plus side my Cigar collection has grown dramatically.</div>
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I did however find a few hours one of the evening to join the <a href="http://www.cigars.ie/">Cigars.ie/</a> crew at their Christmas Herf. Smoking cigars with like minded Cigar enthusiasts is always a good thing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I had to leave early, (work in the morning), however I ended bringing home a couple of fantastic cigars, one of which was a custom roll by Hamlet, one of the best torcedors to come out of Cuba. </div>
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Before I knew it Christmas was upon me. Running around Dublin city center looking for presents is no easy task yet I got it done well before my usual panic of shopping on Christmas Eve. The Mrs outdone herself as well. This year I received a very nice selection of cigars along with a bottle of Middleton Barry Crocket. </div>
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That kind of brings you all up to date. If I have forgotten anything or anyone I am truly sorry. I will also en-devour to keep my updates as regular as I can. A New Years Resolution if you will.</div>
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Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying the festivities and have a great time over Christmas. I will see you all in the New Year.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tY71UyX0zBGKRcCFWT5C-iBkdIWZWTyhFRCCUE5ivfzTw_j7SZPfmAIoATKdWKHr-dz29TCNcWYQFPzRvhYsRrRnKUs9klqP3bcbxnHZv8TdFBc5l0WJk5jgDGqDcjmJ7BQqSIrV6h0/s1600/IMG_2456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tY71UyX0zBGKRcCFWT5C-iBkdIWZWTyhFRCCUE5ivfzTw_j7SZPfmAIoATKdWKHr-dz29TCNcWYQFPzRvhYsRrRnKUs9klqP3bcbxnHZv8TdFBc5l0WJk5jgDGqDcjmJ7BQqSIrV6h0/s320/IMG_2456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blog Awards</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHjkKXLsGyNXdwgwX_bKomVffbeco1Plmc0pXN0vtXFfbTFOuRbP2hss8tnXP1N3yC-rnVtubW02SQb8tCAvO-Mfi2QdHCg1qJrLMQRvMXiPYSVG476UIoV9xS8GkyM9vKZecO-b9jao/s1600/IMG_2608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHjkKXLsGyNXdwgwX_bKomVffbeco1Plmc0pXN0vtXFfbTFOuRbP2hss8tnXP1N3yC-rnVtubW02SQb8tCAvO-Mfi2QdHCg1qJrLMQRvMXiPYSVG476UIoV9xS8GkyM9vKZecO-b9jao/s320/IMG_2608.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Leon</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-oZsL2qDS3tKXOnDf3p-YXGRrBzOklQ5EMFdftCxVFPnQ5n9qJCKIBjRnIcl7KqCKOM2GsOQoAusalXbav-7mb17CTwpmwTh3oCiTHNcoGumuhhNCLbOOH7SDfrS5wDBAK9umUoKBpY/s1600/IMG_2519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-oZsL2qDS3tKXOnDf3p-YXGRrBzOklQ5EMFdftCxVFPnQ5n9qJCKIBjRnIcl7KqCKOM2GsOQoAusalXbav-7mb17CTwpmwTh3oCiTHNcoGumuhhNCLbOOH7SDfrS5wDBAK9umUoKBpY/s320/IMG_2519.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My New Humidor</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vPL7XSznTIVQdk0SKdJtilbMhQ5k1ZLUPASK4i099JPC3tTOgZwDT83T_aW7kw8KtdZMC-wrw6SJ3Tq42c-KRufgnddSwnCI4O6-kVO1hcVD7lWbqjqYnqzxEBRXw3kuT8iH3Jx-JN8/s1600/IMG_2554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vPL7XSznTIVQdk0SKdJtilbMhQ5k1ZLUPASK4i099JPC3tTOgZwDT83T_aW7kw8KtdZMC-wrw6SJ3Tq42c-KRufgnddSwnCI4O6-kVO1hcVD7lWbqjqYnqzxEBRXw3kuT8iH3Jx-JN8/s320/IMG_2554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#CigarChat Bundle from Logan</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc6A8S3H35JrbRSt1G4RFi9RYBB7DkD8qowGZbnn29mMvhTvwJG4wERPZRUxlrTuXMwLreKO9axWxtPgk1rcN99sSi64cS7AyAfJh3OrTMrD9RouCOT1pjIa-RZXbgucAN00KyVzYLDs/s1600/IMG_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc6A8S3H35JrbRSt1G4RFi9RYBB7DkD8qowGZbnn29mMvhTvwJG4wERPZRUxlrTuXMwLreKO9axWxtPgk1rcN99sSi64cS7AyAfJh3OrTMrD9RouCOT1pjIa-RZXbgucAN00KyVzYLDs/s320/IMG_2627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Bundle from Logan</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg7rJ_s8VMXBg8cwY7hV25osavHbLJBjYIvTLDyM6VtyfBtrnCaQry50mxypzD2c5ceF2KMYYo8GGOZ-XsSDZA8-exdvdl5o4IPsJ9DpDsYTD2Kp3INVDp1402mZ7ytCvOU71LH9qfxg/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg7rJ_s8VMXBg8cwY7hV25osavHbLJBjYIvTLDyM6VtyfBtrnCaQry50mxypzD2c5ceF2KMYYo8GGOZ-XsSDZA8-exdvdl5o4IPsJ9DpDsYTD2Kp3INVDp1402mZ7ytCvOU71LH9qfxg/s320/IMG_2596.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Monsters from Buttheads</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4gn2aE4ueT8BW_nV_O99Vugec9Hcas5PCOfObddB5r39z1VBABJvRxIl1BBjS3uk81Crq_XBC8uCGpM0ACkpmBb0HbRLfX4z3RLS0wECbTPKQ72335WPyUsI6usF8lGkZw2s70Vu_N0/s1600/IMG_2589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4gn2aE4ueT8BW_nV_O99Vugec9Hcas5PCOfObddB5r39z1VBABJvRxIl1BBjS3uk81Crq_XBC8uCGpM0ACkpmBb0HbRLfX4z3RLS0wECbTPKQ72335WPyUsI6usF8lGkZw2s70Vu_N0/s320/IMG_2589.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Box</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroDaQN5bnZ4LnvdjfmjQ6OgpHxR4IAFFnYnc4mRqqYYlp5D8BKkM-qGig1NrG7MrhSGUDnLTzSc1q_Cot3fuuZn6GriqmHUktS3W2KxbD97fwlei-7LBNKkhOWDBYPTm47EKP-l3nb1A/s1600/IMG_2621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroDaQN5bnZ4LnvdjfmjQ6OgpHxR4IAFFnYnc4mRqqYYlp5D8BKkM-qGig1NrG7MrhSGUDnLTzSc1q_Cot3fuuZn6GriqmHUktS3W2KxbD97fwlei-7LBNKkhOWDBYPTm47EKP-l3nb1A/s320/IMG_2621.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars from the Herf</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QaIjLVaApETBasWrrJqcSxcPQzNlTChvJxNO7BOw0Q_d8LYlzkjpDftSJPOGCjOCm1-jalAxu3VVMAiKbaT0WfylM7F7yPba6mGTu7LxalRozEzgBWSF1av2JrahTCloBzKASJLOS7Y/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QaIjLVaApETBasWrrJqcSxcPQzNlTChvJxNO7BOw0Q_d8LYlzkjpDftSJPOGCjOCm1-jalAxu3VVMAiKbaT0WfylM7F7yPba6mGTu7LxalRozEzgBWSF1av2JrahTCloBzKASJLOS7Y/s320/IMG_2657.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Present from the Mrs - Cigars</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXrlmr6jvqW1q7BBLRGRcVOXPkzWcnvQWWsQOo5ErcunpZ5heGvk5jUaGcs9JSySfYyu_aPo0jRtjOFAGcKjVZajZ9dENECa9UC4WZDu-ry-MArMaqhRcjXokKQdEmaTZ9bNtIefbCLI/s1600/IMG_2659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXrlmr6jvqW1q7BBLRGRcVOXPkzWcnvQWWsQOo5ErcunpZ5heGvk5jUaGcs9JSySfYyu_aPo0jRtjOFAGcKjVZajZ9dENECa9UC4WZDu-ry-MArMaqhRcjXokKQdEmaTZ9bNtIefbCLI/s320/IMG_2659.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New addition to the family</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZZONogFKMrjjzUIJgwQ5OrG3IKoDvGZWJUMGu7ABC2CIkCBgZeQWFfYMWJ9rbtyjpTlBoOWdJ5YBYnXB6Kkqtdi6Mw4C2WA7mgU_Z5bigK-6qAWSYcsggv68bmHtTFhZxPY72VyxX54/s1600/IMG_2660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZZONogFKMrjjzUIJgwQ5OrG3IKoDvGZWJUMGu7ABC2CIkCBgZeQWFfYMWJ9rbtyjpTlBoOWdJ5YBYnXB6Kkqtdi6Mw4C2WA7mgU_Z5bigK-6qAWSYcsggv68bmHtTFhZxPY72VyxX54/s320/IMG_2660.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Present from the Mrs - Whiskey</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oirNYsB9-lml9ec4uXBoZSy-fTJG5JZMLQM3eYFSpcObXWwA0It8x-klG_msu193HEi84uFa07428DtwX_Ur18YnVuA13oxMH68nxvHgJObQJeymObUfh1mc1LtQ53LPONa8rZeiwGc/s1600/IMG_2661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oirNYsB9-lml9ec4uXBoZSy-fTJG5JZMLQM3eYFSpcObXWwA0It8x-klG_msu193HEi84uFa07428DtwX_Ur18YnVuA13oxMH68nxvHgJObQJeymObUfh1mc1LtQ53LPONa8rZeiwGc/s320/IMG_2661.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Present from the Mrs - Book</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8kZV1VkpHWqJOyvbwCzCJD_UI0xE1jsuEhhLJbWeSqiQeHy0yvUOFh-kes39X3woLqZgXqU7LRPqeumsjTd2348LKzd1NTmStfKdRavsiY7wUyCoS-vfDNIzOIFu_wfiQsrp8akuMJ0/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8kZV1VkpHWqJOyvbwCzCJD_UI0xE1jsuEhhLJbWeSqiQeHy0yvUOFh-kes39X3woLqZgXqU7LRPqeumsjTd2348LKzd1NTmStfKdRavsiY7wUyCoS-vfDNIzOIFu_wfiQsrp8akuMJ0/s320/IMG_2668.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Byrnes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-76999944824982048112012-11-13T09:49:00.000-08:002012-11-13T09:49:07.949-08:00Cuba Day 11: The Journey HomeThe last few hours of our holiday and wouldn't you know it. The sun was shining.<br />
<br />
The Mrs in her infinite wisdom had not packed any of or "Beach Supplies" so there we were, making our way to the beach for some last minute sunbathing.<br />
<br />
We lasted two hours on the beach. In and out from under the shelter, dodging the rain and enjoying the brief glimpses of Sun that broke through the clouds. Within the two hours we probably got an even hour of sun and hour of rain.<br />
<br />
Time was pushing on and we had to check out of our room so we abandoned the beach for the last time and went back to finish our packing. Bags packed and checked out we headed to the buffet for lunch. That was one thing I was not going to miss.<br />
<br />
After forcing food into me, the rain was coming down hard again. We went to the games rooms for a few games of Ping-Pong and to the lobby bar for a farewell cocktail In reality we were just killing time. I don't think either of us we too sad to be leaving.<br />
<br />
Our pickup arrived at 3pm and once again we were the only ones in a small mini-van. As we drove towards the airport the sun finally came out. The Mrs fell asleep, I looked out the window as Cuba passed me by. I saw people going about their everyday lives, men working, kids playing, women carrying fruits. I was going to miss Cuba. Sandals wasn't Cuba in my eyes. Havana certainly was.<br />
<br />
We arrived at the Airport around 5pm to find out that. due to the storm, our flights was delayed until 1am. We looked around a few shops and after being told there were lots more on the other side we got in line to check in.<br />
<br />
It took forever. The queue for our flight almost wrapped around the whole departure lounge, after shuffling on for an eternity, we got checked in. Then came the Airport Tax. We had to pay 25CUC each to be allowed to leave Cuba. That queue moved fast enough, more than could be said about Immigration Another age was spent shuffling along, sweating and for no apparent reason wondering if they will find something wrong with your passport.<br />
<br />
On the other side of immigration was the security checkpoint. A bottle of water and a lighter were confiscated from us, we walked through the x-ray, collected our things and were greeted by a small shop that among other things, sold Water and Lighters.<br />
<br />
It took a few hours to get through all the checks. Its harder to get out of Cuba than it is to get in to Fort Knox.<br />
<br />
Once in departures we realised that we were duped. There was nothing there. One big shop, two smaller ones and a very limited food counter. We were starving at this stage and ended up eating a Cheese sandwich and cold fries. We devoured it.<br />
<br />
We walked around the "Shops", which didn't take long and bought a bottle of rum and I purchased a 3 pack of Romeo y Julieta No.1. The little cigar shop, along with the advertising all over the airport, were pushing a cigar brand called Guantanamera. I have never smoked one and they were very cheep. I asked the woman in the store about them and by the look on her face I new they were not good. They were so cheep because nobody was buying them.<br />
<br />
I bought a single anyway. You don't know unless you try.<br />
<br />
So that was it for departures. Now it was a case of waiting around, smoking and playing games on my phone. It was after 130am before we finally boarded the plane. Tired, Hungry and Not Amused the flight back to Paris was torture. I would rather take a boat next time.<br />
<br />
Once in Paris we went through similar checks again. This time not as stringent thank Higgs Boson, although our rum was confiscated I explained to the guy that it was bough in a Duty Free shop in the departures lounge in Cuba. He didn't care (It wasn't bought in Paris Duty Free). We were given the option to check it in but the walk was too far and the Rum only cost 7CUC. We let him have it.<br />
<br />
Departures in Paris was great, Shops, restaurants, massage chairs. Unfortunately / Fortunately we only had a short stop over. Our flights was again delayed but only by thirty minutes. The Mrs went off and bought bracelets and girly stuff and I went in search of Cigars.<br />
<br />
The prices were more expensive than Cuba but cheaper than Ireland. Money was running very low at this stage so I only bought a 3 pack of Davidoff Perfecto's. (I love Davidoff)<br />
<br />
So back on an Airplane we were making our way back to Dublin. After enduring a hellish 9.5hr flight, this flight was a doddle.<br />
<br />
Back in Dublin, the Mrs had a brief blonde moment as we went through Customs:<br />
"Do we go through the Something to Declare gate" she said.<br />
"Be quiet and just follow me" I mumbled angrily hoping nobody noticed the guilty heads on us.<br />
<br />
Funny thing was that we were well below our allowance for Cigars and Alcohol. I just didn't want to take the chance.<br />
<br />
Out of the Airport we went and not long after breathing in the Irish air again, we were back at home in the apartment.<br />
<br />
Havana was fantastic and Sandals was an experience but for now, our Cuban adventurer was over!!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpjW-71Ww2y7OCAlRm3fcaY8BYdsHvY_YWWQkKs3OklL-eddYV95zwAvLNsxiMZGbw3BGVmYgCO1KxT7vUseMw-kBMPDYMYc2zExMUJVzMwMaNnorMdFIPKg6mkdbVu4ZeQpzHIOxyls/s1600/SAM_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpjW-71Ww2y7OCAlRm3fcaY8BYdsHvY_YWWQkKs3OklL-eddYV95zwAvLNsxiMZGbw3BGVmYgCO1KxT7vUseMw-kBMPDYMYc2zExMUJVzMwMaNnorMdFIPKg6mkdbVu4ZeQpzHIOxyls/s320/SAM_0999.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flip Flops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WYLJRNxkeDWbAA6qAC7mHaDjh4RiokNWyrIPmQ_VB28NcQOq5d16ygjzKqJGoDto3tLIC-VID_CmRqB93-YMASfrqeT_DblQSsKsPFuN8KQBGCIbH-oO3u0qV2NwdxD7bUG0rWSreUw/s1600/SAM_1000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WYLJRNxkeDWbAA6qAC7mHaDjh4RiokNWyrIPmQ_VB28NcQOq5d16ygjzKqJGoDto3tLIC-VID_CmRqB93-YMASfrqeT_DblQSsKsPFuN8KQBGCIbH-oO3u0qV2NwdxD7bUG0rWSreUw/s320/SAM_1000.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching Men Clean The Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_tcOhRa_2Gp__Ann7Npd3GJSvKVAsfXUHTYAmMwok1uTYGJSjLysNiYDNo4qnQCqpdDTbJrygPPpzW64SY2xpc1rjTOQJb3N7RWTIwIGJcRbMeno56R_wEc8yxyPBSGGHVf2WUj0yuk/s1600/SAM_1010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_tcOhRa_2Gp__Ann7Npd3GJSvKVAsfXUHTYAmMwok1uTYGJSjLysNiYDNo4qnQCqpdDTbJrygPPpzW64SY2xpc1rjTOQJb3N7RWTIwIGJcRbMeno56R_wEc8yxyPBSGGHVf2WUj0yuk/s320/SAM_1010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left For The Maid - Barely Used</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzGZy3oQSiJR3XwK3XhyphenhyphenPQuSSF1ZB8nT_plqQ459YA6HmAGHhpxj281FIYV67ve7BEDwIg1O_3aLfomKY0RVytFnq5F02Voh4M5b65fKWk3gbz1F49O3f20bXZGlenMBI8AaglntZOIg/s1600/SAM_1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzGZy3oQSiJR3XwK3XhyphenhyphenPQuSSF1ZB8nT_plqQ459YA6HmAGHhpxj281FIYV67ve7BEDwIg1O_3aLfomKY0RVytFnq5F02Voh4M5b65fKWk3gbz1F49O3f20bXZGlenMBI8AaglntZOIg/s320/SAM_1012.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Key Cards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc87T12-f2AIfdc2VP2TNQRN5Wc4eT48cH_XQtbW3mWV37FcR9kdEtBS3R24oVdGsSSzX-1unLIpG1iB2OMEPCTvTwfHJkY-kmVXCYloDbv7Q15wNKkYz_UY3mXXcWlnyVa4sRzNyjQ4/s1600/SAM_1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc87T12-f2AIfdc2VP2TNQRN5Wc4eT48cH_XQtbW3mWV37FcR9kdEtBS3R24oVdGsSSzX-1unLIpG1iB2OMEPCTvTwfHJkY-kmVXCYloDbv7Q15wNKkYz_UY3mXXcWlnyVa4sRzNyjQ4/s320/SAM_1018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mrs Bracelets </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQroWmSBMJJcCAKusJuZeInphmlwO0-mWnWkgxEPp5eXWYSsWAqmcxEiIy-Cdi7clrCihgh1TkIB6SDSV_1nGA-J7Ct_NfvhF2KOv_sgIW-KeZbZtDMcOXwYW58EAlOipfOzOgTHcSB8/s1600/IMG_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQroWmSBMJJcCAKusJuZeInphmlwO0-mWnWkgxEPp5eXWYSsWAqmcxEiIy-Cdi7clrCihgh1TkIB6SDSV_1nGA-J7Ct_NfvhF2KOv_sgIW-KeZbZtDMcOXwYW58EAlOipfOzOgTHcSB8/s320/IMG_2582.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cigars</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-88666098229841134142012-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:002012-11-07T07:52:36.607-08:00Cuba Day 10: Rain BathingWhat was that? I had been so long since we had seen it. Could it be? Yes, there was a glimmer of Sunshine.<br />
<br />
The Mrs catapulted herself out of bed and before I could even realise what was going on she had the bag packed and sun-cream on. I guess we were going to the beach!!<br />
<br />
To her dismay, it was a better day from the inside looking out. We trundled on anyway and arrived at the beach. We got our usual spot, which wasn't hard considering there were only a handful off other people there. Towels down, sunscreen on, lounger situated for optimum sunshine, we were ready to get our tan on.<br />
<br />
Then it rained.<br />
<br />
We were in and out from under the cover of our parasol like a Jack in the Box. guessing when the rain would start and when it would stop. After an hour or so, shivering under our towels, we decided to give up.<br />
<br />
We returned to the room for a shower and a change of clothes and to try to get a bit of heat back into our shivering bodies. Once recovered it was off the the buffet for lunch.<br />
<br />
All this eating was wearing thin. I don't have a regular eating pattern at home and sometimes I even forget to eat. With the weather the way it was I had nothing to do but eat.<br />
<br />
After Lunch we had a look around the few shops the resort had to offer. The Mrs bought a ridiculously over priced T-shirt and I flirted with the idea of buying more cigars. In the end I decided not too. Instead we went to the "Super-market" and bought a load of snacks to munch on while watching TV (Weather Channel)<br />
<br />
It was a good job I did have the snacks as the buffet option that night was terrible. It was almost as if they brought out the leftovers from the week.<br />
<br />
Entertainment time again and it was as bad as the buffet. Some auld granny trying to be cool while singing Beatles songs...badly!! It was so bad it was almost funny.<br />
<br />
We met the Scots outside "Varaderos" after the show. We had a drink and a chat outside the club and were enjoying ourselves until the rain forced us to part. The Scots went off as the Mrs and I went to the lobby bar for a night cap.<br />
<br />
When we got back to the room we started packing our clothes for our departure the next day. As the Mrs packed the clothes and I packed the cigars, Sunshine and Havana seemed a long time ago.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenYRsihS1j2JTnvLbbVTv9f_lQCKeL70ESAK7wWbEBwtkmKw_EWJB3-F4OROGFSix-ouctHF6oBDUhuUsAHLlp5POiLeOt2ZTHsKP4_s4VMJkFlgApZ7BLnlc4TaNZFCtD3ZcWYeFpko/s1600/SAM_0985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenYRsihS1j2JTnvLbbVTv9f_lQCKeL70ESAK7wWbEBwtkmKw_EWJB3-F4OROGFSix-ouctHF6oBDUhuUsAHLlp5POiLeOt2ZTHsKP4_s4VMJkFlgApZ7BLnlc4TaNZFCtD3ZcWYeFpko/s320/SAM_0985.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mrs Leaves Her Mark</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh-V6RUhRgIZM5T7V7h0nGxi0cB7s8Zj4WYVW3dwCaOPwbkOT314MT1Rn4Z4pbiecqbZLSjQBIe6GsrRTYfyiIuruiZIxQNKNf9LvAv6a-RQ-K3SGWeU8DDyLPz15W-cUOWvAEYSRi8s/s1600/SAM_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh-V6RUhRgIZM5T7V7h0nGxi0cB7s8Zj4WYVW3dwCaOPwbkOT314MT1Rn4Z4pbiecqbZLSjQBIe6GsrRTYfyiIuruiZIxQNKNf9LvAv6a-RQ-K3SGWeU8DDyLPz15W-cUOWvAEYSRi8s/s320/SAM_0987.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafWIJ_SNoZXGT4h5vYvrxW0JzmgoBI7cLLS5IC_GLNlydJLOACugwQmk5EMPv5I-3kSCUcQaF9cKupOu1YaiO37bsrhOC-Jn2Pg5cXp3X4bsW6HmmMuLuKbaCqhRx8fH0tbnNgEWcbA8/s1600/SAM_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafWIJ_SNoZXGT4h5vYvrxW0JzmgoBI7cLLS5IC_GLNlydJLOACugwQmk5EMPv5I-3kSCUcQaF9cKupOu1YaiO37bsrhOC-Jn2Pg5cXp3X4bsW6HmmMuLuKbaCqhRx8fH0tbnNgEWcbA8/s320/SAM_1005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Little Brighter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVR92r8F73wHsmTy8f9NhEIJpSNNwlbE81mUT7V8kPrdL1ioMQyP7W0prGkQzn26MG03kKws7CG-_VN2UnAlrgxH9TST9IyqqogQ-v9aJGshO3-YMeDSvDoie64e7Uq50f9ysruJIFPg/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVR92r8F73wHsmTy8f9NhEIJpSNNwlbE81mUT7V8kPrdL1ioMQyP7W0prGkQzn26MG03kKws7CG-_VN2UnAlrgxH9TST9IyqqogQ-v9aJGshO3-YMeDSvDoie64e7Uq50f9ysruJIFPg/s320/IMG_2336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-32524609020279869492012-11-04T15:48:00.000-08:002012-11-04T15:48:24.906-08:00Cuba Day 9: Isaac ArrivesWe awoke with a fright on Day 9, and a lot earlier than usual.<br />
<br />
There was banging, hammering, thumping and rumbling sounds coming from out on the balcony. It was only 5:30am and we opened the curtains with alarm. It was as we feared but expected. Isaac had arrived!!<br />
<br />
So we went back to sleep!!<br />
<br />
When we awoke again, at a reasonable hour this time, Isaac was still raging. Is it Issac, Isaac or Isacc? I spelled it Issac in my last post but Wikipedia tells me its Isaac. Anyway, I digress.<br />
<br />
I turned on the TV and scanned for the football (real football, not the American kind) Man Utd were playing Fulham but I failed to find it so I settled for Spurs vs West Brom. I couldn't tell you the score, I didn't really care but United ended up winning 3-2. That cheered me up a little but not so the Mrs who was once again denied her time in the sun.<br />
<br />
After the football we went to the buffet for lunch. I got a humongous plate of prawns and while struggling to peel them, destroyed my shorts in the process. Too much hard work for not enough reward.<br />
<br />
Lunch finished, we decided to have a look at the beach. The walkway was roped off but that wasn't going to stop us. We got to the end of the sand and the place was deserted, the sand was no longer golden and the sea looked just down right angry. It reminded me of home!<br />
<br />
I come from a seaside town in Co.Donegal called Bundoran. It is a surfers paradise and if the people there saw what I was looking at, they would be running towards the water with a board under their arm.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I wasn't of that mindset so the Mrs and I headed back to the resort I decided to have a look in the Cigar Shop. I bought a few packs of cigars:<br />
<br />
3 x Partagas Series P No.2<br />
3 x Montecristo No.2<br />
3 x Montecristo Petit Edmundo<br />
<br />
Cigars in hand we headed back to the room to watch the weather channel and some movies. I had planned for a relaxing holiday but I didn't expect it to be spent watching TV in my room.<br />
<br />
That evening it was the turn of the Seafood A La Carte. A nice meal but for me, the worst of the A La Carte options. I had Seafood Cocktail to start followed by a tepid Tomato soup. My main was a Prawn dish ( I didn't have to peel these ones) and I had Tiramisu to finish. The Mrs had a Lobster Bisque followed by a Selection of Seafood and a Chocolate Cake to finish<br />
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It was off to "Varaderos" again after dinner for the entertainment. Tonight's show was a Dance Extravaganza The only thing extravagant was the costumes. Even a power outage and the doors flinging open from the wind outside didn't stop them. As they say "The Show Must Go On". It passed an hour though!!<br />
