Well I was suppose to get back Sunday night, but after some odd odors in the cabin my flight from Birmingham was diverted to Shannon Ireland. We were told after 7 hours in the airport, we had a fuel leak and spent the night at a local hotel while the airline figured a way to get 108 passengers back to the States.
Nothing says a vacation is over like flying back into Nwerak airport. I knew I was home when I couldn't understand any of the airport employees. That was one of the things that shocked me about England. Yes they have a diverse population and many immigrants, but they actually speak English! And they speak it with a British accent. I wish more immigrants here would make the effort to speak English well. Heck, for that matter more Americans here should make the effort to speak English well.
The cigar scene in the UK is practically non-existent, similar to the US. There are scattered tobacco shops, but they are few and far between, with most only stocking cheap machine mades and a few small Cubans.
The only shops I saw with selection were Dunhill, Davidoff and GG Fox in London. Prices were outrageous but selection was great. Dunhill's walk-in humidor contained plenty of boxes ranging from 1-5 years age. Just to give you some idea of prices, RyJ Churchills go for 16-17 pounds, that's about 28.80-30.00 a stick! Best deal was a box of 10 Monte #4's at the airport were 46 pounds or 82.80! Sounds cheap until you realize that is 8.20 for a petite corona.
A box of Monte #2's went for $585 American and RASS go for $495 and that was at a small shop near Dudley, they don't stock them and it takes 2-3 days to get them from the distributor.
I got some goodies and spent waaaaay too much, it was just too tempting with all of that selection...
Non-cubans I noticed included a chest of Fuente Opus xXx Power Rangers at JJ Fox's selling for the American equivalent of $33 each, various old Fuente Reservas in the Dunhill humi at inflated prices and Santa Damiana all over because they are imported by Hunter Frankau from Altadis. Saw a few Toranos and Perdomos as well.
I did find a smoking partner in my GF's sister's husband and his dad. I handed out some good hard to find Fuente stuff and it was well appreciated. They are casual smokers and enjoyed the education in non-Cubans.
I'll let everyone know when I have pics up tonight.
welcome back binder, im looking forward to the pics. i guess you had no trouble getting back into the states. We figured your first post back would be from jail.
**S.H.U.T.U.P. #4** R.O.C.A #0012
By the way, if you don't like it, start you own magazine and web site... - James Suckling
Posts: 989 | Location: Victoria ,BC. Canada | Registered: December 28, 2004
Yeah, the prices suck. Most of the difference in price between say UK and Switzerland prices is tax. Throw in the weak USD vs. British pound and Cuban cigars become prohibitively expensive.
Speaking of sheep all I saw in Ireland was sheep and cows on the trip from the airport to the hotel. I don't think the cigar scene would be much different in Scotland or Ireland, especially since smoking has been banned in all public places in Ireland.
I brought you all a cigar from England, just send me $33.50 to cover shipping.
Glad to have you back, the pics should be nice. Please dont post no pics of farm animals or blowup dolls, I dont want TT to have a heart attack. He gets excited to easily.
B.A.S.E #0000 <(o)> C.L.A.S.P. #0000
Posts: 4793 | Location: Texas | Registered: June 15, 2003
I thought you were on the terrorist no fly list in the U.S. and Europe?
Welcome back.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
The public image is to shun it...but people still know it means big/old money...
It's a social status thing like a watch or a sports car in the US. While I was staying in London, I'd study in a pub with a pint of guinness and a Monte #2. Guys and girls would pass by every 5-10 minutes and comment to me...
"That's a big cigar" "That smells very nice" "Nice cigar"
Guys respected it and I even got a few cute stares from the ladies...
I was paying around $30 for a Monte #2... and smoked 3-4 a week...so after a couple months it hurt the wallet... but the experience will stay with me forever.
It wasn't always monte (mostly though), but I never bought a Cohiba because they were 25-40 pounds each ($50-80)... even I couldn't justify that...
Glad to hear England was a good time binder... i bet you were thinking 'wow i wish this week trip wasn't costing me 2 months pay'... lol...
even though my trip was bankrolled, i still cringed every time i paid 10 pounds for a crappy meal...
sox
Posts: 509 | Location: California, United States | Registered: October 11, 2004
Glad to see ya' back.... Now where are those pics!
---------------------------------------------------- Docbarry's "Tonights Smoke 10/19/05" "I burned a Consuegra President with a Shop Vac." BinDerSmokDat
BlowinSmoke.net
R.O.C.A. #0149
"No occifer, I'm not as think as you drunk I am."
Posts: 436 | Location: Jayhawk Country | Registered: February 24, 2005
