I have many wonderful cigar memories but this one is very special to me. Last year when my father died I was really suffering a total mental letdown for not being able to be with him during his last moment. My wife suggested me to go away somewhere all alone and reconcile my thought and grief process. I decided to go to Madrid for two reasons. One, I like old cities and briefly spoke the language. Second, Spain is the heaven of Cuban cigar. I wanted to go somewhere where I can enjoy my passion.
I was sitting at an outdoor Tapas restaurant in Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor was built in 1617 in the city of Madrid. That was my last day in the city. I was drinking La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva with a Cuban H. Upman Mirables from 1970. I was sitting there looking at the Plaza, watching people come and go. I was sad, thinking about my dad, the great time we spent together. My dad told me once-"Old cities are like good memories. They lost the golden moment but holds into the history. It is like an old person who lost something but still stand tall with so much good and bad memories. We should only remember the good one to enjoy the beauty." Sometime it is very difficult to describe feelings in words. There is no words for emotion. I was beginning to gain my strength. Suddenly, this little boy(about 8 or 9) came to me, put his hand on mine and asked-"Por que estas triste señor?" "Why are you sad Mr.?" I looked at him, and immediately remember when I was 11 or 12, I used to hold my dad's hand and asked him what's wrong dad when I found him sad. I hardly stop myself from an emotional breakdown. The little boy was scared and ran away to his parents next to my table. His parents came to my table and told me, their little boy believes I am sick. Spanish people are not always very open to the foreigners but the couple were well traveler and english speakers. Sometime when you are in a foreign country with foreign people, we simply do not care to open up. I told them about my father's recent death and the reason to be in Madrid. We stayed in the plaza couple of hours with more food, drinks and cigars. I left Plaza Mayor with a newly found peace and happiness. I know I am still not clear but I am unable to describe my feeling in a word.
Glen I am not sharing my story to get cigars. I am just joining to celebrate your 6000 posts. Maybe my story is not what you wanted to hear but that moment with a perfectly aged vintage cuban cigar was very special to me. Congratulation to your thousands of post and looking forward to read more in the future.
Finally, I am attaching a picture of the Plaza Mayor. This is the view I was enjoying that moment while smoking the vintage H. Upman Mirables with Spanish wine.
Grats on the 6k and what a great contest idea
My best cigar experience was at a conference my school sent me to in Las vegas. I was at the welcome reception talking to fellow students and professionals in my field of study. I end up talking to this real over the top dude. He has been caring this steal briefcase thing around with him all night. He tell me that he is going to go have a smoke. It hits me that case is a travel humidor. I ask him about it and he show me whats in it. The damn thing is full of Behikes bhk 52's. My freaking jaw dropped. I asked him what in the world what it take for me to bum one of those ( i may be newb but i knew i probably would not run across those again). He tells me if you can find a way to light these bitches we will go smoke some right now. Now some people are going to kill me for this but we ended up lighting them off the outdoor propane heaters. Worked out pretty well. No burn problems at all. My newb pallet can not describe the flavor of this cigar. I just know that it was wonderful. I would say it was the most complex cigar i have ever smoked. I wish my pallet was more developed so i could better appreciate this cigar. No drink in had at the time just the cigar. ohh and it was also my freaking birthday that night too something i completely forgot about because i was away from my family and friends. Dude also gave me an ISOM RyJ. Have not smoked that one yet
I would say that my best cigar story happened about a year ago. Both of my brother are in the military (me a Marine, they went the backwards way to the Army). All three of us had just came back off of a deployment within a week of each other. One from Iraq, and two of us from Afghanistan. I lived on a lake at the time and we decided to go out on the boat and do some evening fishing. About an hour before the sun went down, my youngest brother pulls out his back pack and reveals the contents. He had 3 Ghurka's (not sure which ones) and an unmarked bottle. He poured three glasses and we fired up the stogies. As we sipped on the contents of the glass we deduced that it was scotch. He then told us that not only was a 25 year old scotch, it was a bottle that had belonged to Saddam. I knew at that point not to ask how he aquired it, and better yet, how he got it home. But it was an evening that I got to share a very fine smoke, an extremely nice scotch, with two of my favorite people.
Comments
I have many wonderful cigar memories but this one is very special to me. Last year when my father died I was really suffering a total mental letdown for not being able to be with him during his last moment. My wife suggested me to go away somewhere all alone and reconcile my thought and grief process. I decided to go to Madrid for two reasons. One, I like old cities and briefly spoke the language. Second, Spain is the heaven of Cuban cigar. I wanted to go somewhere where I can enjoy my passion.
I was sitting at an outdoor Tapas restaurant in Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor was built in 1617 in the city of Madrid. That was my last day in the city. I was drinking La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva with a Cuban H. Upman Mirables from 1970. I was sitting there looking at the Plaza, watching people come and go. I was sad, thinking about my dad, the great time we spent together. My dad told me once-"Old cities are like good memories. They lost the golden moment but holds into the history. It is like an old person who lost something but still stand tall with so much good and bad memories. We should only remember the good one to enjoy the beauty." Sometime it is very difficult to describe feelings in words. There is no words for emotion. I was beginning to gain my strength. Suddenly, this little boy(about 8 or 9) came to me, put his hand on mine and asked-"Por que estas triste señor?" "Why are you sad Mr.?" I looked at him, and immediately remember when I was 11 or 12, I used to hold my dad's hand and asked him what's wrong dad when I found him sad. I hardly stop myself from an emotional breakdown. The little boy was scared and ran away to his parents next to my table. His parents came to my table and told me, their little boy believes I am sick. Spanish people are not always very open to the foreigners but the couple were well traveler and english speakers. Sometime when you are in a foreign country with foreign people, we simply do not care to open up. I told them about my father's recent death and the reason to be in Madrid. We stayed in the plaza couple of hours with more food, drinks and cigars. I left Plaza Mayor with a newly found peace and happiness. I know I am still not clear but I am unable to describe my feeling in a word.
Glen I am not sharing my story to get cigars. I am just joining to celebrate your 6000 posts. Maybe my story is not what you wanted to hear but that moment with a perfectly aged vintage cuban cigar was very special to me. Congratulation to your thousands of post and looking forward to read more in the future.
Finally, I am attaching a picture of the Plaza Mayor. This is the view I was enjoying that moment while smoking the vintage H. Upman Mirables with Spanish wine.
LOL, funny guy I tell ya.
laker1963 - did I read it right - that was your first time smoking a cigar?!!!
If so, dayummm - I can see why you'd be hooked on cigars after that