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The Cigar Bar was the next and final stop for the night. I lit up a Vegas Robaino and sipped on a 12yr old whiskey and watched out the window as Isaac got stronger and stronger.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZhfkOE20L2rv4NxXp08SYbLuRIlu2BDIVRYaMZl9XP300B80EuNoHPnh3v5y5DmFyGoG7PGbmlJSVhPNY4cJyEF3h4MivquEXpNDfrsIIQvhsGri-8Zqt-WirXwF_QMewL1teTzPF6Q/s1600/SAM_0964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZhfkOE20L2rv4NxXp08SYbLuRIlu2BDIVRYaMZl9XP300B80EuNoHPnh3v5y5DmFyGoG7PGbmlJSVhPNY4cJyEF3h4MivquEXpNDfrsIIQvhsGri-8Zqt-WirXwF_QMewL1teTzPF6Q/s320/SAM_0964.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seafood Restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1YAfz97TYF_XVjVf4YAOTEaskxVYlfPky4Fv9fbIisXF3f1ufmqqyF2YXMzI9omo2ufdFuUdz1PZk7idg8Vi9AjgMevTW27qNi7jj7NF7ajB6UCPWhfOEkThIFWJrT_Bql5-v7SMzN4/s1600/SAM_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1YAfz97TYF_XVjVf4YAOTEaskxVYlfPky4Fv9fbIisXF3f1ufmqqyF2YXMzI9omo2ufdFuUdz1PZk7idg8Vi9AjgMevTW27qNi7jj7NF7ajB6UCPWhfOEkThIFWJrT_Bql5-v7SMzN4/s320/SAM_0965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selection of Seafood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rM3s0wf3TrIN0au0Fm4xF-rZ8XRRf4ofrkjH0sxM_nH1eR34bUwN7lAD_KEvlrt2k8Ek3nY5NwUxvm7GXV4IFe-hGcGl02g9WX1xa5l4UEgxCcsif4m8DgITC72PSG0dcnYElWBvSZc/s1600/SAM_0969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rM3s0wf3TrIN0au0Fm4xF-rZ8XRRf4ofrkjH0sxM_nH1eR34bUwN7lAD_KEvlrt2k8Ek3nY5NwUxvm7GXV4IFe-hGcGl02g9WX1xa5l4UEgxCcsif4m8DgITC72PSG0dcnYElWBvSZc/s320/SAM_0969.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtm0_6KdHT7i6oA6z7Jc0wmSjj68_WORizxfz2gosy7mgU32bAfIFgHIGEVxCaZNughVZIDMkcxBnMjnUd4NkUSNjJ1s8mojq4iu3CqLfDWC2acKsk-PKkPsKZa4yXuxc9ugLiBOfk8o/s1600/SAM_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtm0_6KdHT7i6oA6z7Jc0wmSjj68_WORizxfz2gosy7mgU32bAfIFgHIGEVxCaZNughVZIDMkcxBnMjnUd4NkUSNjJ1s8mojq4iu3CqLfDWC2acKsk-PKkPsKZa4yXuxc9ugLiBOfk8o/s320/SAM_0970.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extravagant Costumes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PidyAm9zMH60VM3Ayt_TNqPeN3kj_-sHKmD-k04xbpWOyk9E30feQzJ8CWQVwTUnSho3DjvBdwMPyjRzXv6Rue19IxIIFlvkiFbj8tCIWySVau2a2KOaXEEUQAkiUTvIV51WE4poUVg/s1600/SAM_0971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PidyAm9zMH60VM3Ayt_TNqPeN3kj_-sHKmD-k04xbpWOyk9E30feQzJ8CWQVwTUnSho3DjvBdwMPyjRzXv6Rue19IxIIFlvkiFbj8tCIWySVau2a2KOaXEEUQAkiUTvIV51WE4poUVg/s320/SAM_0971.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cigar Bar Wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yJpWwC6r5LsDsC6E_MBNrw7LIZm2Zp0g3C9Y2mwhjy7-4oY3AVO1DVxjQP1kpUGnqsBTBHkThsNxjb27ybbtJOuw41y_wakjHFYiyMwjq7dGk_we_14lnP0IE-0pPVQ0VLhLdLWmjgw/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yJpWwC6r5LsDsC6E_MBNrw7LIZm2Zp0g3C9Y2mwhjy7-4oY3AVO1DVxjQP1kpUGnqsBTBHkThsNxjb27ybbtJOuw41y_wakjHFYiyMwjq7dGk_we_14lnP0IE-0pPVQ0VLhLdLWmjgw/s320/IMG_2573.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cigar Purchases </td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-51109224810860347842012-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:002012-11-01T10:20:05.265-07:00Cuba Day 8: Food, Walks and Rain Day 8 arrived and from the start it didn't look good.<br />
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Looking out to the balcony a wet and cloudy day stared back at us, we turned on the TV to hear the news that there had been a shooting at the Empire State Building and there it was, in the corner of the screen. Issac was on his way!!<br />
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So with no sunshine and nothing else planned we decided to check out the buffet for breakfast. It wasn't great, for me anyway!! There was all the fruit you could ask for along with salads, cold meats and even a crepe station. I scoffed in the face of this fantastic selection I am a Man, an Irish man, who has a beer belly and receding hairline, I don't eat salads for breakfast, so I went in search of the sausages and bacon.<br />
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I found them, I ate half of them, I almost got sick, I never went back for breakfast again!!<br />
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It was raining by the time I had spat half an unknown meat, pretending to be a sausage, back into my napkin. There was very little to do but go back to the room. We chilled there, watching TV (mostly the News and Weather) for a few hours.<br />
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After the shambles that was breakfast (again, only for me, you might love it) I was hungry so we decided to hit the beach bar for Lunch. The Sun was breaking through the clouds but it was still spitting rain and windy. I forget what I had for lunch but it was probably a hot-dog or a burger.<br />
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Afterwards we decided to take a walk along the beach.We ended up walking up too three resorts to the left of Sandals, turned around and walked back as far as one resort to the right. It was evident that Sandals had by far the best beach. The resort on the right had no more than 10 foot of sand from the resort to the sea!!<br />
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We returned to Sandals and went to the games room. We played a few games of Ping-Pong followed by Pool and then went to the lobby bar for a drink. A couple of Kola's later and we were back in the room to watch the weather channel for a few more hours.<br />
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We had our Italian A La Carte meal booked for that evening and as the rain started to come down harder we got dressed up and under the protection of our umbrella (We are in Cuba remember) we made our way to the restaurant.<br />
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I loved the Italian!! After my rant about salads and cold meats earlier, I couldn't get enough of the Antipasta, the Stuffed Vine Leaves especially. I had Minestrone to start, followed by Chicken Parmigiana and a nice Chocolate cake to finish. The Mrs had Mushroom soup, Penne Carbonara and Vanilla Ice Cream. I think I came out better of the two.<br />
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After dinner it was time for the evening entertainment. Sandals World Famous Rock Show. due to the weather it had to be moved inside to Sandals World Famous Nightclub, the ever originally named "Varaderos"<br />
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The show wasn't too bad actually. A few toe tappers were played and we were joined by a nice Welsh couple. The couple tried to talk to us but it was very hard shouting over the music. They were then joined by a group of people who have got to know each other, over the week, around the swimming pool. They all seemed very nice and we watched the end of the show in a large group.<br />
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Once the music finished and the "Nightclub" started, the Mrs and I headed for the lobby bar. A little more relaxed and a lot more quite (Higgs Boson I am getting old). There we met a nice Canadian couple who had just arrived. We chatted to them for a while before heading back to the room for the night.<br />
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As we climbed into bed we heard tapping at the window. Issac was calling in to say hello!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid089yrkDMNKlFuwL-koGcACfzwQ5jDGvqtAvBRQD4xSj6HhgruB3_ZRKjdUs89UZy2IkfpZst6JyK1yQmFpuG1NdYTR001hZ6W80KL88JjEkPuymDs9VA5FJbRKIJtunr_zuveEU0zsU/s1600/SAM_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid089yrkDMNKlFuwL-koGcACfzwQ5jDGvqtAvBRQD4xSj6HhgruB3_ZRKjdUs89UZy2IkfpZst6JyK1yQmFpuG1NdYTR001hZ6W80KL88JjEkPuymDs9VA5FJbRKIJtunr_zuveEU0zsU/s320/SAM_0936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Walk On The Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wBK1aE0oAjW2ahKdDoEL4eW3ZdFbCQp4S6S6STPxC2ffYQCwenvE4ocQixTC0JI-41t1XMxPbIlKTn5LyROC5f1XmfxqgWCJvOsdXfoChMWPGNUed11gM25ytr48H0ahzdqJqMM-9FE/s1600/SAM_0940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wBK1aE0oAjW2ahKdDoEL4eW3ZdFbCQp4S6S6STPxC2ffYQCwenvE4ocQixTC0JI-41t1XMxPbIlKTn5LyROC5f1XmfxqgWCJvOsdXfoChMWPGNUed11gM25ytr48H0ahzdqJqMM-9FE/s320/SAM_0940.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stormy Sea (For Cuba)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBPIWj04mZiZWBr_pux9XJ3l3TD_2T8v5E9zh-F2njhym-0dg2y-8Pq-9WCwZw6Glgk6HKn-8S07xBXCFI_0Xil8TYNZV-9fEgFRDvnpoWjXnhE6wxu4wwIMhwFiBuK-UCEyxc4R2NZI/s1600/SAM_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBPIWj04mZiZWBr_pux9XJ3l3TD_2T8v5E9zh-F2njhym-0dg2y-8Pq-9WCwZw6Glgk6HKn-8S07xBXCFI_0Xil8TYNZV-9fEgFRDvnpoWjXnhE6wxu4wwIMhwFiBuK-UCEyxc4R2NZI/s320/SAM_0944.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the other Resorts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oUYaPN0wX4-NF-f7N-PCnl-2Fs1S_iIwNy-W-Kg-bV8fxoE-2N0FWqRi1ffzz9mRWxJYEozlmicGjzeIecudbhAwgLebC7os3cmqAXPTsI9ixd8CqFl2odFTRfKrr6ZHDmh6iYN_wOw/s1600/SAM_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oUYaPN0wX4-NF-f7N-PCnl-2Fs1S_iIwNy-W-Kg-bV8fxoE-2N0FWqRi1ffzz9mRWxJYEozlmicGjzeIecudbhAwgLebC7os3cmqAXPTsI9ixd8CqFl2odFTRfKrr6ZHDmh6iYN_wOw/s320/SAM_0948.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Italian Restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeeX8iHMyeFUtMuh1-TSueN07__vk5yxAx196eEC_AbQ5HgmErda1WSHqKtd3sAZXoI3lFT2S1UZT4moyPDnqhbIPnKJh7Xhd9Gv63G5tpqhMAkZKih9yGmGoZ3e6jhKqhYTRL19YG_o/s1600/SAM_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeeX8iHMyeFUtMuh1-TSueN07__vk5yxAx196eEC_AbQ5HgmErda1WSHqKtd3sAZXoI3lFT2S1UZT4moyPDnqhbIPnKJh7Xhd9Gv63G5tpqhMAkZKih9yGmGoZ3e6jhKqhYTRL19YG_o/s320/SAM_0953.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rock Show</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-79543850262886276822012-10-17T10:08:00.004-07:002012-10-17T10:09:04.739-07:00Cuba Day 7: Varadero Day TourI am going to skip over Day 6. A very nondescript day. Beach, food, drink. Nothing exciting.<br />
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Day 7 was a different kettle of fish. I was still suffering from lobsteritis and as the other sun worshipers worked on topping up their already bronzed bodies I decided that my sun-burnt body needed a break from direct sun.<br />
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We awoke to the sound of thunder storms and as I went back to sleep with a sly smile on my face the Mrs headed off to book a day trip to Varadero town. When I re-awoke the thunder had scattered the cloud. It was now sunny with a few clouds. Showered and dressed we stood at reception waiting on our bus.<br />
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Our first stop was at Al Capones Villa, now used as a restaurant. Apparently Mr. Capone himself never actually visited the Villa himself however after a walk around I was assured he would not have been disappointed if he had. Unfortunately the walk around was very limited as the current proprietors didn't look too happy with us traipsing about the restaurant and not actually ordering anything.<br />
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The next stop on the trip was to Varederos largest Flea Market. The Mrs was now in her element and any complaints about not lounging on the beach were forgotten. We spent around 45 minutes looking around the stalls. Some of the stuff was very nice and some of the art work was amazing. The rest was just tat. The Mrs didn't mind though, she could have spent all day there.<br />
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After the market we stopped at a Cigar and Rum store. All of my cigars had been pretty much bought at this stage however it didn't stop my search for the elusive Edition Limitada range that seemed so scarce in Havana. An awkward conversation ensued and my English with some broken Spanish thrown in for good measure led me to the conclusion that the search was to remain elusive.<br />
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Slightly disappointed but not surprised we headed towards Xanadu Mansion. This was the former residence of Irenee Dupont de Nemours, a French American millionaire It now serves as Cuba's only 18 hole golf course and club house.<br />
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We climbed the narrow stair up to the bar at the top of the mansion. Here we received a Cuba Libra, we brought it out to the balcony and took in the fantastic view. The sun was now shining brightly and the heat it gave off was just about bearable but as we sat and looked out over the green golf course and blue ocean, we wanted to stay there forever.<br />
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After the Golf Club we made our way back to the resort. We went for lunch in the buffet and followed that by a few games of pool in the games room. Later that evening there was a Mangers Reception for all the people in the resort. We went back to the room for an afternoon nap before getting ready and heading towards the lobby bar.<br />
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At the managers reception all the heads of staff were present. Prizes were given out to a few lucky people and there was a bit of Cuban music to accompany the drinks reception. The whole affair lasted less than 30 minutes after which we headed to the bar for a few cocktails before dinner.<br />
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It was Cuban theme in the buffet that night and we enjoyed Creol soup and suckling pig. All very nice. This was followed by an hour of Cuban entertainment. An hour was 60 minutes too long.<br />
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After the show we met up with the Scots. As the rain finally came down with full force we headed to the piano bar. A couple of drinks here were enjoyable but as we were the only people in the bar we felt it was rude to talk as the lady played the piano. We decided to leave, face the rain and make our way towards the lobby bar for a night cap.<br />
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A couple of Pina Colada's later and it was getting cold. We decided to say good night to the Scots and make our way back to the room.<br />
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We had a very enjoyable day, away from the direct sun, but as we climbed into bed, the rain hammering against the window, we wondered would we get another chance to visit the beach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5oWLO6zmlwFAXjBJ9kxPvD6xhyphenhyphennydABwMR76LoXmLgzYI5hBY4L0asqRdPgcY8VJCTAJw5dmJvTTXarlTj_6i-bcmhHqdh_zq-pLNO3Iy6wV1HYb6qN6kFyinMcj5IV5h8ubzcdHuFI/s1600/IMG_2263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5oWLO6zmlwFAXjBJ9kxPvD6xhyphenhyphennydABwMR76LoXmLgzYI5hBY4L0asqRdPgcY8VJCTAJw5dmJvTTXarlTj_6i-bcmhHqdh_zq-pLNO3Iy6wV1HYb6qN6kFyinMcj5IV5h8ubzcdHuFI/s320/IMG_2263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Capone's Villa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhK6cZJ42MYZIL2cBUUnNtyi68dkdMzgZu04GgJUI1Hs3QlG9XGMHRE-BpPsz8QNK1ggM-KF400xsRp4ZFlvyKkcaDE8CZQ7hG6mOHqAxloeVfqrA4bDhWWkEkd0ZT6dE4qX7LL74ldPo/s1600/IMG_2266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhK6cZJ42MYZIL2cBUUnNtyi68dkdMzgZu04GgJUI1Hs3QlG9XGMHRE-BpPsz8QNK1ggM-KF400xsRp4ZFlvyKkcaDE8CZQ7hG6mOHqAxloeVfqrA4bDhWWkEkd0ZT6dE4qX7LL74ldPo/s320/IMG_2266.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Man Himself</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrcC8p61Fate8iGqX8ZXrGQtKaJyDRkPL9LfnK2agyztXCb1odY9Ff88zomHxExPbC4eOMIg88hCzdZgwARxtGLcdQdDnLB6SJVeoYfc1DggYtp5Ejd7z5SNOaZAklVGojN9zFT-uyv8/s1600/IMG_2274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrcC8p61Fate8iGqX8ZXrGQtKaJyDRkPL9LfnK2agyztXCb1odY9Ff88zomHxExPbC4eOMIg88hCzdZgwARxtGLcdQdDnLB6SJVeoYfc1DggYtp5Ejd7z5SNOaZAklVGojN9zFT-uyv8/s320/IMG_2274.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnLxnSgYMd3WYBGLHB84k10bIZ3Em5rkQR1Ikna3Z5N2AVRtzHbQdDQmu4QY0PLT1dVa1jenLyR5t9UBqKJVuy59JEiTpG-GBMTCKO4LuyXzjf3xtKT78WCU9voGdv57lq0y-xpcux0c/s1600/SAM_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnLxnSgYMd3WYBGLHB84k10bIZ3Em5rkQR1Ikna3Z5N2AVRtzHbQdDQmu4QY0PLT1dVa1jenLyR5t9UBqKJVuy59JEiTpG-GBMTCKO4LuyXzjf3xtKT78WCU9voGdv57lq0y-xpcux0c/s320/SAM_0828.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Stone Car</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lSJeXmk-0v4MG9YW0dFBWSW2QDaY6V4Y0-R_tg-ET93wclf4986o4gP6bA8pTYC_3AFDmHwB-5Y1MuW5ui7MtdoMVjUDzHIXTn00bGkkCYJKAOEP_BVb1kxN2nxFd7KhFsdCRKDiTUY/s1600/IMG_2277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lSJeXmk-0v4MG9YW0dFBWSW2QDaY6V4Y0-R_tg-ET93wclf4986o4gP6bA8pTYC_3AFDmHwB-5Y1MuW5ui7MtdoMVjUDzHIXTn00bGkkCYJKAOEP_BVb1kxN2nxFd7KhFsdCRKDiTUY/s320/IMG_2277.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside The Flea Market</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSds80cBs8WRyBP3gbF6cd0W4UcnBAp2GP3eZn6p1HHPIVG_wOGj-0PE9VTHqd4KIiyfYw1ieHIl47pYJeKE7WztIE4uz6YAexC9k8KqP_-4XbDSAhL1GTB77GW8oe49u661sp08-alKc/s1600/IMG_2280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSds80cBs8WRyBP3gbF6cd0W4UcnBAp2GP3eZn6p1HHPIVG_wOGj-0PE9VTHqd4KIiyfYw1ieHIl47pYJeKE7WztIE4uz6YAexC9k8KqP_-4XbDSAhL1GTB77GW8oe49u661sp08-alKc/s320/IMG_2280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Golf Course</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGPJd4iLC6voUeNsYTOzNa6gU3h1Kl-Mt4jKlR7wEYdVPgHt_7cQvciRZk9Bye76Y4KrZniK7o6wxJZSH_fTsJiY4AIdova4fTlLliB7hF_Pvg6Jf6lu7lUJlDSINbJItV2nEg3aVid4/s1600/SAM_0868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGPJd4iLC6voUeNsYTOzNa6gU3h1Kl-Mt4jKlR7wEYdVPgHt_7cQvciRZk9Bye76Y4KrZniK7o6wxJZSH_fTsJiY4AIdova4fTlLliB7hF_Pvg6Jf6lu7lUJlDSINbJItV2nEg3aVid4/s320/SAM_0868.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Ocean</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNU6eKIb4fBAExLhD2sFSHL8eN7hKJF_KDqxijYCTADA0PlQyjULSaOL5l4x6UTmN7vV4_4FKI6ZdSFyz4sf9flMhNgw9wsVlj0xd0-DM5c6pkWfkSwqiCyGB-8-YeLCp8tSGo0sEeiuw/s1600/IMG_2287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNU6eKIb4fBAExLhD2sFSHL8eN7hKJF_KDqxijYCTADA0PlQyjULSaOL5l4x6UTmN7vV4_4FKI6ZdSFyz4sf9flMhNgw9wsVlj0xd0-DM5c6pkWfkSwqiCyGB-8-YeLCp8tSGo0sEeiuw/s320/IMG_2287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4cz780wnus1lsg8JtI9H2FrfONBIZmb36Xccq_pfFKdLhjZ3LTpLoddYNdGKaREcE-csrfKQHJ-A3uLtDmxtlT2Yz0lBXNvFA1fwTK2-vHUNWRTMlInCrIjOHYE3mncxN3J8g-EaMO4/s1600/SAM_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4cz780wnus1lsg8JtI9H2FrfONBIZmb36Xccq_pfFKdLhjZ3LTpLoddYNdGKaREcE-csrfKQHJ-A3uLtDmxtlT2Yz0lBXNvFA1fwTK2-vHUNWRTMlInCrIjOHYE3mncxN3J8g-EaMO4/s320/SAM_0886.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing Pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWPWOSlWDlCiCiztGMmROkE-Xnv5QLGC3rOdMXFNY6MD3pJGRblnqvhhknQX1eieaxHv4ePHyezRpKNZw-lPCzKGusE5lH2g9fVrkZnAq9dPg5Qym9FgOUpKBsmxx82vqrrQ02PoP4r8/s1600/SAM_0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWPWOSlWDlCiCiztGMmROkE-Xnv5QLGC3rOdMXFNY6MD3pJGRblnqvhhknQX1eieaxHv4ePHyezRpKNZw-lPCzKGusE5lH2g9fVrkZnAq9dPg5Qym9FgOUpKBsmxx82vqrrQ02PoP4r8/s320/SAM_0903.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Managers Reception</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98BWq9aL8fAUPQWjG9WV9oNSfdwhyN1P9OZn1HMnY6z83gVfrIeXvUJcKTLlbkrEL8373EUZxqLjeEfOpXlUfMhMmuyJLkgzAI9camSdA5HxWviEYsmHRxNqMyGq2F-Ki3p54HNQAoZs/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98BWq9aL8fAUPQWjG9WV9oNSfdwhyN1P9OZn1HMnY6z83gVfrIeXvUJcKTLlbkrEL8373EUZxqLjeEfOpXlUfMhMmuyJLkgzAI9camSdA5HxWviEYsmHRxNqMyGq2F-Ki3p54HNQAoZs/s320/IMG_2340.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pina Colada and Sandals Passion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NBo-EitD8WoQEPNJdDAkT_9i_QsoS0WjjLumn9WDjqSZIai1gixwjkuTl79U2cVsJUWsEI8Cb0Qp7fU79NX3Iow3IsUlMI_JorIGz9ytshy0CDRUJN0UiGVqjOuiYJE0Ky-y-yMy-AM/s1600/SAM_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NBo-EitD8WoQEPNJdDAkT_9i_QsoS0WjjLumn9WDjqSZIai1gixwjkuTl79U2cVsJUWsEI8Cb0Qp7fU79NX3Iow3IsUlMI_JorIGz9ytshy0CDRUJN0UiGVqjOuiYJE0Ky-y-yMy-AM/s320/SAM_0925.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor Entertainment Area</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-30772209767738505642012-10-08T17:22:00.000-07:002012-10-08T17:22:11.665-07:00Cuba Day 5: Hangovers and SunburnDay five and I awoke with a very sore head. The pizza that had remained untouched from the night before was now crawling with Ants. It was not a pleasant sight when you are hungover but being the strong alpha male that I am, I ran to the bathroom and got the Mrs to take care of it!!<br />
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I hate Ants!!<br />
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So with the apartment Ant free and the offending pizza removed I bravely (reluctantly) came out of the bathroom and prepared for the day ahead. I couldn't face breakfast so it was straight to the beach.<br />
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The weather was fantastic and surprisingly the beach was not too busy. We noticed that there were a lot of people beside the pool and once I stepped on to the sand I couldn't figure out why. We walked along until we found a suitable spot, not too far from the bar but far enough that the music would not annoy us.<br />
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A guy pulled out two loungers for us and we settled in for a day of relaxation. Sun cream on, lounger in position, book in hand I was ready to do nothing.<br />
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That lasted for little over ten minutes. I am Irish!! In an Irish heatwave you will see white pasty men walking around in shorts they have owned for five years and only worn twice. When we are basking in the sunshine, eating our ice cream, complaining about the heat, it wouldn't be uncommon to see a group of Scandinavian tourist walk past puling their scarves tighter around them. Bottom line, we can not handle sunshine.<br />
<br />
So ten minutes in and the sweat was dripping of my head and dropping on to my pages of Dorian Grey. There was only one thing to do. Hit the water. So I casually jumped off my lounger and strolled towards the ocean. I would like to think of my self as bronzed Adonis striding along the sand before diving into the breaking water but as the sand was burning the bottom of my feet I began to walk faster and ended up looking more like a school girl running awkwardly, tripping over and falling into the water.<br />
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The ocean was like a dream. Crystal clear and warm. I had to walk a good distance out to sea before it was deep enough to cover my height. I jumped with the waves and swam like a dolphin although the Mrs said I looked like I was drowning and other beach-goers were ringing Greenpeace thinking that there was a whale in distress.<br />
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The rest of the morning went like that, in and out of the water. The sun would dry me off, I would get too warm, I would go for a dip and the cycle repeated itself.<br />
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We went for lunch at the beach bar. I had a very pleasant hot-dog and chips. The hangover was still there and it was all I could stomach. The Mrs headed back to the beach but I decided I would go back to the room for a bit of Air Con.<br />
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My back was feeling a bit sore and tight and as I walked into the room I caught a glance of myself in the mirror. I was like a lobster!! Burnt from head to toe. How could this be? I had covered myself in sun block and it said it was water proof. The Mrs later explained to me that it wasn't water "proof" it was water "resistant" Apparently there is a big difference. I do not operate well hungover.<br />
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I returned to the beach and sat in the shade for the rest of the day reading Mr. Wildes sinister and sarcastic pros and after soaking in all the sun we could for one day we returned for an afternoon nap before heading out for dinner.<br />
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We were booked into the Caribbean restaurant for dinner and we looking forward to it. We had an early booking so there were only two other couples seated when we arrived. The service was fantastic. The waiting staff wore white gloves and served butter with silver tongs!!<br />
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The food wasn't so bad either. I opted for Yukka fritters to start followed by a Caribbean Chicken dish for my main. The Mrs went for Cajun soup and the pork main. I think I fared better out of the two of us but both meals were great. The dessert on the other hand was not. I ordered what sounded like a fantastic dish. The menu described it as Candy of Molten Orange with a Caramel Foam. What I received was a couple of orange wedges with a sticky liquid that tasted like it was scrapped from the bottom of the oven. The Mrs ordered a simple rice pudding but received a stodgy bowl of rice covered in far too much cinnamon We decided not to finish the dessert as it would leave a bad taste to what was otherwise a very nice dinner.<br />
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Cocktails in hand and still attempting to wash the burnt taste from our mouth we went to the outdoor entertainment area. The show was mixed music and culture themed and at times was so bad that it was entertaining. It only lasted an hour. After the show we sat in our seats and watched the Thunder and Lightening which seemed to start on cue. The rain came shortly after but didn't last too long however the temperature dropped drastically and it was a lot cooler. We headed towards the lobby bar and after the Macho(sic) day I had I thought there was no better way to finish it off than ordering a big girly Pina Colada. The joke backfired though, it was gorgeous!!<br />
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After the rain, a terrible smell came across the resort, a sewage smell, not pleasant at all. Unable to stomach the smell we only had one drink and went back to the room. After-Sun and Aloe Vera were applied in copious amounts and we went to bed.<br />
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It is hard work doing nothing<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw55jqLj6NW0FbsIWfSrebloLrEgo06vmho4EL1cOY33aDchlXrLIwbHyNRvPEcTcvTHifjoBKcwzpWbFBnGKnMlVEMq1NrgqMmxdzeYUGKG-usOdyY5aFBods3c6saF_rWllL5KT3kA/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw55jqLj6NW0FbsIWfSrebloLrEgo06vmho4EL1cOY33aDchlXrLIwbHyNRvPEcTcvTHifjoBKcwzpWbFBnGKnMlVEMq1NrgqMmxdzeYUGKG-usOdyY5aFBods3c6saF_rWllL5KT3kA/s320/IMG_2239.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUX2PS_PORP3xDeU6mCdLaGy0jvC__uPvqScpzBHSxtYkLUXglC14Ktk-NyxdlStMSYVMWwap3niNYiABets-VS-PwIXhPMYT9ncDL6Mk3RB2PfKVezkbMx5wHa5n0vkLedbIXL-JUqg/s1600/IMG_2240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUX2PS_PORP3xDeU6mCdLaGy0jvC__uPvqScpzBHSxtYkLUXglC14Ktk-NyxdlStMSYVMWwap3niNYiABets-VS-PwIXhPMYT9ncDL6Mk3RB2PfKVezkbMx5wHa5n0vkLedbIXL-JUqg/s320/IMG_2240.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Shade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FbllqTyyBiHabfJv5pY4RZDdsROXMyjS_d3spdLlH4IH2d4hWOEx0w6REvH2ZbYpUGMo35LWtwz70AIhR1loVrDtlFQ6fUB3maPF15qsIwCUPQbj9ay_r1XJVIit_TyxRdj3TYB7VIo/s1600/IMG_2249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FbllqTyyBiHabfJv5pY4RZDdsROXMyjS_d3spdLlH4IH2d4hWOEx0w6REvH2ZbYpUGMo35LWtwz70AIhR1loVrDtlFQ6fUB3maPF15qsIwCUPQbj9ay_r1XJVIit_TyxRdj3TYB7VIo/s320/IMG_2249.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert Menu - They found a new Cinnamon Species</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUPWYRgvOw2DzW02icB-34ai894vt6H6AmKjzoPKIHJOslU8UZDDERhbvOn-MfxqwTt7zt1SovrDRcI-Md2yygdOv8sCc3wfWRdTj7PhQ0Js5NvC6I3UvZtedq6OxFDMyqnxzo5snw88/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUPWYRgvOw2DzW02icB-34ai894vt6H6AmKjzoPKIHJOslU8UZDDERhbvOn-MfxqwTt7zt1SovrDRcI-Md2yygdOv8sCc3wfWRdTj7PhQ0Js5NvC6I3UvZtedq6OxFDMyqnxzo5snw88/s320/IMG_2250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Show</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYSEEJSKw2H66DjIFg24c-L-lpRty283iWfnsNTKX8YkwTvgtu3JCYepfbaYfkYpnNwMa-0nxhVy_sZ72epAmwK6Z7WqsD5E1ZDty1tcXOm4feQifhAEy1lKSxMHr3OnoWqeTl7mJICQ/s1600/SAM_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYSEEJSKw2H66DjIFg24c-L-lpRty283iWfnsNTKX8YkwTvgtu3JCYepfbaYfkYpnNwMa-0nxhVy_sZ72epAmwK6Z7WqsD5E1ZDty1tcXOm4feQifhAEy1lKSxMHr3OnoWqeTl7mJICQ/s320/SAM_0809.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the show</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-25395113848578998732012-09-24T09:59:00.000-07:002012-09-24T09:59:57.842-07:00Cuba Day 4: Waiting, Smoking and Drinking Day four in Cuba and we were about to say Adios to Havana.<br />
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We woke up early and were very thankful that we had packed the previous night. We went down for breakfast although I didn't eat much. I am not a morning person and eating pancakes at 7:30am was wearing thin.</div>
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Fed, watered and checked out, we waited for our pick up which was due at 9am. We waited, waited and waited some more. The Mrs went to find the rep who informed her that the bus was 20 mins away. So we waited, waited and waited some more. </div>
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Another conversation with the rep and we were informed that a message was left for us at reception to inform us that our pick up was at 12pm. Off the reception we went and low and behold, there was no message nor had they ever received one.</div>
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At this stage I could have got irritated and angry and if I was in Ireland the rep and everyone else involved would have got the full hairdryer treatment. I wasn't in Ireland, I was on holidays, in Cuba, so I went and bought some Cigars!!</div>
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I went up to the Cigar shop in the hotel and bought a load of singles. I cant remember what I bought (sorry) but it cheered me up. </div>
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At this stage it was around 11am. The whole morning had been wasted sitting in the lobby. The Mrs was a little pissed off as we could have spent the morning enjoying our last few hours in Havana. 12pm came and went with no sign of our pick up. Eventually, an hour later, a little six seat van arrived and we were ready to go. </div>
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We were the only two in the van and we were on our way to Varadero. The journey didn't take too long. The Mrs fell in and out of sleep as I took in the surrounding countryside. Outside of the city, Cuba is a beautiful country. Green fields, red soil and a beautiful ocean accompanied me on the journey. Dotted along the roads were people selling fruit and refreshments and the odd bus stop seemed to be thronging with locals going too and fro. In my opinion, this was Cuba!!</div>
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We pulled into Sandals Royal Hicacos just before 3pm. The weather was glorious and we were happy to arrive. We checked in at reception and received a glass of Champagne. Then the waiting resumed, an hour of it, waiting on our room. Once again the urge to blow up was calmed by my idyllic surroundings.</div>
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We finally got into the room in time for me to turn on the TV and see that Manchester United were losing 1-0 to Everton. The Mrs unpacked as I watched the rest of the game puffing on a Cohiba mini (a great "I want a cigar but I don't" cigarillo) United lost, I showered and we hit the resort to get something to eat.</div>
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We ended up in the beach bar & grill where I had a very quick and satisfying Burger and Chips. After the food we went for a walk on the beach. The sand was golden and the water was crystal clear. </div>
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We walked around the resort for a while, getting our bearings, before returning to our room to chill out before dinner. We were informed that all the Al a Carte restaurants were closed that night so the buffet was our only option.</div>
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After reading reviews about the buffet on the lead up to the holiday I was a bit wary. I shouldn't have been. Like the breakfast in Havana, the buffet had enough choice to suit any palate. I cant remember what I had but it would be a safe assumption to say I had a bit of everything. There was pizza, pasta, salad, seafood, burgers, hot-dogs among an array of other food choices. Nothing to complain about.</div>
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After dinner we went to the lobby bar and started on the cocktail menu. I started with a Whiskey Sour and lit up a Sancho Panza ( my 1st and last). We went in search of the outdoor show but nothing seemed to be happening. On our travels we spotted the Cigar Bar and with the lack of entertainment we popped in and I finished my cigar while sipping on a Glenlivitt 12yr old whiskey.</div>
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I finished my Cigar and we returned to the lobby bar. We sat at the bar and before long got chatting to a lovely Scottish couple, Barry and Emma who will be here on out know as "The Scots".</div>
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Now the Scottish and Irish are very similar people and when it comes to drinking neither want to let the side down. The excitement of a great week ahead, along with meeting new people, the paradise that surrounded us along with the heat it brought with it, throw in an all inclusive bar and a Scottish and Irish couple and you have the making of a very good night.</div>
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Before long we were back in the Cigar Bar as Barry and I sipped on 12yr old whiskey and puffed on a couple of cigars, a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 for him, a Partagas Series D No 4 for me. The better halves looked on sipping on their cocktails.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Cigars extinguished, we headed for Sandals world famous nightclub, originally named, Varaderos!! If its not world famous, it should be, for all the wrong reasons. The DJ was playing a lot of dated hits and when I requested a few songs he had never heard of them. At this stage we were well on and decided to call it a night. The Mrs and I went to the late night Bistro and grabbed a burger and a couple of pizzas.</div>
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We brought them back to the room and after eating the burger I fell asleep, pizza untouched, and dreaming of a great week ahead.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9KIGOn_K7AudxQ-uiDsYHBSPiD_YoHEpKULLOWXDXqPXWoEm0Ky-MMfOk5TgTLp5RqJexenDIY6HRJixav8Jgbn22YKdHeZSvhdYTLKGoHCj0MF4ft8adaNkN4aKMA8Z8qJH-bd9GYM/s1600/SAM_0784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9KIGOn_K7AudxQ-uiDsYHBSPiD_YoHEpKULLOWXDXqPXWoEm0Ky-MMfOk5TgTLp5RqJexenDIY6HRJixav8Jgbn22YKdHeZSvhdYTLKGoHCj0MF4ft8adaNkN4aKMA8Z8qJH-bd9GYM/s320/SAM_0784.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lobby view for the morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxcOgYjbNlw8yD-rEGORFrtN5JjNikY3Eh-D4EzZ0jp11vgh0-EFrh-YEcUUiJaCL3Vvv1a7DW5_Nw21e0EjLNClfd8GfAOMRh8A-Pkv-g6Ioj3q1kgTOE7qiVSrcYxKDGc07z3dOn6Q/s1600/IMG_2165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxcOgYjbNlw8yD-rEGORFrtN5JjNikY3Eh-D4EzZ0jp11vgh0-EFrh-YEcUUiJaCL3Vvv1a7DW5_Nw21e0EjLNClfd8GfAOMRh8A-Pkv-g6Ioj3q1kgTOE7qiVSrcYxKDGc07z3dOn6Q/s320/IMG_2165.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Arrivals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrlrTK9ivdwYrX3QpUhYZnCkuGTVW0UYW3kWRpPnnpGAUrzKlbFiV3Bgm8s9X_5feIL4FgWzg2GDmVJfFQDFpVaTbMvTlybfJI6WqkYGkBlf2tt9oS1Kx9J8s1jsVbG5sfi2mbs1T1aM/s1600/IMG_2177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrlrTK9ivdwYrX3QpUhYZnCkuGTVW0UYW3kWRpPnnpGAUrzKlbFiV3Bgm8s9X_5feIL4FgWzg2GDmVJfFQDFpVaTbMvTlybfJI6WqkYGkBlf2tt9oS1Kx9J8s1jsVbG5sfi2mbs1T1aM/s320/IMG_2177.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not so happy waiting</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaMI57kOMhIQhSY69k7SEyjCiotb6Vt0CJdV5wEFikB3FIw0lHxgsEI_F5wSZjPRLhKUPn8PUDryd_4WfgYzMdcTqzHpYrNnN45QIUkvf82xiIZctQWvLpLS1KogdQ0VLqjfGvh0vBkc/s1600/IMG_2179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaMI57kOMhIQhSY69k7SEyjCiotb6Vt0CJdV5wEFikB3FIw0lHxgsEI_F5wSZjPRLhKUPn8PUDryd_4WfgYzMdcTqzHpYrNnN45QIUkvf82xiIZctQWvLpLS1KogdQ0VLqjfGvh0vBkc/s320/IMG_2179.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the beach bar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIao2imD0uaUuu9rHE6FgHRpe1zeIucYyrDP4_eaYE-c9Sk8LeD244zCZzQWjYjVUDs6oe4NBz3HgnVW_qqE0Px2WPV6K8vThMW8fNiAw-snPaiv-cDHUDCQguH14eGMdONjxTBCHJtwY/s1600/IMG_2186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIao2imD0uaUuu9rHE6FgHRpe1zeIucYyrDP4_eaYE-c9Sk8LeD244zCZzQWjYjVUDs6oe4NBz3HgnVW_qqE0Px2WPV6K8vThMW8fNiAw-snPaiv-cDHUDCQguH14eGMdONjxTBCHJtwY/s320/IMG_2186.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiskey and Sancho Panza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I7hU2fMp8wlgC0GpEH3dhxTlxyfUJFN-HI7vi6NnHGoCuS4SzwKrBZFBUz0aFg4481QsGG8haXt2BVueCy0DpnBK0skGQ8oXhAtDNc4CPrusqSnC8qc-y50iswrepAKqLyORxlrq90E/s1600/IMG_2192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I7hU2fMp8wlgC0GpEH3dhxTlxyfUJFN-HI7vi6NnHGoCuS4SzwKrBZFBUz0aFg4481QsGG8haXt2BVueCy0DpnBK0skGQ8oXhAtDNc4CPrusqSnC8qc-y50iswrepAKqLyORxlrq90E/s320/IMG_2192.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing after dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20vbIfSIXCzX83MrhfpkzXvPPtK2JbPqbpHJXm2Ku9rbLeneV18f7JHGnhYycMj0gxBKnVU0ojqYRZPgOG3m0EIYyko3dqgpoUJ3pz5TGxygahYSRY6fVN7QLJYayr6eY_SJV8nsTx2Q/s1600/IMG_2201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20vbIfSIXCzX83MrhfpkzXvPPtK2JbPqbpHJXm2Ku9rbLeneV18f7JHGnhYycMj0gxBKnVU0ojqYRZPgOG3m0EIYyko3dqgpoUJ3pz5TGxygahYSRY6fVN7QLJYayr6eY_SJV8nsTx2Q/s320/IMG_2201.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZeAtZaYLv1ARCHknb8lkYmfbx_-WOGtnCFD3WMt3xPADQKh0qDhf21cB6pCj-AXtAOZGrFL5kroV_Ksk3LeEH-QgtNs5HhjInGs557vUG8Hv911LnR8x29LSntgDxEvrCU8icsQ4b10/s1600/IMG_2202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZeAtZaYLv1ARCHknb8lkYmfbx_-WOGtnCFD3WMt3xPADQKh0qDhf21cB6pCj-AXtAOZGrFL5kroV_Ksk3LeEH-QgtNs5HhjInGs557vUG8Hv911LnR8x29LSntgDxEvrCU8icsQ4b10/s320/IMG_2202.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars and Whiskey</td></tr>
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CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-59626421217938819912012-09-17T07:25:00.000-07:002012-09-17T07:25:31.589-07:00Cuba Day 3: Mojitos and Sandwiches Breakfast in Cuba was confusing me. As I mentioned in my last post, the variety is there, nobody should have any reason to complain. What I found confusing was the steaming tray of sloppy Black Beans that sat beside the pancake tray. Now,I admit, I am new to the Bacon and Pancake thing, sweet and savory, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Come on, who wants mash potato, black bean and a slice of toast? Maybe people do? Maybe I am the odd one!!<br />
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Anyway, after breakfast, we decided to head back to the Partagas shop. I was going to have a better look and ask about the cigars I was searching for.<br />
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As soon as we went outside the Hotel, Nelson and his Posse were there to greet/annoy us. He was offering another tour, cigars, whatever we wanted. It was early in the morning, I politely turned him down.<br />
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When we reached the Partagas shop I was amazed with the amount of staff they had outside(sic) Everyone seemed to work in the store and they could all get me the same cigars at half the price. Once again I turned them down, one by one, each one less politely than the other.<br />
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Inside, there was one woman behind the counter. I was looking for a few different Gran Reserva and Edition Limitada Cigars that are VERY expensive here in Dublin. I was told that these Cigars were very rare in Cuba and a lot of the expensive product is exported to Europe. No cheep deals for me.<br />
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During our conversation the shop started to get busy. The lady went to deal with her customers while I continued to browse around, a little bit dismayed. As I have said before, the shop consisted of Monte's, Cohibas and RyJ. I am not knocking these brands. I smoke all of them and if I had the cash I would have bought a box of everything on display but I wasn't looking for an everyday smoke.<br />
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Once the lady got a spare moment I asked her if she had any 8-9-8 in stock. Her eyes lit up, it seemed not everyone asked for them. I inspected the box and the cigars inside. They smelt great. I bought them straight away. As I received my receipt, the lady gave me a single unmarked cigar. I asked what it was and was told it was the house blend. House blend from the Partagas factory? I didn't know there was such a thing but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I thanked her and left.<br />
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We dropped the cigars back to the hotel and then made our way towards "Calle Obispo". This is the name of the busiest shopping street in Havana (apparently). The street in lined with restaurants, markets and nic-nac stalls.<br />
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The Mrs loves markets so we spent our time making our way down the street, purchasing bits and pieces along the way. We eventually made it to our main destination. La Bodeguita del Medio.<br />
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This is a bar, like Floridita, made famous as the place where Hemingway enjoyed his Mojito's. Unlike Floridita, this bar was not large, spacious and air-conditioned. I was a small bar, jammed with tourists separated from the street by wooden banisters. There was a band in the corner as we have come to expect from most Cuban bars but there was none of the niceties and classy touch you would find in Floridita. 4CUC for a Mojito and there was no waiting around. The service was fast and simple.<br />
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It may sound like Floridita was a nicer bar and in every way it is. It is a salubrious, comfortable and very classy. It is also boring. In Bodeguita there was no air-conditioning, the walls,counter and roof were covered in scrawling's from tourist, the bartender didn't have time to chat to you (he was too busy). We were lucky enough to get two stools at the bar right beside the entrance. We sat in the sweltering heat, refreshed by our Mojitos, listening to music and watching the throngs of tourists come and go. I loved it.<br />
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Hemingways said :<br />
"My mojito in the Bodeguita del Medio and my daiquiri in the Floridita"<br />
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I could forget the daiquiri if I could sit in Bodeguita every day.<br />
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Reluctantly we walked back to the hotel, on the way dropping into a Cigar store where I purchased A box of Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial and a couple of Montecristo 'A's.<br />
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At the hotel we freshened up and went back out to take a bus tour of Havana. The tour only cost 5CUC and leaves every 30mins. It lasted over two hours and took us all over New Havana, Mirimar and other places I cant remember. The commentary lacked in information but it was still enjoyable and made us regret the Horse & Carriage tour we had taken the day before.<br />
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After the tour we took another walk down the Calle Obispo and ended up in Plaza Vieja, a lovely square surrounded by bars. We took a seat outside Factoria Plaza Vieja.<br />
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Here I ordered two liters of beer, on tap, for the sum of 12CUC. The waiter looked at me strangely when I ordered one just for me, he obviously didn't know I was Irish. We also ordered some snacks. I had the Lobster (again) and the Mrs ordered a Cuban Sandwich. When the food arrived I almost laughed at her for ordering what I though was just a big Ham & Cheese sambo. How wrong I was.<br />
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The Mrs asked me to try some and I bit into the sandwich without any expectation or feeling what so ever. If was been wearing socks they would have been knocked right off. It was a TASTE SENSATION. It baffled me how they turned a simple sandwich into something so moreish. I called the waiter and ordered a second for myself. Since we have returned home, that sandwich has been one of the things we miss the most.<br />
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After spending a few hours drinking, eating and people watching it was back to the hotel for us. We both repacked our suitcases in preparation for the journey to Varadero, after which, we went to the lobby bar. We had a couple of cocktails and I enjoyed a Punch Corona.<br />
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Once I finished my cigar we went to the rooftop pool bar. There was a lightening storm in progress. We sat on the pool loungers watching the storm for a while before heading back to the room to get some sleep in preparation of our journey the next day.<br />
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Sitting there, watching the lightening, listening to the thunder,I knew right then that I was going to miss Havana!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpIVrZcBKRcngVsRnJrNXsFpMoJ_d9GARgNvQBC6LFGfq3joFvdcFlhDnuwIpVxPafC2Xzo2TYHtgCh_uj6DO84EZYeRSEnzNFs1rSS7lJPJ1rB_pg8QohGDW8FnZHwkAL1jA9eebCJM/s1600/IMG_2098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpIVrZcBKRcngVsRnJrNXsFpMoJ_d9GARgNvQBC6LFGfq3joFvdcFlhDnuwIpVxPafC2Xzo2TYHtgCh_uj6DO84EZYeRSEnzNFs1rSS7lJPJ1rB_pg8QohGDW8FnZHwkAL1jA9eebCJM/s320/IMG_2098.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box in a Box</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3WQz-M1eegvAE2MhP7NOJrysidLKsf9e1I_SUiX9i6hfflWBdsQwBPpJC3v__wgrBRoUAFpETQ1FGAuqbvKE0l7ANmLI6mFjmegy5poTIFuw0VdEGu1KwYkHmNlUrTiTX9V8XMDNqHw/s1600/IMG_2100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3WQz-M1eegvAE2MhP7NOJrysidLKsf9e1I_SUiX9i6hfflWBdsQwBPpJC3v__wgrBRoUAFpETQ1FGAuqbvKE0l7ANmLI6mFjmegy5poTIFuw0VdEGu1KwYkHmNlUrTiTX9V8XMDNqHw/s320/IMG_2100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8-9-8 Varnished</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUCm0p88AqU1IEk5WWMOvj1XAsHw3Ipqk8wrHT2YEHZj-DTYXbBuXuQue3wg43LbJ9jNcQFmnBrXfJZzXmj6UWKa-kQ39l5cW_E3kOwvvbyGom_RB2sgEGdG7H4YWYGOlWbNfWxaQyWY/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUCm0p88AqU1IEk5WWMOvj1XAsHw3Ipqk8wrHT2YEHZj-DTYXbBuXuQue3wg43LbJ9jNcQFmnBrXfJZzXmj6UWKa-kQ39l5cW_E3kOwvvbyGom_RB2sgEGdG7H4YWYGOlWbNfWxaQyWY/s320/IMG_2105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas 8-9-8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP9iTGlF-xdrEaqIoWB28d1sPzS-Jfh51D6JWoXmky4eoUvqLRS-sidOUExgbiYen8ot__B4mknlYtWnF0-KTC1CyqXkYbLcXbPhCS0th06aL6V9k35Gb_7w-CPhydfCekZx8V_l51Pc/s1600/IMG_2140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP9iTGlF-xdrEaqIoWB28d1sPzS-Jfh51D6JWoXmky4eoUvqLRS-sidOUExgbiYen8ot__B4mknlYtWnF0-KTC1CyqXkYbLcXbPhCS0th06aL6V9k35Gb_7w-CPhydfCekZx8V_l51Pc/s320/IMG_2140.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas House Blend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpD1hbvNvoNzHAy8Hpo5yNmbY1sFFphg2dtcSGkRLw5-Ed_6EJ18Z1XYcYJmfosvScRe7PZ38FmIicEiqJZcSNtl83P_RSqULwqS4sGFwtgDWhyphenhyphenIQiVgviE69gd6KbIIOeWD2scXeg8Mc/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpD1hbvNvoNzHAy8Hpo5yNmbY1sFFphg2dtcSGkRLw5-Ed_6EJ18Z1XYcYJmfosvScRe7PZ38FmIicEiqJZcSNtl83P_RSqULwqS4sGFwtgDWhyphenhyphenIQiVgviE69gd6KbIIOeWD2scXeg8Mc/s320/IMG_2040.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Bodeguita</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX46SMlkCCnN1oPaKZR6W1CvUJzYYxT9lV-eBtctColr_LeNWaM7RtMLFcsUNeGBnDYYXnCZSRrvnF2dlvC2gGSuAHDbwPXUE868LUohaa3KTVEfGoKoyRU-6mn8zdxWnI84UMx1p3OY0/s1600/SAM_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX46SMlkCCnN1oPaKZR6W1CvUJzYYxT9lV-eBtctColr_LeNWaM7RtMLFcsUNeGBnDYYXnCZSRrvnF2dlvC2gGSuAHDbwPXUE868LUohaa3KTVEfGoKoyRU-6mn8zdxWnI84UMx1p3OY0/s320/SAM_0669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e0BtuFJOttKutCVeoSZ0-DAkd8UdBRz4HYnnLC1sYl4ZopD3mfNO2m57jzurqwqt-yCxOH9xMNaIUw65Kw-GIaeYdpQFFZch2o56qf7w_t7_bXKW6TtjSKdaG3glaPmXpVJ7UH2d2Yg/s1600/SAM_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e0BtuFJOttKutCVeoSZ0-DAkd8UdBRz4HYnnLC1sYl4ZopD3mfNO2m57jzurqwqt-yCxOH9xMNaIUw65Kw-GIaeYdpQFFZch2o56qf7w_t7_bXKW6TtjSKdaG3glaPmXpVJ7UH2d2Yg/s320/SAM_0643.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemingways Creed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVqjDBAUPJnR73JfUNnpB7fKav8p_7FERpPFkw0Bulxf9RgJRg_EwAn20oT7J1xs8Hmy73Xm73lprVtuEFUbfw1FZ9P7kS3AdiMm5-eQ1RYnLnPXkf04vP-f4EdeBRuqz-pqfcIUzcmM/s1600/SAM_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVqjDBAUPJnR73JfUNnpB7fKav8p_7FERpPFkw0Bulxf9RgJRg_EwAn20oT7J1xs8Hmy73Xm73lprVtuEFUbfw1FZ9P7kS3AdiMm5-eQ1RYnLnPXkf04vP-f4EdeBRuqz-pqfcIUzcmM/s320/SAM_0650.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mojito's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr6HN8qotZr6wRvf850SmVakdDogoF5J7KjBBkwfn-LCyyHJHCyk4luAVqLJVqpMzM6Ii3wPNhfQ9FzdC6XMt8icS5kU8TDb19h9PLwu7SuVpLGv_L_xSZT2hbL-7wX0LoQ4NvNgr-xk/s1600/SAM_0655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr6HN8qotZr6wRvf850SmVakdDogoF5J7KjBBkwfn-LCyyHJHCyk4luAVqLJVqpMzM6Ii3wPNhfQ9FzdC6XMt8icS5kU8TDb19h9PLwu7SuVpLGv_L_xSZT2hbL-7wX0LoQ4NvNgr-xk/s320/SAM_0655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkElfgm-YvwIS3eSjpyTNfOLsreJItqYoIKtZeixkA_w9wE1J9yWhNMxBASIcpsSdCAaQ676hX1qdTj_mEg8_0OWf_Iis2aIBcVO3c01VwRic_-43cOoDbcKZVUF-VxMbLRc_hbSgACzw/s1600/IMG_2046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkElfgm-YvwIS3eSjpyTNfOLsreJItqYoIKtZeixkA_w9wE1J9yWhNMxBASIcpsSdCAaQ676hX1qdTj_mEg8_0OWf_Iis2aIBcVO3c01VwRic_-43cOoDbcKZVUF-VxMbLRc_hbSgACzw/s320/IMG_2046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I left my mark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MVrMB7paV7pcLaNrwPbn3WwVI6JbxCuBPvgbPy9eMhhoE7qNULqM1617L8XhgtV9MGJKcEkU0vxyXLMouGpRP77fMMNhB6nQe6mtju-sYF0Q6uCBZj_Z1tCkD_Ma9Bopr2rC83CIS8g/s1600/IMG_2092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MVrMB7paV7pcLaNrwPbn3WwVI6JbxCuBPvgbPy9eMhhoE7qNULqM1617L8XhgtV9MGJKcEkU0vxyXLMouGpRP77fMMNhB6nQe6mtju-sYF0Q6uCBZj_Z1tCkD_Ma9Bopr2rC83CIS8g/s320/IMG_2092.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HdM Epicure Especial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUASKJ9g0k7AOvqtHzOwz7HD0A50geGIJ_46g_YbV1Ma-ZiPN9sZnn-iDUQxUqCgkBKWHBfmZVbIZslo3neZLTCBYFdsVwXs_DkkWF_C0X36Cb360CC_dRVcggLv8qulTylQRJFHo779M/s1600/IMG_2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUASKJ9g0k7AOvqtHzOwz7HD0A50geGIJ_46g_YbV1Ma-ZiPN9sZnn-iDUQxUqCgkBKWHBfmZVbIZslo3neZLTCBYFdsVwXs_DkkWF_C0X36Cb360CC_dRVcggLv8qulTylQRJFHo779M/s320/IMG_2088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfAtT_oN7kb6nNpZir7VIUs3032QmoJO4IuFWQ0ZadonQpHFaJLXCsZocEBWpLpR70DAX6dANJDQDP4ot9NfgZbMCk2n1CSR-CXZzxiqlzSfjau7as9E5bVqCm8jqa7gJAb577kOY54s/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfAtT_oN7kb6nNpZir7VIUs3032QmoJO4IuFWQ0ZadonQpHFaJLXCsZocEBWpLpR70DAX6dANJDQDP4ot9NfgZbMCk2n1CSR-CXZzxiqlzSfjau7as9E5bVqCm8jqa7gJAb577kOY54s/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monte 'A' - Its massive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycRx2yFhoLFwb1-HgF2eLAXT2aw60B_r66trEtzcasEPiDtnQkei5y-OSk1wUo3z6_8rVCNyE-ADwN7iZxSlJfwq9n_g5BOu2LmmzIWO2Y_dJhnSr5diSeACmO72EY_LtbeotzSkhq14/s1600/SAM_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycRx2yFhoLFwb1-HgF2eLAXT2aw60B_r66trEtzcasEPiDtnQkei5y-OSk1wUo3z6_8rVCNyE-ADwN7iZxSlJfwq9n_g5BOu2LmmzIWO2Y_dJhnSr5diSeACmO72EY_LtbeotzSkhq14/s320/SAM_0746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Vieja</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW8ouQGK8gjP9yGSQXgWTc8hh1RQp-cIlCdMR3nwIsdUR7PFPPfnIAJkknL3GMLGVD2GKQohZE9IWXT1g7EYuTNkBCNeCDpf3IsZJA1C-FiZJETvLAQF8aVRIZ7Xqt9QjlJI3wmCAzsk/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW8ouQGK8gjP9yGSQXgWTc8hh1RQp-cIlCdMR3nwIsdUR7PFPPfnIAJkknL3GMLGVD2GKQohZE9IWXT1g7EYuTNkBCNeCDpf3IsZJA1C-FiZJETvLAQF8aVRIZ7Xqt9QjlJI3wmCAzsk/s320/IMG_2067.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mrs and my Beer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mg1IVVoMIWgd9zgp5MkLJ2WQT6IcyZbTNjvT_N39nBh9r5UpX0WQ7fpVczPY4v9yh_6o14IIKFdgd-nI_eYhhfGR_Wpfq3W_mI_NEAvb4PSLRAX2Xmk43CtoQ8XVDscpaIIzUXMinMo/s1600/IMG_2071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mg1IVVoMIWgd9zgp5MkLJ2WQT6IcyZbTNjvT_N39nBh9r5UpX0WQ7fpVczPY4v9yh_6o14IIKFdgd-nI_eYhhfGR_Wpfq3W_mI_NEAvb4PSLRAX2Xmk43CtoQ8XVDscpaIIzUXMinMo/s320/IMG_2071.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQAp0GaWcGNc99EfAG-NmCBI_fF9NFTj4moGOSANbEiAZznPc2vTA1s_S9L6owHAkEMkon7CmciUsuKDsE4HJSGlGyssLCAhHXDiWT13jG0A9TEtikQeAPByPX8mGTrIMBkvQKfhSX6Y/s1600/SAM_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQAp0GaWcGNc99EfAG-NmCBI_fF9NFTj4moGOSANbEiAZznPc2vTA1s_S9L6owHAkEMkon7CmciUsuKDsE4HJSGlGyssLCAhHXDiWT13jG0A9TEtikQeAPByPX8mGTrIMBkvQKfhSX6Y/s320/SAM_0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taste Sensation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iNLLjg6N5Xkg8KTTLjBKduroRYvaIbruupuZENMq7so7XdJDP9JBl4wJXa_5SMbiD953F8HBoZfAo7AkgFZ_lHkGsA9zZrKP1RWUXcKtFUMc_6C_J581TNTRf78oV-guXnkxlWO_Vio/s1600/SAM_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iNLLjg6N5Xkg8KTTLjBKduroRYvaIbruupuZENMq7so7XdJDP9JBl4wJXa_5SMbiD953F8HBoZfAo7AkgFZ_lHkGsA9zZrKP1RWUXcKtFUMc_6C_J581TNTRf78oV-guXnkxlWO_Vio/s320/SAM_0750.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punch and a Mojito</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-54760660717743339112012-09-10T15:55:00.000-07:002012-09-10T15:55:16.392-07:00Cuba Day 2 : Spot the Tourists After the exhausting day of travel from day one I was up surprisingly early on day two. After a quick shower we made our way down for breakfast.<br />
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My worries about the standard of Cuban food had been eased the night before however I was unsure what was going to greet us for breakfast. I need not have worried. The buffet breakfast had everything from pancakes and bacon to mashed potato and veg. There was fresh fruit, pastries, cold meat, breads and even an omelet station. Something for everybody.<br />
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After breakfast we ventured out of the hotel for the first time. The heat hit us straight away and almost immediately we were also hit by the locals offering guided tours around the city as well as maps and the promise of cheep cigars.<br />
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A bit taken aback I went back into the hotel and asked the concierge what the story was with the people outside. He assured us that they all work for the government and there was nothing to fear.<br />
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With our new information in mind we hired the services of Nelson, who offered a Horse & Carrige Tour of Old Havana for the reasonable sum of 35CUC.<br />
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The tour started of great. Nelson's colleague, Ra-something or other, was very informative and friendly, half way through the tour we stopped of for a Mojito at a local bar. There we were entertained by a local band and another local drew my caricature. We resumed our tour and once again our guide was very informative regarding the various buildings around Old Havana.<br />
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Nearing the end of the tour we took a turn up a very dilapidated street. The carrige stopped and the guide asked him to follow him. A bit unsure, we followed him into a small house. He informed us that it was his own place and his sister worked in the local cigar factory. I knew what was coming next.<br />
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He tried to push various cigars on me at a very cheep price. To be honest, they were very impressive and you would never know the difference. I declined, then declined again, and again, and again, and again....You get the point. It bordered on bullying but as soon as he realised I wasn't going to buy he ushered us back to the carriage.<br />
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The remainder of the tour ended very quickly and in silence. Once we were outside the Hotel, Nelson informed us the tour was 70CUC it was 35CUC EACH. I was in no humour to argue and at that point just wanted to get away from them so I gave him the money. Overall the tour was enjoyable but we were left with a bitter taste in our mouth.<br />
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After the tour we headed to the Partagas Factory. It was only around the corner from the hotel so we walked. I was already aware that the factory was closed for renovations and only the shop was open so I knew there would be no chance for a tour.<br />
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The shop itself was a little disappointing. On display were as many Montecristo, Cohiba or Romeo y Julieta cigars as you could wish for. A surprisingly very small Partagas selection and not much else. I didn't see anything that I wanted and left the shop a little downhearted.<br />
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On the way back to the Hotel, taking in our surroundings, we were approached by another local. He spoke Spanish we looked at him blankly, he realised and spoke in English. We spoke briefly and he gave us some history and information. I thanked him and tried to give him 5CUC. He refused the money, told us his son was friends with Irish people and asked us if we wanted a drink. We accepted.<br />
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He brought us to a bar called "5 Villa". A quaint little place with a friendly bartender. We ordered three cocktails, sat in the heat and enjoyed the company. A second round was ordered and enjoyed. I then asked for the bill and was shocked when it came to 87CUC. Really, 87CUC for six drinks.<br />
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The bar man showed me the price list. Each cocktail cost 8CUC. Even at that "tourist" price the bill should have come to 48CUC. He told me there was service charge and them rambled on about some other charge. At this stage I was done with the "friendly" locals. I gave the bartender 40CUC and told him that was all he was getting. He threatened to ring the police, I told him I would ring the number for him. After a lot more arguing, I just walked out of the bar, leaving the bartender with a shocked and confused look on his face. Most tourist probably just pay the bill but I was not going to be scammed twice in one day.<br />
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After that, we vowed not to speak to anymore people in the street if we could help it. Believe me, it is harder than it sounds. After a few very harsh NO's later we strolled into Floridita. This bar has been made famous as the place were Ernest Hemingway drank his Daiquiris.<br />
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The place was packed. We eventually got a seat at the bar and ordered two of Hemingway's favourite. He was not wrong. On a extremely hot day, a refreshing daiquiri, good music and an air conditioned bar was welcomed with open arms.<br />
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Refreshed and ready to tackle the locals again we headed towards the Hotel National. This hotel is situated along the Malecon, a 17 kilometer stretch along the Cuban coast. It took is around one hour to reach the hotel. The reason for this trek, in 38c temperatures, was the Casa del Habanos situated on the lower floor in the hotel.<br />
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I picked up a box of Ramon Alones Specially Selected with a few years age on them along with a few single sticks. We went up to the terrace where I enjoyed a Ramon Allones "Alones Extra" Edition Limitada 2011 along with a couple of Cuba Libra's.<br />
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Exhausted, we got a cool little taxi back to our hotel. The Mrs went up to the room while I browsed the Hotels Cigar shop. In here I found a box of Montecristo Grand Edmundo Edition Limitada 2010 and snapped them up.<br />
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Back in the room the Mrs got a couple of hours sleep as I watched TV. When she awoke, we got ourselves ready and went for dinner. Rob Fox from <a href="http://www.jamesfox.ie/">James Fox, Dublin</a> fame had recommended La Moraleja as a great spot for dinner. We jumped in a taxi and made our way there.<br />
<br />
Our meal was fantastic. Since I was on my new Lobster buzz I ordered the seafood cocktail to start followed by a full grilled lobster with Parmesan sauce. The Mrs had a mixed salad followed by Pork w/pepper & onion. For dessert the Mrs had ice cream while I decided to have a cigar with a 12yr old Glenfiddich. The cigar was a house blend and was very enjoyable.<br />
<br />
Half way through my cigar I noticed the restaurant was closing. The Mrs and I were now the last people there apart from the staff. Rob Fox had told me to ask for the owner. I was told she was a friendly woman and an avid Cigar smoker, however when I inquired I was told that she was unavailable.<br />
<br />
As we were getting ready to leave, I wrote her a note and left it with the manger. The manager disappeared for five minutes and when he returned we were standing up to leave. He told us to sit down, filled up my whiskey with a more than generous measure, insisted that I would take another cigar, and a second for later. I should write more thank you notes.<br />
<br />
Once we finished, well past the closing time, the doorman/host/random guy outside the restaurant ordered us a taxi. Five to ten minutes later, a guy pulls up in a Lada with his Mrs in the passenger seat. We were told that this was our taxi. At this stage nothing surprised me.<br />
<br />
We hopped in and were traveling back towards the hotel when the Lada took an unscheduled turn of the Malecon. The driver jumped out of the car and walked over to a man standing on a street corner. The aforementioned man was a Hulk. His arms were as big as my legs. The two men spoke to each other, all the while pointing towards the car. This was it, we were going to be kidnapped. The scenarios rolled through my mind, how was I going to get us to safety, was he all brawn and no brain, maybe the skinny one was dangerous, should I be worried about the woman in the passenger seat.<br />
<br />
While all this was running through my head the two men had crossed the road and were rooting through the trunk of a second car. What were they going to pull out? A gun, a knife, baseball bats? Then I saw it, it was rubber tubing. I could handle that. Something glittered, an empty plastic bottle. Now I was confused!<br />
<br />
Not for long though as I saw the Hulk siphoning diesel. The Lada had run out of fuel. Five minutes later and after aging ten years we were back at the hotel. I gave the guy 10CUC and he almost kissed me, for another 10CUC I could have had his Mrs.<br />
<br />
Once inside the hotel I needed a drink. I ordered a Mojito and a Siglo V. As I sat there and smoked my cigar I though of all that happened in one day. If nothing else this trip was going to be an experience!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7I69839wae-dEgxQMqeEdjRe5KbIhoZBIne4s3oZ8vfYIFXEPMvKAcdwCq9QjiVMWVu4m1RaM67_DJsG50aSTeC8o04QvdxxPSpw6gpuFYBF33-RgZAglXsEtwKALZpnpcR1w62Tf-V8/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7I69839wae-dEgxQMqeEdjRe5KbIhoZBIne4s3oZ8vfYIFXEPMvKAcdwCq9QjiVMWVu4m1RaM67_DJsG50aSTeC8o04QvdxxPSpw6gpuFYBF33-RgZAglXsEtwKALZpnpcR1w62Tf-V8/s320/IMG_1938.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas Factory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWuPOVueENH0bZKMSEP0yGJrvqM0hOVU7pXP7NiPMILyS06I3z0hSEwujGVwF-J1Nm60rNSZyB3gepsJn9qrlMqeCD-tXFHSOUHsUuFlGUe4emRLt6vJhWg6OTeMHzJkeWj30lNIrAnQ/s1600/SAM_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWuPOVueENH0bZKMSEP0yGJrvqM0hOVU7pXP7NiPMILyS06I3z0hSEwujGVwF-J1Nm60rNSZyB3gepsJn9qrlMqeCD-tXFHSOUHsUuFlGUe4emRLt6vJhWg6OTeMHzJkeWj30lNIrAnQ/s320/SAM_0578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shop Entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiI49h_1m-j9-ff4duEeLIhnmsmW1dUSDAtT5DHWiMucXQkkyjV8AkkOEXC_0XTijChCqWd94izsBY1I-GGbQNDD6akKK4RBLGyxdHx18McX3AUvsqGfycbVpfRuHWDkV1KZvmb2ojRo/s1600/SAM_0583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiI49h_1m-j9-ff4duEeLIhnmsmW1dUSDAtT5DHWiMucXQkkyjV8AkkOEXC_0XTijChCqWd94izsBY1I-GGbQNDD6akKK4RBLGyxdHx18McX3AUvsqGfycbVpfRuHWDkV1KZvmb2ojRo/s320/SAM_0583.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigar Selection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise57Qu-RVpppRENgj3NcTv7jBb0h05rJT_GwfR92eH5eVZ0JWRBxBzNjEoIxCcgR4x2mR5U1aj2Id6wgBac0G6C3xVLb7Vf-RKVmNSYJQ88pYIsDphsO5S-ucRdx11bdzd1kpwxiDstg/s1600/IMG_1960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise57Qu-RVpppRENgj3NcTv7jBb0h05rJT_GwfR92eH5eVZ0JWRBxBzNjEoIxCcgR4x2mR5U1aj2Id6wgBac0G6C3xVLb7Vf-RKVmNSYJQ88pYIsDphsO5S-ucRdx11bdzd1kpwxiDstg/s320/IMG_1960.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floridita</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_LlN0SFsAo8V-qnVTNeluu_pcBQTbAw7mZ3CGjAMwpyCLLM-alXOQ-RZOT7jRJKSItCQwlyXLsr4_OaLzJJVqEYscnYQNNO12dlBiptugmCtoLi58TvETydtLR6HT29Q1C-yEuKTRZM/s1600/IMG_1959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_LlN0SFsAo8V-qnVTNeluu_pcBQTbAw7mZ3CGjAMwpyCLLM-alXOQ-RZOT7jRJKSItCQwlyXLsr4_OaLzJJVqEYscnYQNNO12dlBiptugmCtoLi58TvETydtLR6HT29Q1C-yEuKTRZM/s320/IMG_1959.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floridita street view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MQvEE4io5KCtT3FyRmT2tdKZ1fwyhsyAXY_g2Xnjgn7fMrzUcs7K0YyGBhUTvJd-QYyi-g2wAlU3b9YVRBzL_958AnUdSu8Mn3Zx3aEOv4-oiqIALd4DRw-FbeMaGuUHiNn-MkGnWkQ/s1600/IMG_1942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MQvEE4io5KCtT3FyRmT2tdKZ1fwyhsyAXY_g2Xnjgn7fMrzUcs7K0YyGBhUTvJd-QYyi-g2wAlU3b9YVRBzL_958AnUdSu8Mn3Zx3aEOv4-oiqIALd4DRw-FbeMaGuUHiNn-MkGnWkQ/s320/IMG_1942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daiquiris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxzwqJ6KmhPGXVbHTdLuGy2SltMSUJxXSqYXu4tm4W5c-dT87QuUSjwSEesKRwmwoGlPk7MuRlzhJBtB8DYIpehZVxqfF-ciaHno88D0k16KLQkNEK_mEgah5mrsT3lxEByam81zLPA0/s1600/SAM_0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxzwqJ6KmhPGXVbHTdLuGy2SltMSUJxXSqYXu4tm4W5c-dT87QuUSjwSEesKRwmwoGlPk7MuRlzhJBtB8DYIpehZVxqfF-ciaHno88D0k16KLQkNEK_mEgah5mrsT3lxEByam81zLPA0/s320/SAM_0622.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernest Hemingway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvJwvQ7lDDX4yl0MUtGtcPsQ2yB2kak0oNqNoiPm9GZa0I6Tcq_1uTQdVXezREiTLIN5kW_ciy-9GxW-Rb9RP687TFlX7QPhOg0RAYSG6K0Yatpd8hc0cPC28JoS0NHOx6JbFC5thW6o/s1600/SAM_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvJwvQ7lDDX4yl0MUtGtcPsQ2yB2kak0oNqNoiPm9GZa0I6Tcq_1uTQdVXezREiTLIN5kW_ciy-9GxW-Rb9RP687TFlX7QPhOg0RAYSG6K0Yatpd8hc0cPC28JoS0NHOx6JbFC5thW6o/s320/SAM_0691.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel National</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee_I93EYhF3SD66XkJg0FdSSAN0cFBCZIl-9hsBT9-HNYFUQ9wPykWq8EU8Go6L-RASnUc2Jaayw89CzxITtaQNsVaP7cgxUPBBykPlbmf77NeX38mcvK59JlwCDLkNVtNwchOqhGGI4/s1600/SAM_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee_I93EYhF3SD66XkJg0FdSSAN0cFBCZIl-9hsBT9-HNYFUQ9wPykWq8EU8Go6L-RASnUc2Jaayw89CzxITtaQNsVaP7cgxUPBBykPlbmf77NeX38mcvK59JlwCDLkNVtNwchOqhGGI4/s320/SAM_0630.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Casa del Habanos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTzGI0kk4gMgMhZk7vm0KLHvrxhN5qWwUzpkb7kM2WlG0LzKRX5W2h0bSs47STV2fh3kj94XnS0tBQogk7i7rDX3Pk2GIKq_SxPX033PBczfTmFo0HyB-OHNPOg2hieqR2f7aK3ssSK4/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTzGI0kk4gMgMhZk7vm0KLHvrxhN5qWwUzpkb7kM2WlG0LzKRX5W2h0bSs47STV2fh3kj94XnS0tBQogk7i7rDX3Pk2GIKq_SxPX033PBczfTmFo0HyB-OHNPOg2hieqR2f7aK3ssSK4/s320/IMG_1966.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramon Alones Alones Extra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJepZRunPnCokPOrYFX9kB8oygiaqr9HO_wlyqLQNQZccl-fSpjLuFJ6PxyCDNb9ZddP2OKytxp92pHBsGmDaVYFhFbAFcOHxKl5sV9wlx0nX0p4rclFgQZh7B0u1haaV6lSscfs70UQ/s1600/IMG_1995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJepZRunPnCokPOrYFX9kB8oygiaqr9HO_wlyqLQNQZccl-fSpjLuFJ6PxyCDNb9ZddP2OKytxp92pHBsGmDaVYFhFbAFcOHxKl5sV9wlx0nX0p4rclFgQZh7B0u1haaV6lSscfs70UQ/s320/IMG_1995.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RASS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7vsOFzuV4XihMcsO5AsKb_hGgh_tFfL5V9Szd-GkAFl6vrxd5Otz637P7os2-yubogPDAm0sPupm8Cj2epStrn3KxH_h9N600WZEUN38R7h-qw23suu8VWDxuLgd7ead5zwbhZPzMns/s1600/IMG_1997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7vsOFzuV4XihMcsO5AsKb_hGgh_tFfL5V9Szd-GkAFl6vrxd5Otz637P7os2-yubogPDAm0sPupm8Cj2epStrn3KxH_h9N600WZEUN38R7h-qw23suu8VWDxuLgd7ead5zwbhZPzMns/s320/IMG_1997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monte Grand Edmundo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5VfE3kmOkSXpiJRH5uz1yQQBM9QdfsWK1JVBNEWNAsQYEsvkcIMYTTnY5p3-6h4qbkXkOpQ8MgDjS6Ay_sLJu4RZGnkMMKF2x_2DfLji8EZlsczURtbn6ZGvSLvRHZ4Vl6hKIm7EU6Q/s1600/IMG_2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5VfE3kmOkSXpiJRH5uz1yQQBM9QdfsWK1JVBNEWNAsQYEsvkcIMYTTnY5p3-6h4qbkXkOpQ8MgDjS6Ay_sLJu4RZGnkMMKF2x_2DfLji8EZlsczURtbn6ZGvSLvRHZ4Vl6hKIm7EU6Q/s320/IMG_2017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Maraleja</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AXSj_PS8ld3jglBEymE34Q4JTHhKP6BJd4XvtRvsd9LzZFFP12-wcrBLJmV7Xdn5VS-fa2rhgeYhLMCEyaAoB6HkvssKUvrM9oiAa5wrama_qdsmsXD86RN8_5woGsf9PaxQU7rJUp4/s1600/IMG_2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AXSj_PS8ld3jglBEymE34Q4JTHhKP6BJd4XvtRvsd9LzZFFP12-wcrBLJmV7Xdn5VS-fa2rhgeYhLMCEyaAoB6HkvssKUvrM9oiAa5wrama_qdsmsXD86RN8_5woGsf9PaxQU7rJUp4/s320/IMG_2005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chef's Grill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtixgW41UhqbVgmnxCPoICk8mhxpur6FB9-3UsAbVCr_W_xLLZhj1zAE5MabRJei2HIie-eE3bf7EdZy_GRHdwmppNddTVBEZyn6EBUGQBR5kJhDqnu4kcw3-pL25nddhcTz8rnq4eek/s1600/IMG_2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtixgW41UhqbVgmnxCPoICk8mhxpur6FB9-3UsAbVCr_W_xLLZhj1zAE5MabRJei2HIie-eE3bf7EdZy_GRHdwmppNddTVBEZyn6EBUGQBR5kJhDqnu4kcw3-pL25nddhcTz8rnq4eek/s320/IMG_2008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPnVy0TC3oa-GX9QVzly9VMclNeIjl8Y2EBH0qyUdQAUv7nvPmDNETkIUBY8KmoAyUfZ_YKRRJJNXksAKqHkQIhm19s_UAkUR2e9iQy5HQ7oZ8TEYJt7Na1ZVqkSaQYeiJPD5amcv6I4/s1600/IMG_2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPnVy0TC3oa-GX9QVzly9VMclNeIjl8Y2EBH0qyUdQAUv7nvPmDNETkIUBY8KmoAyUfZ_YKRRJJNXksAKqHkQIhm19s_UAkUR2e9iQy5HQ7oZ8TEYJt7Na1ZVqkSaQYeiJPD5amcv6I4/s320/IMG_2011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyI42MUjE4ahSTo3c4_xtSdDvLpwFh6ToojwYZhbLO0N9tKlA1CbYSJzUKwv8TEsdPobU3zogNd-R-4yNSqcSdYXszOfxtI1HgJwYuWQuF00ugnzHUVDyiRYjjjFfZ2Pa_XA2X_vsD44/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyI42MUjE4ahSTo3c4_xtSdDvLpwFh6ToojwYZhbLO0N9tKlA1CbYSJzUKwv8TEsdPobU3zogNd-R-4yNSqcSdYXszOfxtI1HgJwYuWQuF00ugnzHUVDyiRYjjjFfZ2Pa_XA2X_vsD44/s320/IMG_2015.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House Blend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQIrNJ6jO4YwZeGqDIEN61xNGk-afJv-Bm2-_Hc_Vr9gpZK6SOOPoRK2YqP01-dFhf9vv85BUEhYOvsWXqiuUbGUeB3dscfd_SOeJWF1_7QqUl-lDxMQ49WdsUxWXynYEbA-e_SLP9Q/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQIrNJ6jO4YwZeGqDIEN61xNGk-afJv-Bm2-_Hc_Vr9gpZK6SOOPoRK2YqP01-dFhf9vv85BUEhYOvsWXqiuUbGUeB3dscfd_SOeJWF1_7QqUl-lDxMQ49WdsUxWXynYEbA-e_SLP9Q/s320/IMG_2018.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cohiba Siglo V</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-6682323342737592232012-09-04T13:18:00.000-07:002012-09-04T13:18:01.837-07:00Cuba - Day 1: Airports,Havana and Cigars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Right Folks, I'm Back!!! I have put this post off long enough. I have so much information about my trip to Cuba I didn't know where to start. What I have decided to do is break it down into several post which will be intertwined with the usual drivel of work, football and the occasional cigar. I hope you will enjoy it. So here we go.<br />
<br />
We will start off with Day 1: The journey to Cuba!!<br />
<br />
The Mrs and I arrived in Dublin Airport on a wet Friday morning. She was well rested and ready to go. Myself, on the other hand, due to excitement, nerves or the fact my body clock has not been right for the last thirteen years, hadn't got a wink of sleep.<br />
<br />
Skipping through all the mundane checks that are associated with Airports these days, we were sitting on the plane as it was taxied towards the runway. A short two hour flight and we would be in Paris for our change over. We were on the way and I was feeling good, that was until the plane stopped, was turned around and the Pilot informed us that we couldn't take off due to an indicator problem. As I sat on the plane for another half hour while they fixed the problem I wondered what the big deal was. How many planes do they expect to overtake?<br />
<br />
Eventually we arrived in Charles deGaulle. The weather was glorious. The Mrs and I had spent Christmas in Paris with the Brynes and we loved it. We both remarked that we would have to revisit some time during summer when the weather was this good.<br />
<br />
More mundane Airport stuff and we arrived at our gate to find out that the connecting flight was delayed. Probably due to the lack of a left falange!! We didn't have to wait too long though and before we knew it we were marched onto the plane.<br />
<br />
I am off the opinion that Airlines tease people intentionally. They board the premium passengers first, than they force all the commoners to walk onto the plane, past these VIP's while they lounge in their first class cabins, with loads of leg room and without a 30stone, sweaty passenger pouring onto their seats.<br />
<br />
I am not going to say much more about our flight or I might get upset. The plane was lovely, I got to watch three movies on the flight and we were sufficiently fed and watered. What killed me was over nine hours on a plane with not enough leg room, factor that in with the fact I had not slept in over 30hrs at that stage. I wasn't a happy bunny.<br />
<br />
When we eventually arrived in Havana it was raining. As we walked through the airport there were people mopping up puddles as water leaked from the roof. At this point I didn't care about anything. I was finally off the plane and I was in CUBA!!<br />
<br />
We met our representative, I changed some money and before we knew it we were on a bus to Havana. As I looked out the window it was hard to miss the poverty and squalor that people had to live with. Saying that, everything seemed to have its own little charm and all the people had a smile on their face. It seemed to be a theme with the locals and during the trip one man remarked to me "I may be poor, but at least I am poor in Cuba"<br />
<br />
There was nothing poor about the Hotel when we arrived. We checked into the Hotel Parque Central. It was fantastic, modern and clean. What more could you want? A roof top pool you say? A cigar store? Three restaurants? A gym? A spa? It had all these and more.<br />
<br />
A quick shower and change of clothes and we were at the lobby bar sipping on Cuba Libras. The cigar shop was closed however the bar had its own humidor and it didn't take me long to order a couple of sticks.<br />
<br />
There was an English guy sitting at the bar who recommended I not purchase cigars in the hotel. "They rip you off" he said, "you can get the same cigar for half the price in a shop across the road" I thanked him for the information and was about to go in search of this shop when the bartender handed me the cigar menu. I looked at the aforementioned English guy with slight confusion. Cigars were available CHEAPER than this??<br />
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I decided a walk across the street was too much of an effort so I requested a Partagas 8-9-8 and a H.Upman Magnum 50 all for the "overpriced" sum off 15.40CUC. That's around €12, a saving of around €30 in my book when compared to Dublin prices.<br />
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I smoked the Magnum 50 while sipping on the best Mojito I have ever tasted. The cigar was fantastic but I didn't take notes. I was sitting in a Hotel in Havana, Cuba, smoking a Cuban Cigar and drinking Cuban rum. Who would want to take notes??<br />
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The Mrs was getting hungry at this stage so we headed up to the roof top restaurant. A fantastic setting, sitting at our table, swimming pool one side of us, looking out over Old Havana the other. We ordered Bravas and Lobster/Shrimp cocktail to start. The sauce on the Bravas were nice and spicy and the Seafood cocktail was to die for. It was the first time I had tried lobster and I had a feeling that I would be tasting a lot more.<br />
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The Mrs ordered Pizza as a main, it had a nice crispy thin base with plenty of toppings. I ordered a steak. I went through three options on the menu which they had run out off. After listing off most of the steak cuts I knew, the waiter told me none were available. I just asked him to bring me what he DID have. I'm not sure what cut I got in the end but I can tell you it was cooked to perfection and I enjoyed it very much.<br />
<br />
The Mrs faded half way through our mains and headed back to the room. I finished up on my own and decided to skip dessert and to light up the 8-9-8 instead. It was bliss. The cigar, the setting, the alcohol. I sat there on my own, puffing away, looking out over Havana and sipping on my mojito. I had been awake for over 40 hours at this stage. I didn't finish the cigar. I put it down at the height of my enjoyment and went to bed.<br />
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A great way to start the Holiday!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MN39bUDx1o-Y-treu9t95sHLsZVUPt39loORibRjf8h376chIhdpBzbU-LgME6aUde637CahE7y_dtHCXzfg9QdLCtZjN2MDZ09mnIt6gNqNnVPDgFMB7c6vi9QDa8okXWTwL0Adl2g/s1600/IMG_1932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MN39bUDx1o-Y-treu9t95sHLsZVUPt39loORibRjf8h376chIhdpBzbU-LgME6aUde637CahE7y_dtHCXzfg9QdLCtZjN2MDZ09mnIt6gNqNnVPDgFMB7c6vi9QDa8okXWTwL0Adl2g/s320/IMG_1932.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havana Airport</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZncU89vznw-gvOv3DRNLsLvhVSqNFT_SDN05OxRuuikhuyhV3bcNcm9NvmOadst8KSCNVZ_RoeyzG-ZrLzyF0Nm75i-rvH0cKqlxgzhyphenhyphen8nCUq5MHYp90eGwm3KVjAjBDPzjUTjIfgPE/s1600/SAM_0784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZncU89vznw-gvOv3DRNLsLvhVSqNFT_SDN05OxRuuikhuyhV3bcNcm9NvmOadst8KSCNVZ_RoeyzG-ZrLzyF0Nm75i-rvH0cKqlxgzhyphenhyphen8nCUq5MHYp90eGwm3KVjAjBDPzjUTjIfgPE/s320/SAM_0784.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Lobby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLY6-oirVzQdvXMyDfDQqq4f5ikPHVZm_9ALa8CahM3eGYaxuDKdhYFVGOFIz3WmS2EmMkNwueZg5Nl-ufUlFABCxJe2Po8eGYWatbe60qygvt-ElWD-QkDeF3UeYtVWTBVbuB96kuqo/s1600/SAM_0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLY6-oirVzQdvXMyDfDQqq4f5ikPHVZm_9ALa8CahM3eGYaxuDKdhYFVGOFIz3WmS2EmMkNwueZg5Nl-ufUlFABCxJe2Po8eGYWatbe60qygvt-ElWD-QkDeF3UeYtVWTBVbuB96kuqo/s320/SAM_0558.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H. Upman Magnum 50 & Partagas 8-9-8</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6KUp4BlrHTT8p_LZEjIq3wpEXnTQWhQw5tMhYjWEow9aHJCH1ti27KadfHPRNWX4hggZKUNK4PrAS1SS2GaAYAAi8Ct_c9kv2JyzQvKCOXs4KvvQvESFC_ffaeTprXjCB08PVoiCqq8/s1600/SAM_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6KUp4BlrHTT8p_LZEjIq3wpEXnTQWhQw5tMhYjWEow9aHJCH1ti27KadfHPRNWX4hggZKUNK4PrAS1SS2GaAYAAi8Ct_c9kv2JyzQvKCOXs4KvvQvESFC_ffaeTprXjCB08PVoiCqq8/s320/SAM_0566.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mojito</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsxeBdR_xEYGVF4di8R7VrLeVmZZ1GbRRRDGazzFaeCoGJwXdcqBoVnOqt1VNKZ_yCMiyJOVo4dVU7aWxH3fm6QRUs9pmKp4IQv0XLFDr2sdaTnBttoAL3yRqNrsZOnvzAxaKhihShQA/s1600/IMG_2150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsxeBdR_xEYGVF4di8R7VrLeVmZZ1GbRRRDGazzFaeCoGJwXdcqBoVnOqt1VNKZ_yCMiyJOVo4dVU7aWxH3fm6QRUs9pmKp4IQv0XLFDr2sdaTnBttoAL3yRqNrsZOnvzAxaKhihShQA/s320/IMG_2150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Roof Top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii47sVpoaRTKgu6rja56xH71N1U14K3Q3nhuy0pyitnTLLcsbzv-7LpDinSXYTPeuiDE_ufv-QyCLQTYIsI3uOSIAwpvs4UnV15p2rUctir2VdCm30LDeQAcQcCiVgoCDXsn3r8FcKtm4/s1600/IMG_2153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii47sVpoaRTKgu6rja56xH71N1U14K3Q3nhuy0pyitnTLLcsbzv-7LpDinSXYTPeuiDE_ufv-QyCLQTYIsI3uOSIAwpvs4UnV15p2rUctir2VdCm30LDeQAcQcCiVgoCDXsn3r8FcKtm4/s320/IMG_2153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roof Top Pool</td></tr>
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CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-19239115544269974802012-08-15T07:36:00.000-07:002012-08-15T07:36:30.313-07:00Countdown to CubaThe previous few weeks have been a countdown to Cuba for me, and the time has flown past. As I sit here and type, it is less than two days before I get on that plane.<br />
<br />
Since I last left off I have started an additional Blog that I solely created for Cigar reviews. I wont be writing for Cigar Aficionado anytime soon but I would like to think that I give a brief, concise review without all the garble you will find on this blog. You can find the new blog <a href="http://cldreviews.blogspot.ie/">here!</a>!<br />
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The first entry (I copy/paste the Monte review from this blog) was the AVO Classic Robusto. This cigar was part of a sampler pack I won through <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buttheads-Tobacco-Emporium-Danbury/261998933810224">Buttheads</a> "Fan of The Week". I had mixed feelings with this Cigar. Nice at times, too harsh at others. Overall I would certainly smoke another if it had a bit of age on it.<br />
<br />
The next cigar under review was the Montecristo No. 4. I was gifted this cigar by Marko D in work. I say gifted, in actual fact his Girlfriend was guilted into supplying the cigar. She had stupidly told me that her dad used to smoke cigars but had to give them up. The result of this was he now had a humidor full of cigars that would never be touched.<br />
<br />
After numerous slaggings and under the threat of being barred from my place of work, she finally came forth with the cigar.<br />
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It was the first Monte 4 I have smoked. I have read that its the best selling Cuban cigar by a country mile. I could see why. It has everything you would expect from a cigar but on a very mild format. I thought it was a nice cigar and a great change of pace from the cigars I would normally smoke.<br />
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Friday was upon me at this stage and it was the last night of work for three weeks. Hollywood was back after his weekend off and we made up for lost time. In short, making fools of ourselves. Our job is to keep the customers safe and if we can do that and entertain them at the same time, all is good.<br />
<br />
Saturday came and it was off the Byrnes housewarming in Ashbourne (Notice I am omitting all football references - for my own sanity) I picked up four cigars in the <a href="http://www.decent-cigar.com/">Decent Cigar Emporium</a> before heading out. I got 2 x Padron 6000 and 2 x Montecristo Petite Edmundo.<br />
<br />
The housewarming was great. I was tired and sore (Football/Hungover) when I arrived but a few drinks later all was right with the world again. One thing I will say about Mr.B. When your friends with him there will be no shortage of work. I found that out again when it was time to fire up the BBQ. He asked me to give him a hand and low and behold I somehow ended up cooking food for the masses as Dave sat and laughed at me, sometimes offering a little bit of encouragement.<br />
<br />
I had the Padron 6000 while I was slaving away over the BBQ and I must say it was fantastic. I don't remember a lot about it apart from when I was smoking it I loved it. I will have to get another for review. A lot of my Stateside BOTL swear by Padron and they are not wrong. The 6000 I am told is an average Cigar in the Padron line. I cant wait to try the better ones<br />
<br />
Whatever about not remember the Padron, there was no hope for the Monte Petite Edmundo I had a few hours later. I recall smoking it, I recall enjoying it, I recall wanting more. That is the great thing about the Petite Edmundo ( a personal favourite of mine) I know they are going to be great. You can smoke them at any time and not have to fuss over it. It looks great, burn is fantastic and the taste is splendid.<br />
<br />
The Mrs and I stayed in the Brynes that night and I awoke the next morning with a very groggy head. I remember Mr.B saying he would cook breakfast and true to his style there was a breakfast roll waiting for me when I went down stairs. At least he drove to the shop I suppose!!<br />
<br />
Not long after, the Mrs and I got the bus back into town. We reached the apt and didn't move for the rest of the day. We watched the closing ceremony of the Olympics and that was about it<br />
<br />
So on to a new week and the countdown really begins. In typical male fashion I am getting the bits and pieces I need for the holiday together last minute. I went clothes shopping yesterday, not my idea of fun, and managed to get a few bits. I still need more items but I will get them tomorrow. Last minute indeed!!<br />
<br />
I have not had a Cigar this week but I may put that to rights this evening. The Mrs is finished work in a few hours and the the holidays officially begins.<br />
<br />
My next post will be when I return for Cuba. If you don't hear from me look out for me on the news. Hollywood is convinced I will start some sort of coup d'état or revolution when I am over there.<br />
<br />
Lets hope he is right!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPmFUJ30CO20-LpFdAIV0JPYeW1Vm4pRrlNkMLXBg-OgnOBhxEWFpVGfF6BSxloOpr_cy1vYUhOJzRGM0acQqTMhgSusmPClzGfIzdLMoBWliB-5O3xiG-u22p-KoP3eiTHskNn-2lk0/s1600/IMG_1890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPmFUJ30CO20-LpFdAIV0JPYeW1Vm4pRrlNkMLXBg-OgnOBhxEWFpVGfF6BSxloOpr_cy1vYUhOJzRGM0acQqTMhgSusmPClzGfIzdLMoBWliB-5O3xiG-u22p-KoP3eiTHskNn-2lk0/s320/IMG_1890.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AVO Classic Robusto</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLdJrqCucd_qCH2UOF3dKe2SniJlActlagGE1X38ljF46fTW1wzOg2GxlAx1vmNOtRc_J4qFlAuh6rxd0zOIifqDsDbztLII4bhdAaCF4dC2SMwgzT2zBda1E5oSPXo2JkaM6hyphenhyphengnxKM/s1600/IMG_1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLdJrqCucd_qCH2UOF3dKe2SniJlActlagGE1X38ljF46fTW1wzOg2GxlAx1vmNOtRc_J4qFlAuh6rxd0zOIifqDsDbztLII4bhdAaCF4dC2SMwgzT2zBda1E5oSPXo2JkaM6hyphenhyphengnxKM/s320/IMG_1901.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montecristo No. 4</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-WiuTLS9ea5-NowOJuflbsLfNaFyZyknOpQGlkvMKWFSyZGJvZV5ThqR6Ph0YnjfWAhAGo6ipUovA24DWv1gdpannrz5mKtohdaIULZwTjQf3084GH0viezKEEgXMGkBr9vF_x9IJfc/s1600/IMG_1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-WiuTLS9ea5-NowOJuflbsLfNaFyZyknOpQGlkvMKWFSyZGJvZV5ThqR6Ph0YnjfWAhAGo6ipUovA24DWv1gdpannrz5mKtohdaIULZwTjQf3084GH0viezKEEgXMGkBr9vF_x9IJfc/s320/IMG_1909.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padron 6000</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWZD-c7RiUrsJkP5ezYIglt_eAahU-vCgaHshpi5bjKg1CK19flPstan7YxqQPC7b0jmoBGT1ygetEJQl29csGu0Zh4AErfGMk0L3m7joECGa_SiqDa1lkzUiG2t7v-CPwHWgcmb3r6Q/s1600/IMG_1912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWZD-c7RiUrsJkP5ezYIglt_eAahU-vCgaHshpi5bjKg1CK19flPstan7YxqQPC7b0jmoBGT1ygetEJQl29csGu0Zh4AErfGMk0L3m7joECGa_SiqDa1lkzUiG2t7v-CPwHWgcmb3r6Q/s320/IMG_1912.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montecristo Petite Edmundo</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-55950932650254036132012-08-07T08:40:00.001-07:002012-08-07T08:40:53.264-07:00The Good, The Bad and the Ugly....Black EyeIt has been over two weeks since my last update and too be honest. Not much has happened. Sorry!!<br />
<br />
As you may or may not know, I am in the process of trying to get fit. I have joined a football (Soccer) team<br />
as a motivational tool and too be honest, Its killing me!!<br />
<br />
Anyone following me on <a href="https://twitter.com/CigarDoorman">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CigarLovinDoorman">Facebook</a> (If not, why not?) will know that after one of my training sessions last week I returned home with the first black eye of my adult life. After 13 years of working as a doorman in Dublin City Center, it took an elbow to the cheek on a football pitch to inflict the damage.<br />
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That night, feeling bad ass, I decided to watch the first movie of the "Dollars Trilogy". I always maintained, and still do, that nobody on this earth looks as cool as Clint Eastwood when chewing on a Cigar.<br />
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The following night and while watching the second movie of the trilogy I decided I would smoke a CAO Brazilia Gol!<br />
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The previous, and first ever, CAO that I smoked was the Italia Ciao! It was just an OK Cigar and I am wary of Cigars that blend tobacco from various countries. In my opinion, the best cigar will be a 100% Puro. When the wrapper, binder and filler are all coming from the same country you can rarely go wrong.<br />
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The Brazilia Gol! surprised me. Nicaraguan binder and filler with a dark Brazilian maduro type wrapper. I must say I enjoyed it and smoked it down as far as I could.<br />
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The following day brought me back to football. A bit of advice. Running around for two hours is a lot harder when you spend over an hour sucking in smoke the night before. I returned home that evening to the great news that I had won <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buttheads-Tobacco-Emporium-Danbury/261998933810224">Buttheads</a> "Fan of the Week". One life ambition achieved!!<br />
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Off course, the Dollars Trilogy was finished off that night with almost three hours of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. It kind of sums up the path of my football career.<br />
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Next up for cigars that week was the Grafton Reserve Flying Pig. This Cigar is custom made, in Cuba, for the <a href="http://www.decent-cigar.com/">Decent Cigar Emporium</a> in Dublin. The Flying Pig is just the nickname given to the Cigar due to its shape.<br />
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The GR Flying Pig is a great cigar, however I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. I have mentioned in previous posts my views on enjoying cigars. The mood you are in, surroundings, drink pairing etc.. The night I smoked this cigar I was tired, sore and hungry. Not the ideal time to smoke a cigar so I will give the GR Flying Pig another chance.<br />
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By that stage of the week it was back to work for me. I missed the opening ceremony for the Olympics and was gutted as I heard it was great. Saturday and Sunday I crammed in as much Olympic action as I could before heading to work.<br />
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It was a typical July weekend in Dublin weather wise and as I stood under my umbrella, mini streams rushing past my shoes, I was counting down the days to Cuba.<br />
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After football (again) on Monday, I awoke Tuesday to find that my Cigars from Buttheads had arrived. A 5-pack AVO Robusto Sampler. I was delighted.<br />
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That evening I realised that I had been neglecting Twitter. I logged on to see that <a href="https://twitter.com/Cigar_G">@Cigar_G</a> was aiming for 1000 followers. Once he reached this landmark he was going to give away a BOX of cigars. I thought it was my duty to help a brother along. Many hours and clogged timelines later he was there.<br />
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The next day brought with it the 1st fixture for my new team. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SWSCFC">SWSC FC</a> I went to the game, I played the match, I came home. That is all the details I am willing to divulge. Suffice to say we have a long way to go!!<br />
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I had a Partagas Series P No.2 the following night to cheer myself up. This is quickly becoming my go-to Cigar. Nothing to say about it other than it was fantastic as always.<br />
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The rest of the week involved more Hard work, Gym work and Door work. Nothing exciting to report.<br />
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Sunday I watch Donegal beat Kerry in the GAA Quarter Finals. They face a tough match against Cork in the Semis. If they win they will more than likely face Dublin in the Final. A repeat of the 1992 final, 20 years ago, when Donegal last won the All-Ireland and brought the Sam Maguire Trophy home!!<br />
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Here is hoping!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdZQC-Y9ou8vnaH233Gm9067btTzd2LVDFMmsoUM1WaVeH5Ma_ambp_hurAp1ohsqPuwO5hkzc3K24jgFyDu-Po8ATVn2ag1SXLmMniVUnjACG_12v1rNE_THZ2JTc61-4MfsJ2iKS5o/s1600/IMG_1853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdZQC-Y9ou8vnaH233Gm9067btTzd2LVDFMmsoUM1WaVeH5Ma_ambp_hurAp1ohsqPuwO5hkzc3K24jgFyDu-Po8ATVn2ag1SXLmMniVUnjACG_12v1rNE_THZ2JTc61-4MfsJ2iKS5o/s320/IMG_1853.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-BBoI2dJzyBDgfzYgMpEEA5YHoA4_RUQyrkFg_XqO4lhD-P7HeCbdEbHdLZAKJigYsaxKZH7KTMaICtlJkaSk1bif37tjTiw-GYJsOnvtepdoJN3huCW731ZDP2IkEafkkx65u7to88/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-BBoI2dJzyBDgfzYgMpEEA5YHoA4_RUQyrkFg_XqO4lhD-P7HeCbdEbHdLZAKJigYsaxKZH7KTMaICtlJkaSk1bif37tjTiw-GYJsOnvtepdoJN3huCW731ZDP2IkEafkkx65u7to88/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clint and his Cigar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw3i-9gDVDt9r_ODbei2_fVVpq_QgGUsiBbyiNJ7PRiBnSpVhlOOvcvcq4RniNKAjwfaK1GMrVBqaoUpMV9fo4DQejRSD_Lu8TF6v7H-MnyDghqCvv7O3lQEDGtOSEp3wgxzL7XmmKbA/s1600/IMG_1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw3i-9gDVDt9r_ODbei2_fVVpq_QgGUsiBbyiNJ7PRiBnSpVhlOOvcvcq4RniNKAjwfaK1GMrVBqaoUpMV9fo4DQejRSD_Lu8TF6v7H-MnyDghqCvv7O3lQEDGtOSEp3wgxzL7XmmKbA/s320/IMG_1855.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CAO Brazilia Gol!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlZ2dv0Sdj4yx4ag0On1NPcR2PZIzagN6rI7ozMveJELQSq-hsoyYFoG8QbsGUb4c2qduzGfWSklFzVy417l0tWu6mmARnVf4ybc3drhGYafKy1B2Fl5EiJ4iwwNROmT72MjKX_NcRHA/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlZ2dv0Sdj4yx4ag0On1NPcR2PZIzagN6rI7ozMveJELQSq-hsoyYFoG8QbsGUb4c2qduzGfWSklFzVy417l0tWu6mmARnVf4ybc3drhGYafKy1B2Fl5EiJ4iwwNROmT72MjKX_NcRHA/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AVO Sampler Pack from Buttheads</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJvNlCs37N2nXLw5NBmkXdrO9qktJmNo9BzBhkYMvUgdAB4tmyt32FA5YBraIg-7caZNIxmaFDNaSuijQCpL3IvU7AM3m4EftCjzzLXIhonweuQXNYtSzlcnC8qYcphNgVprmUroG54k/s1600/Grafton+Flying+Pig.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJvNlCs37N2nXLw5NBmkXdrO9qktJmNo9BzBhkYMvUgdAB4tmyt32FA5YBraIg-7caZNIxmaFDNaSuijQCpL3IvU7AM3m4EftCjzzLXIhonweuQXNYtSzlcnC8qYcphNgVprmUroG54k/s320/Grafton+Flying+Pig.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grafton Reserve Flying Pig</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz47veDJx8Ko-Ulb-60oaz0msJcWRuYkE__zbqpDSemgXZp48t42sY1KJYnO0EHV-o5KMQ1DkGvp0UgWkoTnuQ3sdK09U6sOolrbJWFHuajQ2ON72cyDE8yhRAFzW2HW_QAnEw39oZI_0/s1600/AzVMXgTCAAAncNd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz47veDJx8Ko-Ulb-60oaz0msJcWRuYkE__zbqpDSemgXZp48t42sY1KJYnO0EHV-o5KMQ1DkGvp0UgWkoTnuQ3sdK09U6sOolrbJWFHuajQ2ON72cyDE8yhRAFzW2HW_QAnEw39oZI_0/s320/AzVMXgTCAAAncNd.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partagas P2</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWzFoaSGZNoUl6aatZAen-3cy488Jjh0Ce7H_Fw2U7_k0iyVstllorzaRRIq4GNeiZfDFypNQOH1OZZPMaYXUJVvasZry5M23V8M-vFUEMlVg30p6wLXIt-ryptT2Tx4VBr75icvNoso/s1600/061805-460x287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWzFoaSGZNoUl6aatZAen-3cy488Jjh0Ce7H_Fw2U7_k0iyVstllorzaRRIq4GNeiZfDFypNQOH1OZZPMaYXUJVvasZry5M23V8M-vFUEMlVg30p6wLXIt-ryptT2Tx4VBr75icvNoso/s320/061805-460x287.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donegal 1992 Team - All Ireland Champions</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-43991206915670315652012-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:002012-07-22T10:45:10.198-07:00Pt.2 of 2: Birthdays, Nenagh and No Cigars!Monday morning I awoke a little bit groggy. It was the Mrs' ACTUAL birthday and we were going down the country to spend a few days with her niece. The In-Laws were also spending Monday night with us so we all pilled in the van and made our way. Destination : Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.<br />
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If you were to believe the song, Its a Long Way To Tipperary. Its not really!! With new motorways and dual-carriageways, the journey is a little over two hours.<br />
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Before leaving Dublin, we stopped at a garage for petrol and a hot deli counter breakfast. Deli counters in Ireland differs from the rest of the world. You mention a Deli to someone from the USofA and they picture an array of fresh meats, salads, various breads and wraps. In Ireland we have overcooked food sitting under hot lights to the point of cremation.<br />
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That said, there is no better sight first thing in the morning than a greasy breakfast roll. Unfortunately I was out of luck. What I did see was two Ham & Cheese Jambons with my name on them, so I thought. The idea of sinking my hungover head into the overcooked pastry, processed cheese and the odd hint of a bacon lardon had me salivating. That though was ripped from me as the woman in front of me ordered the last two. I almost cried.<br />
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Back on the road, without my Jambons, it didn't take long before we arrived in Nenagh and pulled into the <a href="http://www.abbeycourt.ie/">Abbey Court Hotel</a>. We checked in, paid for the room and dropped our bags off. The Hotel had a leisure center and we decided to check it out straight away.<br />
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An average pool, with no deep end I may add, didn't instill much excitement, however in a separate area at the end of the pool I spotted what I though was a very large Jacuzzi. What it turned out to be was much better, a Hydro-massage pool. I spent a good half hour or more having jets of water massage the tired parts of my body. A small spell in the sauna and steam room and I was as good as new.<br />
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Hangover gone, it was time to eat. We strolled through the vast metropolis that is Nenagh town and decided to head into the <a href="http://www.hibernianinn.com/">Hibernian</a> bar for some pub grub. The food was OK and with full bellies we headed to Louise bar. A few pints and a few games of pool we stumbled back to the hotel with happy heads on us!!<br />
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A trip to the leisure center again on Tuesday morning ensured no onset of another hangover. We had a busy day ahead of us entertaining a seven year old girl and a clear head was needed.<br />
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First item on the agenda was a trip to Nenagh Castle. Not much of the Castle is left and the attraction is a renovated Round Tower. We duly climbed to the top, took pictures, and scaled our way back down the narrow steps.<br />
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With our excitement in check, our next stop was <a href="http://www.jumpngyms.ie/">Jump 'n' Gyms</a>. An indoor assault course type thing with slides and tunnels and all that stuff. The Mrs and her niece were in there element. Shoes off, socks on, they ran towards the big blue slide, crawled through the tunnels, navigated through rollers and poles, jumped around on the bouncy castle and danced in the disco room. I, on the other hand, found a massage chair, popped in my euro and sat back!!<br />
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After Jump 'n' Gyms the In-Laws had to make there way back to Dublin. We said our goodbyes and they left us to fend for ourselves. At that point sun was shining and I found the perfect spot for a cigar in the lovely gardens of the hotel. My plans were scuppered when I was informed that we were going back into the town to do a bit of shopping.<br />
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Many hours later, exhausted and hungry we were back in the hotel. We decided to go into the hotel restaurant for dinner. We had a fantastic meal. My order of Pork Buns to start, Spicy Cajun Crab and Corn Cakes for main and Hazelnut Sticky Toffee Pavlova for dessert was delicious. The fantastic meal could only be topped of with the Partagas Series P No.2 that I grabbed on the way out to the hotel gardens.<br />
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I got as far as the front door. The blanket of rain that greeted me scuppered all hopes. Another day, another cigar free evening. I wasn't happy. We went back to the room for the evening. The two girls spent their time applying transfer tattoos while I read a book. A relaxing evening but not what I had planned.<br />
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Wednesday morning I had a lie in while the girls went to the pool. We checked out of our room for 12pm. Stored our bags behind reception and hit Nenagh Town again. We decided to check out the <a href="http://www.tipperarynorth.ie/heritagemuseum/">Heritage Center</a> which was housed in an old County Gaol (Jail) Governors house. After watching a far too long introduction video, we were left to peruse the house at our own ease. They have recreated an old Irish school room, Pub/shop, Dairy and kitchen. The latter two were closed for renovations so the Governors house was short lived.<br />
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The best part of the center was the old Gatehouse. This was where prisoners were placed before they were publicly hung. You have to ask for a member of staff to take you there as it is not open permanently. A pleasant woman walked us around the gatehouse, informing us of the history. We got too see the jail cells where the prisoners would spend there last nights. We also saw where the prisoners were hung. What was surprising was the location of the hanging was right on the main street of Nenagh. It made me wonder how many people who walk past that spot on a daily basis actually realise that seventeen men's dead bodies swung lifelessly in the spot where they passed. <br />
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We had an average carvery lunch when we returned to the hotel. We dropped the niece back to her mother and the Mrs and I made our way to the bus. A short while later we were back in Dublin.<br />
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Suffering from Cigar withdrawals, that night I sparked up a CAO Italia Ciao. This was the first CAO cigar I have smoked. It was part of a sampler pack sent to me from <a href="https://twitter.com/Cigar_G">@Cigar_G</a>. I enjoyed it very much but i think it would have befitted from more of a rest in my humidor<br />
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We went to <a href="http://alfies/">Alfies</a> for lunch on Thursday to finish off our mini holiday. Alfies never disappoints for a tasty, economical lunch. That evening it was back to business for me. I had to attend a meeting with the football league. Our new team South William St Celtic FC has been accepted into division 2B. Higher than we expected, we will have to step up the training!!<br />
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Fri/Sat and it was back to work. Nondescript as always which is a good thing when you work in security!!<br />
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Sunday now and I have watched the Donegal GAA team make history by wining back to back Ulster Championships. Blog update is almost finished so it time for dinner and later on a Cigar.<br />
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Its been a tough week. I deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOWwSZYouPud0m8WIdtNrJOwCiozd9SPReRnMSGqrmhXh_BTbkxWUXwDoEVWjfjcNOqQz-QMwGK90iv_f3Cu0dQX3QXYntd4qo4_Be0nxhtTbi5kQDUpTqnNLv5otS-tPpUniAGDNHmI/s1600/SAM_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOWwSZYouPud0m8WIdtNrJOwCiozd9SPReRnMSGqrmhXh_BTbkxWUXwDoEVWjfjcNOqQz-QMwGK90iv_f3Cu0dQX3QXYntd4qo4_Be0nxhtTbi5kQDUpTqnNLv5otS-tPpUniAGDNHmI/s320/SAM_0450.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nenagh Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBKgh32_HIpnRECG5_nkWd8eNBUNTCo1gwswQAt4Zspj4D3JUVIP4ox6HZGY0MjMkr07Oa9jhL_0V9bACyjnv-W7Zv9iz4pr7pgqiPf8EGNaa1E6VAA1eFh_mP7g93nne2-QURaQ3qjs/s1600/SAM_0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBKgh32_HIpnRECG5_nkWd8eNBUNTCo1gwswQAt4Zspj4D3JUVIP4ox6HZGY0MjMkr07Oa9jhL_0V9bACyjnv-W7Zv9iz4pr7pgqiPf8EGNaa1E6VAA1eFh_mP7g93nne2-QURaQ3qjs/s320/SAM_0484.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jump n Gyms - Blue Slide</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy58KJEbGJTNUyw9BlrFe4m3vFa-NqPeJDPsKsqeo4hBC4iZynCNvRWIEov99iKDqv3q5vEmvTsCc9MsHk7ys-35Yyp1fXIm4O7GYkPYb2fhKEuni5q9D3VhmuvJKywXtKcCOWtU_JPA/s1600/IMG_1814+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVy58KJEbGJTNUyw9BlrFe4m3vFa-NqPeJDPsKsqeo4hBC4iZynCNvRWIEov99iKDqv3q5vEmvTsCc9MsHk7ys-35Yyp1fXIm4O7GYkPYb2fhKEuni5q9D3VhmuvJKywXtKcCOWtU_JPA/s320/IMG_1814+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nenagh's Bouncy Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MeWTkbhBntJi4vc46t0Y43BKadRDmNwymLKIwE3eM9j_Yatu89UrYb64Ju5Bv2OntwaYI_3apsbOnuhkKp2kTdyUi-X-EktDGGrsrZ6XZ2bH14qAn1iRDYkB00pHjsaC3K27R7s0ex8/s1600/SAM_0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MeWTkbhBntJi4vc46t0Y43BKadRDmNwymLKIwE3eM9j_Yatu89UrYb64Ju5Bv2OntwaYI_3apsbOnuhkKp2kTdyUi-X-EktDGGrsrZ6XZ2bH14qAn1iRDYkB00pHjsaC3K27R7s0ex8/s320/SAM_0535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Irish Classroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpWovHyhSIJ5G2u-HfiZ4es38ZIljaWaZ2Tv5K_S5bluolLek6TACh2v5ycY46AJzjmkFY-irqnmTB4YPUcCmdB-b4sOpQd3NH2h5HxNMPMBt33Wp0M1HA8ITdNeBlGLO_sV797GIoLs/s1600/SAM_0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpWovHyhSIJ5G2u-HfiZ4es38ZIljaWaZ2Tv5K_S5bluolLek6TACh2v5ycY46AJzjmkFY-irqnmTB4YPUcCmdB-b4sOpQd3NH2h5HxNMPMBt33Wp0M1HA8ITdNeBlGLO_sV797GIoLs/s320/SAM_0542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Irish Shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSNy1KxQ2ZBGIX_H-6dlIWu-mjBsAYL9aUm8CDELuACemGpl0tz9HkDBVEk3okyNwQjde1Xrt_2Gq2YVm9aNA0zsSc4kPshBZGo3MGK0dsJdQz0m_gkvivjXtY-17o9euz_8V8S42r1Q/s1600/SAM_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSNy1KxQ2ZBGIX_H-6dlIWu-mjBsAYL9aUm8CDELuACemGpl0tz9HkDBVEk3okyNwQjde1Xrt_2Gq2YVm9aNA0zsSc4kPshBZGo3MGK0dsJdQz0m_gkvivjXtY-17o9euz_8V8S42r1Q/s320/SAM_0543.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Irish Bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWn8D6b041y-xguDQ_68cN2Wye_oXW_L_bhxKfG8QzLt6894lMWWWh_UtTGBXozrc08x3csQ6AgQVxc41lf-oMctFpcGFLN6sBiHNEK3f6aXFhslqc-amcuesE27y5As6SBPmK1frk9K0/s1600/IMG_1806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWn8D6b041y-xguDQ_68cN2Wye_oXW_L_bhxKfG8QzLt6894lMWWWh_UtTGBXozrc08x3csQ6AgQVxc41lf-oMctFpcGFLN6sBiHNEK3f6aXFhslqc-amcuesE27y5As6SBPmK1frk9K0/s320/IMG_1806.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bench that I never got to use</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FxV5nBBw0u1LxyeP52q7639huRPRXGvmE5cMDD8Y9lHfa8e-wZkEzO-6DmeaJHVx9_m4X9d8xDV-appBawoGi_FcKX7KE9By99okUGNFCZrfDeDxK8O0LCVCPGGaAKvZnV1nA6zv3jw/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FxV5nBBw0u1LxyeP52q7639huRPRXGvmE5cMDD8Y9lHfa8e-wZkEzO-6DmeaJHVx9_m4X9d8xDV-appBawoGi_FcKX7KE9By99okUGNFCZrfDeDxK8O0LCVCPGGaAKvZnV1nA6zv3jw/s320/IMG_1819.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CAO Italia Ciao</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ2tmOAPrFZ42yJ7IcGVFgYQ8C_HgbxhiAlfFzFUGG8MFNLGrBLG__M-lvYjbW_QjvDXnOASzzOkwcmy9fA6BTm4gx2-VeC3bUFT-kfAfyHVUqlMQ4Oo0_kv8Y8fGFkKEdDhXP0YF0Qo/s1600/IMG_1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ2tmOAPrFZ42yJ7IcGVFgYQ8C_HgbxhiAlfFzFUGG8MFNLGrBLG__M-lvYjbW_QjvDXnOASzzOkwcmy9fA6BTm4gx2-VeC3bUFT-kfAfyHVUqlMQ4Oo0_kv8Y8fGFkKEdDhXP0YF0Qo/s320/IMG_1824.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The End</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jD6udIf9T18YTRp-_pVq1Gh1NHQVspyI2glD6jO5vky1FpUrpIdgu0X1fMPQJjlG2Rt9xUvkgga6B7qRlN-qgIDTa8nXAPGpc7jf3q3RznLY1VF1XFOjpFt7EvQiTekX-q2JkVwFOsY/s1600/IMG_1835+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jD6udIf9T18YTRp-_pVq1Gh1NHQVspyI2glD6jO5vky1FpUrpIdgu0X1fMPQJjlG2Rt9xUvkgga6B7qRlN-qgIDTa8nXAPGpc7jf3q3RznLY1VF1XFOjpFt7EvQiTekX-q2JkVwFOsY/s320/IMG_1835+%25282%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuba Libra's at Alfies</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-76114932929606371552012-07-19T14:59:00.000-07:002012-07-19T14:59:58.683-07:00Pt.1 of 2: Birthdays, Afternoon Tea and Cigars!<div>
John F. Kennedy once told a story about the great French Marshal Lyautey. The Marshal asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener complained that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshal replied ;</div>
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"In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon!"</div>
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Time is a funny thing. The quotes are endless. "Time flies when you're having fun", "Time is a great healer", "One step at a time" etc...</div>
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The last week can be summed up with the following quote by Melanie Benjamin ; </div>
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"What very mysterious things days were. Sometimes they fly by, and other times they seem to last forever, yet they are all exactly twenty-four hours. There's quiet a lot we don't know about them."</div>
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There are two reasons I talk about time. The first is a failed business plan, the second, and more important (so I have been told... continually) it was the Mrs birth(day/week/month!!)</div>
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I have several meetings over the past couple of months in regards to a business venture I had hoped and planned for. Unfortunately it wasn't to be so. I spent the weekend in work mulling it over but there was no way around it. The plans had to be scrapped. It was a long weekend.</div>
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The following five days have flown past. Time Eh..!! </div>
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Sunday, I was told, was the Mrs birthday EVE!! It was an opportunity to take my mind of things as we walked towards the Westbury Hotel where I would surprise her with Afternoon Tea. It wasn't the at the top of my list of things to do in my life but I was pleasantly surprised.</div>
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Sitting in the salubrious surroundings of the hotel (they gave us a window seat) we were served on by a pleasant waitress who was all to eager to please. We ordered two Champagne Afternoon Tea's. The Moet Rose arrived and shortly after the Tea Stand arrived. I looked at the various finger sandwiches, scones and french pastries and the thought of where we were going to get dinner passed through my mind.</div>
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Thirty minutes later, only half of the stand was conquered and I was struggling. The food was fantastic and surprisingly filling. A habit of the Irish is to scoff all the food in front of them as quick as possible. Possibly stems from the famine days!! The Mrs and I sat back for a while, took in our surroundings and enjoyed the following hour or so it took to polish off the rest of the food.</div>
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We stumbled out of the hotel in a food Coma and across to No Name Bar where we met up with Hollywood and BicBic aka Mr.Heineken (He also was celebrating his Bday) We had a couple of drinks there while I enjoyed a Cohiba Behike 52. </div>
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I had bought the B52 in January and it has sat in my humidor since. I had read and heard a lot about the 52. It was voted Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Year. I had been saving it for a proper occasion and Sunday was the day. All I can say is don't believe they Hype.</div>
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Don't get me wrong. It is a fantastic Cigar. I enjoyed every puff and I will probably buy another to have alone and contemplate the flavours. My gripe was that I would have to do that in the first place. I have smoked various cigars in company that have not needed that concentration. The Vegas Robaina Unicos that I had later that night was a perfect example.</div>
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We left No Name Bar and crossed the road into the Market Bar. I have previously posted about the new smoking area in this bar. Probably the best in Dublin apart from one small problem. They never open it. We didn't stay long.</div>
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A quick change of clothes for the Mrs and we were on our way to Harrys Bar. It was a nice evening so we all decided to sit outside. I enjoyed the aforementioned Vegas Robaina Unicos while enjoying a Whiskey Sour.</div>
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I love the VR Unicos. It has never let me down. It seems to take on the personality of what you are drinking. The last one I enjoyed was with a nice Cuba Libra and I was treated to a nice sweet, sugar cane flavour. This time I was treated to a nice smokey woodiness. The sugar was still there but not as prominent. I will certainly pick up a box when I am in Cuba.</div>
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More than thirty to forty people ended up sitting outside Harrys Bar for the joint Bday celebration, drinking pints, shorts, shots and cocktails. On a Sunday night as well. The Market Bars loss. </div>
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The Group split after Harrys. The more drunken bunch decided Copper Face Jacks was the place to be. The others, led by myself, opted for the Grafton Lounge. After all, it where all the cool kids hang out!!</div>
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The GL threw up a few faces I had not seen in a while. It is also where we met and joined the Fitzpatricks. A quick few drinks there and we were off to Lillies. Its not every day I get to hang with Pop Stars and Sunday was another such day. Apparently we were in the VIP but apart from one velvet rope and a member of security who didn't know Bono from a No-No, nothing separated the area we were in from the rest of the club. </div>
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We still enjoyed ourselves. No matter what the surroundings, it is the company you are with that makes the night. Later on there was talks of house parties and all night session but we declined. Monday was the Mrs official birthDAY and we had an early start. </div>
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We were on a mini break to Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. More about that in the next post!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAlQNV1iNlYwkB_4z9R0YE9XvkpFfgPQzez13LxzzRKw0AZJStzDe9ccaGoW5nICSaoHZ3k_H0bCrsozbakyjV2Os81X27Ra2XqKsteQF1e21cEJXyrf9YSPchoY8KFQYceUVe5OWUow/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAlQNV1iNlYwkB_4z9R0YE9XvkpFfgPQzez13LxzzRKw0AZJStzDe9ccaGoW5nICSaoHZ3k_H0bCrsozbakyjV2Os81X27Ra2XqKsteQF1e21cEJXyrf9YSPchoY8KFQYceUVe5OWUow/s320/IMG_1772.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mrs and her Moet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnPknA-e-p51gowhJ3p3af5i3H5tSV0RBPGljNW63E7E63QKtVvhG861jNNnBHC8elJ7kcj90g0CV_O_BULjVEbkOMIkTfid4DVXHEx2lakt9NQzreXs940MokrFle1WWCPYcnHPL9PI/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnPknA-e-p51gowhJ3p3af5i3H5tSV0RBPGljNW63E7E63QKtVvhG861jNNnBHC8elJ7kcj90g0CV_O_BULjVEbkOMIkTfid4DVXHEx2lakt9NQzreXs940MokrFle1WWCPYcnHPL9PI/s320/IMG_1778.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon Tea - Surprisingly Filling </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cohiba Behike 52</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJqUJwY3qv0iHnu9WwrN68g3nxy7rMF1qkXTCFMbotzAoxRzwe7Wp509K7ATaJ-3PeJJe48apXCUUiEG3fI4lwrkf7cLMDpCt95ecfU9pZUA-MI31nFqG_ydtMuU_ruFBmpfrgq8h8D4/s1600/IMG_1829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJqUJwY3qv0iHnu9WwrN68g3nxy7rMF1qkXTCFMbotzAoxRzwe7Wp509K7ATaJ-3PeJJe48apXCUUiEG3fI4lwrkf7cLMDpCt95ecfU9pZUA-MI31nFqG_ydtMuU_ruFBmpfrgq8h8D4/s320/IMG_1829.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B52 - The End</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuSecVSlKxgzDHC6qdBO9LG_t0SjmfOr8qHbkBnkiESH2TXNWakbqnKco1dtYRe_Wu3SJqhcAcklWEK2_JRMmWgJUbMKj-PlzKqB346RIDEsc9L8ph_6ObzM3LcGEH_Q8aXIXB6BPkFM/s1600/IMG_1794+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuSecVSlKxgzDHC6qdBO9LG_t0SjmfOr8qHbkBnkiESH2TXNWakbqnKco1dtYRe_Wu3SJqhcAcklWEK2_JRMmWgJUbMKj-PlzKqB346RIDEsc9L8ph_6ObzM3LcGEH_Q8aXIXB6BPkFM/s320/IMG_1794+%25282%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegas Robaina Unicos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvFJM8mp8s3R6IOVdpoQtZt09satUXaEa2Im1iOyRjwSc1TdU7GyPVWTewUWR7_YIt_IKy4K3loWK_m1aSKixR9nOYU80lyCoSDg0ESBDvyHk9Q5U7H5ReHMfDV4gBu1yCDI3CtWvaog/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvFJM8mp8s3R6IOVdpoQtZt09satUXaEa2Im1iOyRjwSc1TdU7GyPVWTewUWR7_YIt_IKy4K3loWK_m1aSKixR9nOYU80lyCoSDg0ESBDvyHk9Q5U7H5ReHMfDV4gBu1yCDI3CtWvaog/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VR Unicos - The End</td></tr>
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<br /></div>CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-1889920095926445792012-07-11T06:26:00.000-07:002012-07-11T07:44:58.904-07:00Jesus Higgs BosonI would like to start off this post by thanking you all for reading my ramblings and getting me up too and past 2000 hits. It is much appreciated and hopefully it continues<br />
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There is also a special mention for what is probably the worlds greatest breakthrough in my lifetime to date. Katie saw sense and dumped Tom Cruise (sorry Hollywood aka The doorman formally known as Diamond Dave)<br />
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Seriously though, The Higgs Boson (the God particle) was 97% confirmed this week. That means we are only 3% away from finding out the meaning of life!! I thought Monty Python already covered that!! So for all the practical people out there this is an amazing breakthrough in modern science. As for all the religious people out there, don't worry, God made it anyway!! (Please pick appropriate God)<br />
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I last left off smoking the Arturo Fuentes Hemingway Work of Art. It was a great little cigar and very much surprised me. The Hemingway line of A. Fuente cigars are all figarodos and there is a great selection. Luckily the <a href="http://www.decent-cigar.com/">Decent Cigar Emporium</a> has recently got almost the full range in stock so I will hopefully pick up some more before they are all gone!<br />
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The WOA was to be my last cigar of the week.<br />
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I have dusted off the old football (soccer for the US readers) boots and come out of retirement!! A friend of mine has recently set up a new team called South William St Celtic FC and he needed a reliable center back. I don't think he realised, or me for that fact, how really unfit I am. I briefly touched on this in my last post, however it was all a bit of fun back then.<br />
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After years of floating through life on a day to day basis I now have a schedule!! Football training on Monday and Wednesday. Gym on Tuesday and Thursday. I work Friday, Saturday and every second Sunday. Its tough going at the moment. Every part of my body hurts!!<br />
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That being said I though I deserved a few drinks and a Cigar after work on Sunday. The Mrs and her mother were at the Snow Patrol Concert in Phoenix park so after work I strolled over to the Morgan Bar. There were a few of the staff from work already there. I brought a Trinidad Fundadores for myself and a PDR Seleccion Reserva for Mr.Heineken aka Bic Bic.<br />
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I love the Fundadores and I have never had a bad one. Its a Laguito vitola, a long but thin cigar, not a favorite of many these days when Robustos and other larger ring gauges seem to be in fashion. From the opening to the finish it is fantastic. I was in company and having a few drinks so didn't pay much attention to the cigar (always a good sign for me if I don't need too) however I couldn't help but notice the strong tea leaf flavour that was predominant. I don't drink tea, I actually hate the taste, however it seems to work in a cigar!!<br />
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With the new week I was back to football on Monday and a hard session in the Gym on Tuesday. Tuesday night I decided to smoke another cigar. My humidor is very bare looking these days. From two full humidors, my collection is now depleted to one empty humidor and six sticks in the other. Three of them I am saving and want to enjoy. As for the other three....<br />
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One of them was the Famous VSL Honduras. I don't like to knock Cigars because what I may not like might be another person favourite, however my advice for the aforementioned cigar, If you don't have them, don't try them, If you have them, throw them away. I think having no Cigar would have been better than a bad cigar.<br />
<br />
Lucky for me, I was woke up by the buzzer to the apartment this morning. I though it was my alarm and anyone who knows me will tell you that, for me, alarms don't work. Somehow I came to my senses and jumped out of bed. I made it down to the door just in time to catch the post man driving away. He saw me, stopped, laughed and then handed me a box which I duly signed for.<br />
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To my delight is was a 4 pack CAO sampler sent to me from <a href="https://twitter.com/Cigar_G">@Cigar_G</a> . I have been trying to help him build his Twitter followers and every time he reaches a landmark he gives away free Cigars. I was the first winner. So get following him and the next winner could be you.<br />
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That brings me on nicely to my next topic. Twitter, Facebook and the BOTL (Brother of the Leaf). I have never come across a more generous, genuine, eager to help group of people. We talk about our love of cigars, which is our favourite, new releases etc.. If a BOTL really likes a cigar he wants everyone to share that experience. If you cant pick up that cigar locally or online, more than often he/she will do what they can to send you one. They dont look for anything back, just that you tell your experience of their favourite cigar.<br />
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Cigar Giveaways also seem to be an almost every day occurrence on Twitter. Someone may want to reach a certain amount of followers, other may want you to ReTweet something. If you love cigars and are on Twitter follow me <a href="https://twitter.com/CigarDoorman">@CigarDoorman</a> and I will do all I can introduce you to the generous world of the BOTL.<br />
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As for myself, I will be doing two separate Cigar giveaways very soon. Once my Twitter follows reach 5000 and when my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CigarLovinDoorman">Facebook</a> page gets 200 likes. So get following and liking people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVfefI9_5kjzOz__toLHJlb8Z6kfoUCSUxazeTPtBvqjoZpTjo4YREYwLkUB3XLqyPG1lahnY1Mx6DXR6vz1P0dMb0ZO4bEErFZHv2Rc5UZnbzcFWo_Lko9B3C85mwxlByW_Slk02N98/s1600/IMG_2078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVfefI9_5kjzOz__toLHJlb8Z6kfoUCSUxazeTPtBvqjoZpTjo4YREYwLkUB3XLqyPG1lahnY1Mx6DXR6vz1P0dMb0ZO4bEErFZHv2Rc5UZnbzcFWo_Lko9B3C85mwxlByW_Slk02N98/s320/IMG_2078.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyeNksAPv5U_YPIV1tMLVQBlkuq2m6eSZEC4aT-Osnq_tgICWCWe4xDiXAZ5Lm5sBMszugSn9H9VL-6InEvkowxvNpffNFQpTL6gUd0wqlylC5C0rcaU40zYZSLibr_e0rPse6dM7yOw/s1600/IMG_2085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyeNksAPv5U_YPIV1tMLVQBlkuq2m6eSZEC4aT-Osnq_tgICWCWe4xDiXAZ5Lm5sBMszugSn9H9VL-6InEvkowxvNpffNFQpTL6gUd0wqlylC5C0rcaU40zYZSLibr_e0rPse6dM7yOw/s320/IMG_2085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Ash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuO4z3RWsTN7PzB4Svn9JBwR_rHhGu_JCY3mk4HGOx29UXT-IJaJz3D-wAb8VJsIu48YxyGu0Y7EEVwpYcJzmqFe4cxkfhjB9YnL0K-tQXJIkx0IVt2J51ipePiLDw3dW58PIP7grmxg/s1600/god-particle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuO4z3RWsTN7PzB4Svn9JBwR_rHhGu_JCY3mk4HGOx29UXT-IJaJz3D-wAb8VJsIu48YxyGu0Y7EEVwpYcJzmqFe4cxkfhjB9YnL0K-tQXJIkx0IVt2J51ipePiLDw3dW58PIP7grmxg/s320/god-particle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hUUJGJ1XgK3IPgVBREivGrbKS6hV3dF-Xz0YH5oLkvLUCCLDzWmCPz2WFua8ieKk8Jc0DuQOhk0ZwNaCeycGwPpIlqhYCdNs4dKyrn3UotJuGAgVU4IITY7bMk8Ndqy17YRm1EOUtYU/s1600/spotlight-on-science.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hUUJGJ1XgK3IPgVBREivGrbKS6hV3dF-Xz0YH5oLkvLUCCLDzWmCPz2WFua8ieKk8Jc0DuQOhk0ZwNaCeycGwPpIlqhYCdNs4dKyrn3UotJuGAgVU4IITY7bMk8Ndqy17YRm1EOUtYU/s320/spotlight-on-science.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mxdGd4V7OCJEn4Rth5haDZEbx2oprTaPtoXdk2KNF4-_isuoL_zsXiWfrHDRlbVTRvKIBf4HUo5cI2Uf4ihrYCb6Fek5lc7BaOtq3CtYQUOa5dgZ86Z4hYf8IOvlD98LZq_VtDl8ugc/s1600/IMG_2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mxdGd4V7OCJEn4Rth5haDZEbx2oprTaPtoXdk2KNF4-_isuoL_zsXiWfrHDRlbVTRvKIBf4HUo5cI2Uf4ihrYCb6Fek5lc7BaOtq3CtYQUOa5dgZ86Z4hYf8IOvlD98LZq_VtDl8ugc/s320/IMG_2052.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trinidad Fundadores</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Rcc0robi0giC0xMN9gzB6ONeYjPbk1p6qAaw6iINBIHXY9Zfmq9PREeskE5IyQuvqkAsMau5EwJyyE97I94djMkjxKROtduHEytd1ccHfw-lj1rpCyd0jQcOTuo9fmbWHF3N-KV4chU/s1600/IMG_2090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Rcc0robi0giC0xMN9gzB6ONeYjPbk1p6qAaw6iINBIHXY9Zfmq9PREeskE5IyQuvqkAsMau5EwJyyE97I94djMkjxKROtduHEytd1ccHfw-lj1rpCyd0jQcOTuo9fmbWHF3N-KV4chU/s320/IMG_2090.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastic Cigar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfmQ_LpVGiIjab4pHPNfnMLRqZeo1ePVToAJCmW3hMrxoeYptZz_QmikIw_qRukOyCZAQvU4mj3HG9BaJsdwrZtzIjqwegLiGHrymUqLsYwjvEMLoWW2GLzj2cBIaB3pYwihepn41sVE/s1600/IMG_2092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfmQ_LpVGiIjab4pHPNfnMLRqZeo1ePVToAJCmW3hMrxoeYptZz_QmikIw_qRukOyCZAQvU4mj3HG9BaJsdwrZtzIjqwegLiGHrymUqLsYwjvEMLoWW2GLzj2cBIaB3pYwihepn41sVE/s320/IMG_2092.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Heineken </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu1TE_8PKLQ5DARU-PnxK3onkdy_rOiM4DF_B8ILCOncj1GzZOqk0uuCFpWWkQAbcWkyvpp4pPFCFwOoBGMTOw_d-hyelzwNRT-XG4Qh2q0APfj5iP3U3tHW4KdbBMoz-6v6ZwCh87ns/s1600/IMG_2102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu1TE_8PKLQ5DARU-PnxK3onkdy_rOiM4DF_B8ILCOncj1GzZOqk0uuCFpWWkQAbcWkyvpp4pPFCFwOoBGMTOw_d-hyelzwNRT-XG4Qh2q0APfj5iP3U3tHW4KdbBMoz-6v6ZwCh87ns/s320/IMG_2102.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parcel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP02BsNfngB4uQjRcgiPWa789sOEamyLTehmTkFv-FfLAVDM_IMJ7xo9hYh8hkGdZo4E_gdeqRB2tOyJmLqczqIesbj5IWu078Yam2PKuCJS_V5eaDR6nIwfriTjeZujUvxXV3Nvl6BHc/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP02BsNfngB4uQjRcgiPWa789sOEamyLTehmTkFv-FfLAVDM_IMJ7xo9hYh8hkGdZo4E_gdeqRB2tOyJmLqczqIesbj5IWu078Yam2PKuCJS_V5eaDR6nIwfriTjeZujUvxXV3Nvl6BHc/s320/IMG_2103.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prize!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3foKAfcG7I4z2fDU4ivdXX70n8zxmYXamqu8Uh6w4ybOFttLLijg5qyGNfUXNf32-qDHfIwuqNP_BLipEL3WyoaWWt4hFgFC20zBABKvkU6J8vWTty8tPTEoBBbszlA1YED5x-qitMf0/s1600/IMG_2062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3foKAfcG7I4z2fDU4ivdXX70n8zxmYXamqu8Uh6w4ybOFttLLijg5qyGNfUXNf32-qDHfIwuqNP_BLipEL3WyoaWWt4hFgFC20zBABKvkU6J8vWTty8tPTEoBBbszlA1YED5x-qitMf0/s320/IMG_2062.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars I bought last week</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-51123243189476500452012-07-03T19:22:00.003-07:002012-07-03T19:22:58.787-07:00A Quick UpdateIts been two weeks since my last real update (reviews don't count) and I sit here smoking an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art. The draw is very tight and there is no give in the body of the cigar, extremely hard. What is harder though is remembering what I got up to over the last 14 days!!<br />
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I just clipped another few mills of the cap and now the draw is a lot better. Now for the memory!!<br />
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(Memories may not be in the correct order!!)<br />
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So when I last left off I was looking forward to a online seminar I was due to take part in. I was sent a custom made "5 Wrapper" cigar to smoke while watching the event. Hosted by <a a="" buttheads<="" href="http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/">Buttheads</a> , Jose Blanco from <a "="" href="http://www.joyadenicaragua.com.ni/" target="_blank">Joya de Nicaragua Cigars</a> gave a very educational talk on the effect a wrapper has on the blend. As he talked, I watched and I smoked. I was amazed as we went from one wrapper to another the change in flavours I experienced. The seminar was fun, enjoyable and also very educational. I would like to thank Kevin at Buttheads for sending me the cigar and inviting me to take part.<br />
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From the highs of the seminar, I awoke the next day with a weekend of work ahead of me. There was only one thing thing to do. Go in and get on with it!! I had a healthy distraction over the weekend though. I started a Twitter campaign to get <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Cigar_G" target="_blank">@Cigar_G</a> to 400 followers. G is a BOTL hailing from Canada. He knows his stuff when it comes to Cigars and the man has a sense of humour to boot. We hit our target around 6am GMT and G was kind enough to offer to send me some cigars.<br />
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I awoke tired on Saturday but happy we had reached our goal. My Saturday got better when I received a Tweet saying I had won a sampler pack from Roxor Cigars. Two packs of Free cigars coming my way!! If anyone reading this feels like being generous I will never refuse to try something new (or anything else)!!<br />
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Sunday, I relaxed, ordered Thai food and watched England lose to Italy in the Euros. That night I smoked the Montecristo Grand Edmundo EL 2010. Amazing Cigar. So good I posted a review.<br />
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Monday came with equal amounts of fear and excitement. I was dusting off my football boots and coming out of retirement. I was joining a new football team and thought the intensity wouldn't be high. Boy was I wrong. 2hr session that evening and my lungs were heaving and my legs barely working.<br />
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The next day my legs were not as bad as I feared the would be. They were working at least. I had a full day of meetings around town in relation to my blog, social media and other things cigar related. There were some very exciting proposals put forward and the following few months are looking to be a very exciting time.<br />
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I am very vague on the Cigars I smoked in the past two weeks but I do remember smoking a Primo De Cuba Rothschild on Wednesday.The longer these non-Cubans sit in my humidor the better they are getting<br />
<br />
Thursday saw a return to the door. The weekend went without a bother until late Saturday night.<br />
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>Doorman Rant<<br />
I, along with Hollywood, are very easy going, pleasant doormen. We treat customers with respect and when needs be are firm but very fair. My place of work attracts a mature, nice, well to do crowd, along with a varied mix of tourists. We do not refuse entry to potential customers without a valid reason.<br />
Sometimes, however, a type of person approaches that will never get into our bar. Saturday night a group of those people approached me, were subsequently refused entry, and proceeded to verbally abused me venomously for a good twenty minutes. All they achieved was proving that my initial judgment of them was correct.<br />
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Sometimes its a hard job<br />
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>Rant Over<<br />
<br />
Sunday couldn't come quick enough. The Mrs and I strolled up to the <a href="http://www.decent-cigar.com/" target="_blank">Decent Cigar Emporium</a> where I bought a few cigars. We left there and went to <a href="http://www.thecounterburger.com/" target="_blank">The Counter</a> for a bite to eat before meeting my Aunt and cousins for a quick drink before they hit the Hills of Donegal and Bristol, England respectively. A short but pleasant catch up ended all too soon when everyone had to go their separate ways. I went home and had my first Ramon Allones Specially Selected. My friend over at <a href="http://cigarstories.blogspot.ie/">Cigar Stories</a> swears by them and he didnt put me wrong. Delicious!!<br />
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Monday brought that fear again. Football training and I though the first session was tough!! Afterwards I had to immerse my self in a freezing cold bath for twenty minutes followed by an alternating Hot/Cold shower, after which I massages a load of "Deep Freeze" into my legs.<br />
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Luckily it worked. When I woke up today my legs were not half as bad as I dreaded. A few hours in <a href="http://www.lispopplestudios.com/" target="_blank">Lispopple Studios</a> followed by a bit of shopping and I was home again.<br />
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Now with you all updated and Cigar almost finished (very nice by the way) I am going to sign off. Football again tomorrow night, No pain, no gain and all of that. I have to be fit for the first game of the season in September.<br />
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Until next time, Keep 'em Lit and don't forget to follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/CigarDoorman" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and LIKE my page on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CigarLovinDoorman" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyNree-gvxGxZ4x_wKR6FhFJ46Fo7Zc3h6Ya4SlbRnnHsYvcbQw3pUSNSBNmajK2M9JR1ZsSI-1ko79uVt6IU0qzzx59pDOvPApbRBIBso8pUioxqD_Ycdal9dLvVxEitj344fGZ_nrg/s1600/5+wrappers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyNree-gvxGxZ4x_wKR6FhFJ46Fo7Zc3h6Ya4SlbRnnHsYvcbQw3pUSNSBNmajK2M9JR1ZsSI-1ko79uVt6IU0qzzx59pDOvPApbRBIBso8pUioxqD_Ycdal9dLvVxEitj344fGZ_nrg/s320/5+wrappers.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom Made 5 Wrapper Cigar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyk_LBxNH2RnG7Hkkgd6bvbsQdT8_l83AskbKmbxwwezHzbVGfpse86D0FCsPkFOJW7j5uuZY01EHQCOz-nidANepfmQ7M8wn8-UapoIELKZQs1b_8aoNbyTMSfmpY70ysqJ0xEapeco/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyk_LBxNH2RnG7Hkkgd6bvbsQdT8_l83AskbKmbxwwezHzbVGfpse86D0FCsPkFOJW7j5uuZY01EHQCOz-nidANepfmQ7M8wn8-UapoIELKZQs1b_8aoNbyTMSfmpY70ysqJ0xEapeco/s320/IMG_1977.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monte Grand Edmundo EL 2010</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4uVZemjm66wl6yh-6BOztHwSlBiFpG0wixL2BSf1fnmElduY3yNDm7O7xFIazzZhe7NO1pXXAv-9cQcbafwHUHpxK2uduHT0Hz_UPDH9UduI5KRYyZWO5LT4Erg5ZrONguCtD7r6-PE/s1600/315471_253792274735611_1549444425_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4uVZemjm66wl6yh-6BOztHwSlBiFpG0wixL2BSf1fnmElduY3yNDm7O7xFIazzZhe7NO1pXXAv-9cQcbafwHUHpxK2uduHT0Hz_UPDH9UduI5KRYyZWO5LT4Erg5ZrONguCtD7r6-PE/s320/315471_253792274735611_1549444425_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primo de Cuba Rothschild</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxpJQTjBp4gX-DUVX9Qp8jWUEZpJwrhsX1vbzBBW_wvJq3s3MRz4FFwyKckUAmnA_zCg3YxS7qQ-b8JUZzwDNzlRXSL7xBr3x-f0VZPl26waFeHw33N8YCsKUaNGMJmlRohwR4otmI6w/s1600/547316_250604708387701_111866182_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxpJQTjBp4gX-DUVX9Qp8jWUEZpJwrhsX1vbzBBW_wvJq3s3MRz4FFwyKckUAmnA_zCg3YxS7qQ-b8JUZzwDNzlRXSL7xBr3x-f0VZPl26waFeHw33N8YCsKUaNGMJmlRohwR4otmI6w/s320/547316_250604708387701_111866182_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forgot I smoked this - La Riqueza No.4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P51EnbEmO3qT9FgXk1jGFQlWYlXX1ZC7jrA99EB1XY2r6RqSavcA4hw7_8X7_Kcq8IYUZRSj5B-RT0jLZc7B-zvgW9jJUTvimLz67yqDYVfE7ZK32MXJ4ThRA5sNTOpLVKARn68KUqA/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P51EnbEmO3qT9FgXk1jGFQlWYlXX1ZC7jrA99EB1XY2r6RqSavcA4hw7_8X7_Kcq8IYUZRSj5B-RT0jLZc7B-zvgW9jJUTvimLz67yqDYVfE7ZK32MXJ4ThRA5sNTOpLVKARn68KUqA/s320/IMG_2067.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RASS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNbxaiao-xUpvMW4TOksdJ3QAfLuqd89U41rRLqIUEF4G2F4eAboboQ0E89xmk_K7OEwnd7koRVRdSt1Di6feqjlwj0Q_384d6ed4Cr7NEJeaIjSm62BzYmnlUHPZYTxeztNpB7RmJtA/s1600/553354_10150906850775965_1759169814_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNbxaiao-xUpvMW4TOksdJ3QAfLuqd89U41rRLqIUEF4G2F4eAboboQ0E89xmk_K7OEwnd7koRVRdSt1Di6feqjlwj0Q_384d6ed4Cr7NEJeaIjSm62BzYmnlUHPZYTxeztNpB7RmJtA/s320/553354_10150906850775965_1759169814_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Saviour - Legs recovered in a few hours</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-77760308874308643052012-06-27T11:20:00.001-07:002012-06-27T11:20:32.423-07:00CigarStix.com Reviewed<a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/" target="_blank">CigarStix.com</a> is now live and up and running!!<br />
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I have been following <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/CigarStix" target="_blank">@CigarStix</a> for a while now on twitter and I have been eagerly awaiting the launch of thier new site. They have been promising a site like no other with a varied range of boutique cigars that would suit every smoker.<br />
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Boy have they delivered!!!<br />
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Arriving on the site you are greated by a short video displaying all the cigar brand that can now be purchased through <a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/" target="_blank">Cigar Stix</a>. Click into "<a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/categories/boutique-stix.html" target="_blank">Premium Boutique Stix</a>" on the left and you are greated with an array of brands to chose from.<br />
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Now to be honest, a lot of these brands are alien to me. I have only ever heard of the likes of Sosa and Oliveros. Perusing through the other brands I am wondering why?<br />
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There are Cigars from Blue Mountain which contains the fantastically named El Cartel. A cigar I have ever seen the likes of before and would stare at in wonder ( thinking how do I smoke the bloody thing). There is also Cigars from Don Corazza, including its very tasty looking Torpedo, La Tradicion Cubana which has great figurados like the Great Pyramid FS and Chulo Fs and Silencio Cigars and their Salamones range among much, much more.<br />
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Its not only Cigars though. <a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/" target="_blank">Cigar Stix</a> boasts a wide selection of Cigar Accessories which include Humidors, Cutters and lighters among an assortment of other items to make you happy. You could also buy Cigar Art from Aclaimed Cuban born artist Alberto Godoy.<br />
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When your money is all spent you can still spend hours on this site looking through the Articles of Interest. From Cigar History to Plugged Cigars its all here. Move on to the Cigar Glossary and its a haven of knowledge that is a great reference to the newbie and aficionado alike. <a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/" target="_blank">Cigar Stix</a> also have gone that extra bit to let you know how to set up and care for your humidor.<br />
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So if your a seasoned smoker or you are about to pick up your first stogie, <a href="http://www.cigarstix.com/" target="_blank">Cigar Stix</a> has it all. Reasonable pricing and free shipping until July 4th 2012, you could go to worse places than this site.<br />
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Now to find out the biggest question off all. Do they ship to Ireland???<br />
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-47820803200771400602012-06-25T06:50:00.000-07:002012-06-25T06:50:20.019-07:00Montecristo Grand Edmundo Edicion Limitada 2010In this post I am going to attempt my first proper review. I have just finished the Monte Grand Edmundo EL 2010 and I feel it warrants a post of its own so here we go!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Appearance:</span> </b><br />
A nice dark wrapper. Smooth veins and a few bumps. Nice and oily. Very enticing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar5uNCoaVaq2zTEWP2aJJbRtb__-boV0jZpxb_tDaD24soQwfNwf4boAmRXAxzZ6eFPpzGN85DL-BTZcNy8C6mOf8scdVpL-0L471R0yY8fOSitk7aXZ8G_Q1TAERcnbZkXW20Ite8p8/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar5uNCoaVaq2zTEWP2aJJbRtb__-boV0jZpxb_tDaD24soQwfNwf4boAmRXAxzZ6eFPpzGN85DL-BTZcNy8C6mOf8scdVpL-0L471R0yY8fOSitk7aXZ8G_Q1TAERcnbZkXW20Ite8p8/s320/IMG_1977.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pre-light draw:</span></b><br />
Tobacco funnily enough. Not much else<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Opening:</b></span><br />
Creamy!! First few draws had thick, heavy, viscous smoke and the appearance of a lovely almost bright white ash that makes me happy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>First 3rd: </b></span><br />
Slight hints of milk chocolate. Very feint mind you I had to concentrate hard on what I was getting. Light to medium strength and developing in flavour towards the back of the first 3rd<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYIT_3sHh3MbQa8bc6SROxBSgvY8OCEcu3w7AGkC_Z7TxQE1Par2qIC-PlZrPngtly29EKElxbkXxjwoGeK5NjqhZso2o-4xH5fWVyiTY5nim4MQ8C4Fv9Dr8rIupEnz4F70Ydp3052o/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYIT_3sHh3MbQa8bc6SROxBSgvY8OCEcu3w7AGkC_Z7TxQE1Par2qIC-PlZrPngtly29EKElxbkXxjwoGeK5NjqhZso2o-4xH5fWVyiTY5nim4MQ8C4Fv9Dr8rIupEnz4F70Ydp3052o/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second 3rd: </b></span><br />
Wow. The Milk chocolate was kicked out off town and replaced with strong black coffee. It felt like I had just swallowed a full cup of Cubans finest. The first cigar I have had were that coffee taste was so prevalent and with that the cigar moved to a firm medium bodied cigar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMVdcO_LUtXCgSSK2ZgekOw95FSpGq6t_EMdlNWuRo-xHA-DQDmRIMKCBnxj2KUTl86S7sYFwhln0WIk1OK10Y_t4PGslggODK2dhMlVLUgVYa5Ubbf6fMYJPG708KiSZv0iiPYl1pEo/s1600/IMG_1982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMVdcO_LUtXCgSSK2ZgekOw95FSpGq6t_EMdlNWuRo-xHA-DQDmRIMKCBnxj2KUTl86S7sYFwhln0WIk1OK10Y_t4PGslggODK2dhMlVLUgVYa5Ubbf6fMYJPG708KiSZv0iiPYl1pEo/s320/IMG_1982.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Final 3rd: </b></span><br />
The spice moved in. I couldn't put my finger (or taste buds) on what it was exactly but I loved it. Not as harsh as black pepper, it left a tingle on my lips that you may get from Spicy chicken wings. (The tingle, not the flavour) Woodiness also came through with hints of leather. The Cigar was now on the full side of a medium bodied cigar. Just how I like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gpsAFIoel2McX7fW4ckbySFWfTFgaX_sSUuERqiRacHofPoNLNyeCGOIYProMgr0QXwJLWoyqIvZ3utg_nCgrQktyQ_7PYWZYqCB0EqevolvirgxdzRUr8QsQZ_ld7qMsEby09g9_-M/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gpsAFIoel2McX7fW4ckbySFWfTFgaX_sSUuERqiRacHofPoNLNyeCGOIYProMgr0QXwJLWoyqIvZ3utg_nCgrQktyQ_7PYWZYqCB0EqevolvirgxdzRUr8QsQZ_ld7qMsEby09g9_-M/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Finish:</b></span><br />
No bitterness or harshness at all. Smooth until the very end and still full of flavour<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wo9McLrMciYKip5dmqluhCUdYiayfDTEmHA0h7f1ba5GxQ824f11WY9r5bdEmwLb7yHvZzwe_uv4V81_b-mYwHZ6132VjoUGp8XBEhOaCjk1qhDDCWSVdlY26zI7LOxoi-Wxav-STWg/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wo9McLrMciYKip5dmqluhCUdYiayfDTEmHA0h7f1ba5GxQ824f11WY9r5bdEmwLb7yHvZzwe_uv4V81_b-mYwHZ6132VjoUGp8XBEhOaCjk1qhDDCWSVdlY26zI7LOxoi-Wxav-STWg/s320/IMG_1986.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Draw: </b></span><br />
OK to start but opened up perfectly after the first 3rd<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Burn: </b></span><br />
Two touch ups but nothing major. Just me being anal and looking for the perfect burn<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Time to smoke: </b></span><br />
It took me almost two hours. Probably could be smoked in an hour to hour and a half but I took my time and enjoyed every bit!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value for Money: </b></span><br />
At around €30/€35 worth every cent<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Overall:</b></span><br />
I burnt my fingers. I wish it was longer.<br />
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-71291691383909729482012-06-20T09:34:00.001-07:002012-06-20T09:47:56.574-07:00Cigars, Sunshine and Memory LossTen Days have passed since my last post. A lot has happened. Its just a pity I cant remember most of it. Well most of Sunday anyway!!</span><br />
<br />
Lets start with what I do remember;<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Football:</span></u></b><br />
Ireland lost all three games they played in Euro 2012 and are out of the Tournament. The support they received has done the country proud and goes well beyond football. (No matter what Mr.Keane may say)</span><br />
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England Qualified last night after another controversial goal line decision and will play Italy on Sunday. They will look at it as justice for Lampards goal against Germany in South Africa.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Cigars:</span></u></b><br />
After my last blog post I sparked up a Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill (Cuban). It was my second time smoking this cigar. I had sampled it at the <a href="http://www.jamesfox.ie/" target="_blank">James Fox</a> night I attended and with all that was going on I didn't take much notice of it. The second was not great. The taste was OK, nothing outstanding. It was the attention I had to pay this Cigar that dragged it down. Constant touch ups and wonky burn is not what I look for in a Cigar. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
The second of the week was on Monday evening. I was meant to go to a leaving party for a fried but I was too tired to get off the sofa. Instead I torched up a Bayamo Robusto (Honduran). I've had a few of these. Smoking them to get rid off them really. A nice Cigar but as I have said before, who wants "Nice"</span></span><br />
On Tuesday, I was gifted a cigar, one I have never seen before. It was an Alvaro Cedros. After a lot of searching I found out that it is an Indonesian Cigar. Sold mostly in Spain, primarily the Canary Islands. I'm still unsure whether it can be smoked dry or not. Either way I have it in my humidor. I'm in no rush to smoke it. </span><br />
<br /></span><br />
My penultimate cigar of the week was theLa Floridita Toro (Nicaraguan). I had this cigar with a large jug of freshly brewed coffee. Its amazing the difference it makes. Coffee can turn an average cigar into a great smoking experience.<br /></span>My final Cigar of the week was on Sunday. A Cuaba Piramides EL 2008 (Cuban) I enjoyed this cigar a lot. That could have been due to the sunshine and Gin cocktails but more about that later(If my memory returns).</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Other Cigar Related News:</span></u></b></span><br />
Thursday I ran home from work to join in on a Conference call to the US. I was speaking to Jeff and Irving from </span><a href="http://www.cigarnews.com/" target="_blank">Cigar News</a>. The website is launching on August 1st and going forward I hope to be part of the Cigar News team. More to follow in time....</span><br />
<br />
I have also been invited to take part in an online Wrapper seminar hosted by Jose Blanco from <a href="http://www.joyadenicaragua.com.ni/" target="_blank">Joya De Nicaragua</a>. This event is in association with <a href="http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/" target="_blank">Buttheads Tobacco</a> in Danbury, Connecticut who generously sent me out the Cigar we will be sampling. I picked it up yesterday and it looks amazing. a single cigar with four different wrappers. It should be great. It kicks off Thursday @ 8pm EST. That's 1am for me but it will be worth staying up for<br />
<br />
My friend Stinky in Las Vegas, from <a href="http://www.stinkycigar.com/" target="_blank">Stinky's Ashtrays</a> has also started a YouTube channel. Check out his videos <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/StinkyCigarAshtray" target="_blank">here</a> and enjoy his new jingle. Its great<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Finally</span>: </u></b></span><br />
That brings me on the Sunday and the </span><a href="http://www.tasteofdublin.ie/" target="_blank">Taste of Dublin</a>. An outdoor event held annually in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin City Center. I went along with Mr.Bic and John There Now. This is where the memory goes blank. A lot of alcohol was consumed and no food was consumed which both equaled to a very drunk man with very little memory. I woke up the next morning with a smashed phone and a bruised body and I think I lost my dignity along the way.</span><br />
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All I can say is the Irish don't do things in half measures....Apart from their football.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL6lm04q4x7L3hSZL3b3oB_SW6RcN8eNtdPmPEaxMOSvx6rP5kUG7PB1if4up6-HxQGXWE0-DKSqdy5WImDymaghFdLduJAkL5u0IehaQMsl3FT8Z3uHBoKoKguQZJy-wYWBPKreKyhk/s1600/IMG_1916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL6lm04q4x7L3hSZL3b3oB_SW6RcN8eNtdPmPEaxMOSvx6rP5kUG7PB1if4up6-HxQGXWE0-DKSqdy5WImDymaghFdLduJAkL5u0IehaQMsl3FT8Z3uHBoKoKguQZJy-wYWBPKreKyhk/s320/IMG_1916.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RyJ Wide Churchill</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0YtBsuBx5ZbAIoyKJ4rNUswXyHlAVMha9tgI42TB1mdyYfeekpyRvPMeJC61Z6L12m-279rFPbaY0W1udWjgfAinw97-rnkIB1bcXghVWGfSLuaJ7T3fyS_rLoQSMTRJQf3GMTvmHYg/s1600/IMG_1920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0YtBsuBx5ZbAIoyKJ4rNUswXyHlAVMha9tgI42TB1mdyYfeekpyRvPMeJC61Z6L12m-279rFPbaY0W1udWjgfAinw97-rnkIB1bcXghVWGfSLuaJ7T3fyS_rLoQSMTRJQf3GMTvmHYg/s320/IMG_1920.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvaro Cedros</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PWlyM3teJqtg8dQ6mmw41hJKt1dToRZ7C70qhX9HvpH0rZiU0XAjUSPvRsQ4YLUKDtyZSsSgXEOyPorc6J_WTxBkD1yk5ug-zozMFO-CRPhi6EWe8xgAq5EuTXpSqi62Pjyn2826ecU/s1600/Bayamo+Robusto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PWlyM3teJqtg8dQ6mmw41hJKt1dToRZ7C70qhX9HvpH0rZiU0XAjUSPvRsQ4YLUKDtyZSsSgXEOyPorc6J_WTxBkD1yk5ug-zozMFO-CRPhi6EWe8xgAq5EuTXpSqi62Pjyn2826ecU/s320/Bayamo+Robusto.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bayamo Robusto</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lah-d7uUCViw3j3E5fwekCXU_UVV_P7qiML5iKrVIsoFY64m4rUAfy_tKFJ5M-yAVMWtsb5kGVM7CJOEB1RFnrJMAU-7h-PmS49Dzk3QgSfZnY8lBfGm4dORfGzKB-QVH7ZTTgrs6Bw/s1600/IMG_1929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lah-d7uUCViw3j3E5fwekCXU_UVV_P7qiML5iKrVIsoFY64m4rUAfy_tKFJ5M-yAVMWtsb5kGVM7CJOEB1RFnrJMAU-7h-PmS49Dzk3QgSfZnY8lBfGm4dORfGzKB-QVH7ZTTgrs6Bw/s320/IMG_1929.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Floridita Toro</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBRW6AexFAu3ri1-f0xG5hLiMkCY3RybVwqTjFxswFN_SAIkVY4uRRWKEPMaq65IktWEvDLij59b9p8VLuzeMP-3g5uHL9rOLG-X7R934wcaGbp7p4R6eB-69APyaHXDrJz4L1RoBy1k/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBRW6AexFAu3ri1-f0xG5hLiMkCY3RybVwqTjFxswFN_SAIkVY4uRRWKEPMaq65IktWEvDLij59b9p8VLuzeMP-3g5uHL9rOLG-X7R934wcaGbp7p4R6eB-69APyaHXDrJz4L1RoBy1k/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuaba Pirimides El 2008</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1lumvwoBLfgAFZp66p-pc7hbbjB79TB-eJQ97mvbKswO5uYcTUwVpiAbbp88TTz47HiFzyeojhWdeCZ_91qVUzHmRdcRAADxIgir1Zzcmczp4nmRPBhAjcSbBRefWq_ldgruvkAYNJg/s1600/IMG_1956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1lumvwoBLfgAFZp66p-pc7hbbjB79TB-eJQ97mvbKswO5uYcTUwVpiAbbp88TTz47HiFzyeojhWdeCZ_91qVUzHmRdcRAADxIgir1Zzcmczp4nmRPBhAjcSbBRefWq_ldgruvkAYNJg/s320/IMG_1956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lads enjoying Stogies</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-37262323201049117132012-06-10T17:34:00.002-07:002012-06-10T17:36:02.329-07:00Rants, Plugs and PraiseIreland got hammered by Croatia today in their first game of Euro 2012. Somehow people were surprise<br />
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I am not a major fan of International Football although it is very hard not to get caught up in all the furor when Ireland are in a major competition. My only problem is the constant references to Stuttgart in '88 and Italia 90. A time when Ireland done quiet well under a manager who instead of utilising, in my opinion, the best midfield Ireland have ever seen, chose to pump the long ball up to two ten foot tall donkeys.<br />
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Ireland are nowhere near the standard of the teams in their group and it amazes me how people are shocked at a defeat. Anyway, football rant over, and depending on Thursday and Mondays game, I could be back here singing "We're all part of Trappy's Army"<br />
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Back to the important (sic) stuff. The Flora Women's Mini Marathon took place on the bank holiday Monday and over 40k woman ran the race. One of them was the Mrs. It was a glorious day in Dublin and with a creak in my neck (long, painful story) I sauntered up to St. Stephens Green to meet her at the finish line. There was around 33 minutes on the clock when the first woman crossed the line. I was expecting the Mrs any second now!!! An hour later and a bit more colour on my face, she crossed the line. I was later told that due to the large amount of people, the Mrs didn't even cross the start line for ages. Her official time for the 10k run was 01:18:25. I was very proud.<br />
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The next day I was helping Mr.Byrne move to his lovely new house. I was cast in the role of "Furniture Removal Guy". After a few hours lifting, dragging, pushing and pulling, the majority was done. At least I know if all else fails I can move furniture for a living. Who needs the Gym!!<br />
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The rest of the week was uneventful. A few nice Cigars, one or two not so nice. I have taken to Twitter in a big way recently. You can find me by typing in <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/CigarDoorman" target="_blank">@CigarDoorman</a>. (I am also on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CigarLovinDoorman" target="_blank">Cigar Loving Doorman</a> - Shameless plug - Please like my page!!) What has really surprised me is the genuine love for Cigars. Cigar pictures, discussions, comparisons etc.. you get the drift. The Cigar community is a big, lovable, happy and generous family and I am proud to be a part of it.<br />
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One of the discussions that keeps popping up between myself and my stateside BOTL is the Cuban vs Non-Cuban debate. I will totally agree that I have not sampled the best that NC Cigars have to offer. I have had some good and a lot of just OK. I probably have had only two that I would call bad, however, when I lit up a Cuban Fonseca No.1 during the week, which are probably the lower end Cuban Cigar, I noticed the difference straight away.<br />
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Cuban Cigars have a complexity that I have not found in NC Cigars. They may start of creamy / spicy / woody or whatever tastes but you can almost guarantee that there will be a different sensation by the time you finish. It is that complexity, that symphony of taste, that journey that the cigar takes you on, only in Cuban Cigars will you find it.<br />
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I was back on the Door on Friday and that put a halt to my cigar smoking. Irish weather is like the Irish women. You just don't know what to expect when you wake up in the morning. Friday was a wet, miserable day. I was standing on the door shivering in an overcoat and scarf. Saturday I was looking for Sun-cream.<br />
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Saturday was a long shift on the door as usual. The only thing that makes it seem shorter is the craic I have with Diamond Dave (who will from now on be known as Hollywood - another long story). Hollywood, was however, tired and grumpy on Saturday. Not the best combination when dealing with drunk people. A quick pint after work and I walked home. Once in the door I was greeted with a bag from <a href="http://www.jamesfox.ie/" target="_blank">James Fox</a> that the Mrs had left out for me. What was inside really made my week.<br />
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A(n)? <a href="http://xikar.com/products/cutters/xi1/100sl/" target="_blank">XIKAR Xi1 Silver Cutter</a>. I was delighted. On that note I am off to use it for the first time. Now what will I have? Cuban or Non-Cuban?<br />
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CUBAN.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jLjTqNqn4_m58AUO8GZsRCkXrIwoMGx-Mjz7ZRnjg-Y84xQ0XWykjBC_T0ZfSj3TtRDhSchD9TVD94kw7iRqRSBTEhaTq4SlwP1ysOeJkDl5uS58gtJEK2l1jjxBzxI39EgekrRKxuc/s1600/IMG_1865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jLjTqNqn4_m58AUO8GZsRCkXrIwoMGx-Mjz7ZRnjg-Y84xQ0XWykjBC_T0ZfSj3TtRDhSchD9TVD94kw7iRqRSBTEhaTq4SlwP1ysOeJkDl5uS58gtJEK2l1jjxBzxI39EgekrRKxuc/s320/IMG_1865.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mrs after the Mini Marathon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblarlwl5A5O6WsyyloDposcARW0RIYpVnCdeyZ8JmrEjQRwPsE-9qX3HzaToopMz_rGHzetsZkdK55Yi-oSOGUpd7gGjnyaLSKVZ7xcu1_N-9mT754qU8E8n2rWYbJA2UkgHI7fFDisw/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblarlwl5A5O6WsyyloDposcARW0RIYpVnCdeyZ8JmrEjQRwPsE-9qX3HzaToopMz_rGHzetsZkdK55Yi-oSOGUpd7gGjnyaLSKVZ7xcu1_N-9mT754qU8E8n2rWYbJA2UkgHI7fFDisw/s320/IMG_1886.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A.Fuente Cuban Corona (Dominican) A "Nice" Cigar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2N3HAy3ARoxwmdMVALIip0KHI3fRfQpVg52ffxHzl7wxYKYlHi5VuTO0u7cGKjd_eO9vKFuWgigPtLCyFwC4W1Ulg_rROTz742yUjbiaSE9FEjFXUy0SZI9Ja4CyQiRWIVgKS9wrRMPI/s1600/Fonseca+No.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2N3HAy3ARoxwmdMVALIip0KHI3fRfQpVg52ffxHzl7wxYKYlHi5VuTO0u7cGKjd_eO9vKFuWgigPtLCyFwC4W1Ulg_rROTz742yUjbiaSE9FEjFXUy0SZI9Ja4CyQiRWIVgKS9wrRMPI/s320/Fonseca+No.1.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fonseca No.1 (Cuban)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuEKRl_eIrsLLRjaaYLPGk7iKU9alJilHNbHO9VJIRg4j_bWA7ILSf725OwL3Cg6F672veuZZouVm2WHikDxVXdHaJ6NQ99CnytdqpQ79mXaZH1Wqj97tREa5nzM7HKouBoN19pdF1TQ/s1600/diplomaticos+no+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuEKRl_eIrsLLRjaaYLPGk7iKU9alJilHNbHO9VJIRg4j_bWA7ILSf725OwL3Cg6F672veuZZouVm2WHikDxVXdHaJ6NQ99CnytdqpQ79mXaZH1Wqj97tREa5nzM7HKouBoN19pdF1TQ/s320/diplomaticos+no+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diplimaticos No.3 (Cuban - Discontinued)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSt3d0O6UfggGad8Yx-zZaqfczvBJ8n5-VwbOlEiGd8pbwJYXpJD__Lt2KMPxTq00nXMyy8RttKlym-5y-m5tQhuGgOSIeoxDeateGeQVh_zOiT9WxaEJVbOMUD-48xdfgr6NjDuumkY/s1600/IMG_1743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSt3d0O6UfggGad8Yx-zZaqfczvBJ8n5-VwbOlEiGd8pbwJYXpJD__Lt2KMPxTq00nXMyy8RttKlym-5y-m5tQhuGgOSIeoxDeateGeQVh_zOiT9WxaEJVbOMUD-48xdfgr6NjDuumkY/s320/IMG_1743.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous VSL (Honduran) Creamy but boring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96MdGHnldQU4lzku8QVahekkZmsF5zzUarOYzcz4k38hcVWpSHc51O5HGEYcGDKqOkwuDMVR_NOBv_EnB72c17Of7qR6m-V8GOnGkVVgsd03yl2QWoMoLuGG54Zig-opkcv56Tkk9tlU/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96MdGHnldQU4lzku8QVahekkZmsF5zzUarOYzcz4k38hcVWpSHc51O5HGEYcGDKqOkwuDMVR_NOBv_EnB72c17Of7qR6m-V8GOnGkVVgsd03yl2QWoMoLuGG54Zig-opkcv56Tkk9tlU/s320/IMG_1891.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xikar Xi1</td></tr>
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929127472832634532.post-45417809826763659952012-06-04T06:29:00.000-07:002012-06-04T06:29:18.111-07:00Where to Smoke?: Pt 1 (Maybe)After the Shenanigans of last weeks Whiskeys tasting I have had a relatively quiet week. I could fill you in on my grueling two weekends on the door. The first involved long hours and little sleep, the second involved a lot of rain.<br />
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I'm not going to do that though. Instead, by popular demand, I am going to give a brief outline on the best (but limited) spots to smoke a cigar in Dublin. I am only going to list five to start with and I may revisit this topic as time goes on.<br />
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My choices will incorporate the typical Irish weather, day/night smoking. comfort, space etc... They are in no particular order and I will (hopefully) keep the descriptions brief. It is a pet project of mine to, at some stage, have detailed descriptions on every smoking area in Dublin. So if you have your own favorite or a hidden gem please comment and let me know.<br />
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I must also point out that most bars in Dublin have made the effort to incorporate a smoking area but I will only outline bars in which I feel I could comfortably spend an hour enjoying my cigar.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.marketbar.ie/" target="_blank">The Market Bar</a> (Fade St.):<br />
The Market bar was always an "OK" place for a cigar. The outside area wasn't very comfortable and there was the chance of beggars annoying you for money. This has now changed due to The Market Bar converting their upstairs function area into a (almost) fully covered smoking area. Comfy seats, Great heaters and a fully stocked bar. It is a new addition so I cant judge how busy it would be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjalSb9qrT5w3uCSshM59gdZWgdPriKt1jvK0s9SX5en_t9-LHJuZmZuzTL9tmHmYQAVMXA2P0W6PPgdEZOOQwl4_4mo-mcaybzBhvFohLUZuX4mLhfgBo60HG9YiQcxEfTTqZxkhfE/s1600/the_market_bar_dublin_private_hire_48474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjalSb9qrT5w3uCSshM59gdZWgdPriKt1jvK0s9SX5en_t9-LHJuZmZuzTL9tmHmYQAVMXA2P0W6PPgdEZOOQwl4_4mo-mcaybzBhvFohLUZuX4mLhfgBo60HG9YiQcxEfTTqZxkhfE/s320/the_market_bar_dublin_private_hire_48474.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.themorgan.com/The_Funky_Morgan_Cocktail_Bar/Default.85.html" target="_blank">The Morgan</a> (Fleet St):<br />
A lovely bar during the day with a Semi-Covered smoking area. A mix of wood and iron seats with a couple of bed-seats thrown in. Nice on a warm day but lacks the sunshine. On a cold day try to get under a heater. This area is average size and can get very busy at times. Cocktails are great though. Avoid at Night!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTitn75bOgtX5h8iZAQ5WsXDXNY3jFSvzbyaTUi-qj-YqVa_9141lWVCszYqOL_iXUBAh-HXrX_1JenBitjx1iOcIYX-tw-QE-ZlkNCRMmMKfXjGcY62lKefxxo74f8vY1qiaF2bEc5lw/s1600/barcourtyard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTitn75bOgtX5h8iZAQ5WsXDXNY3jFSvzbyaTUi-qj-YqVa_9141lWVCszYqOL_iXUBAh-HXrX_1JenBitjx1iOcIYX-tw-QE-ZlkNCRMmMKfXjGcY62lKefxxo74f8vY1qiaF2bEc5lw/s320/barcourtyard.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. <a href="http://www.thechurch.ie/" target="_blank">The Church</a> (Mary St/Jervis St):<br />
The biggest and possibly the best smoking area in Dublin when the sun shines. If your not in VERY early, your not getting a seat. A mix of high tables with comfy stools and low tables with not so comfortable seats. If you mange to get a low seat when the sun is shining you wont care and you wont be giving it up easily. In the event of rain, there is a covered area with very strong heaters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-UJUUp3uMZO81zsIhKCbUXaz2Ix8SjgUginHURCIXl6Z-Jfad_bRQVW2ycSXKm6RyIZ7_aAS9DZ7q6zH7srYu2GAtcnHr1u6WK3BqihOSpS1ySEtu5GBrmFDfBLAEoPWlOIqjCuSH1c/s1600/14cd55da543b4c718fec4fc75f91828cTerrace-aerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-UJUUp3uMZO81zsIhKCbUXaz2Ix8SjgUginHURCIXl6Z-Jfad_bRQVW2ycSXKm6RyIZ7_aAS9DZ7q6zH7srYu2GAtcnHr1u6WK3BqihOSpS1ySEtu5GBrmFDfBLAEoPWlOIqjCuSH1c/s320/14cd55da543b4c718fec4fc75f91828cTerrace-aerial.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. <a href="http://www.kellysdublin.com/food-and-drink/" target="_blank">No Name Bar</a> (Fleet St.):<br />
I was only in this bar recently. It has a very large smoking area covered in what appears to be a circus tent. Wooden benches that are not too uncomfortable. Sparsely thrown about heaters. A very quirky spot and almost hidden which leads to it being very popular. Bar staff are lovely from my experience. I asked for a Cuba Libra, they said they would charge me for a Rum and Coke because it was cheaper. I liked that.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.flannerysdublin.com/" target="_blank">Flannerys</a> (Camden St.)<br />
In my opinion the best smoking area for a wet night. The have a natural turf (peat) fire on the go. I personally love the smell (of the fire). Almost fully covered. If its raining it wont take too long to figure out the wet spots. A mix of high tables and low tables. Comfortable enough I suppose. The downside is this place gets very, very busy and the crowd late at night border on annoying. The will sneer at you for smoking a cigar instead of a Johnny Blue. Oh and then there is the boxing machine!!!<br />
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<br />CigarLovinDoormanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08746012295115170859noreply@blogger.com0