rshacklefordiv

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2997 There is the link I promised in the original post. Enjoying some Champagne there must have been something... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was in a LCDH at the Melia Habana talking to some Canadiens I met down there about my trip. At first, they were joking on me about my strict and ambitious itinerary. They said the way to do Havana is slow and without plans. That does sound relaxing, and I'll definitely try to get back and do it that way at some point. However, I really got to see a lot of things they never had, despite going at least yearly for over a decade. I saw tobacco farms, small towns, played with a baseball team, saw local businesses, and experienced all kinds of culture. For Americans, an approved tour is still pretty much your only option. But what a first way to see Cuba. There are a lot of operators that offer many different kinds of trips. One I saw a while back that interested me was a jazz tour that stays in Havana the whole time. That would give you a lot more time to explore the city on your own, but wouldn't give you quite the perspective that my tour did. For non-Americans, I'd really think about going on a tour (or at least getting off the beaten path) next time you go down. Now is the time to experience the real Cuba. Also, I really appreciate all the interest in my blog. Bookmark it if you like, or just the cigar category. Also, I tweet my updates, so follow me on twitter if you're so inclined.

Since Cuba has been in the news so much, I thought I'd bump my post. Get down there before things change.

Thanks everyone! Will do.

I got back from my trip. I took y'all advice, and tried some new stuff. The Trinidad Fundadores was amazing! Check out pictures and more info at my blog: http://bonvivantva.com/?p=5057

Thanks for all the suggestions! My short list: Trinidad Fundadores Monte Especial #1 Montecristo Petit Edmundo H Upmann Connoisseur #1 H Upmann Royal Robusto H Upmann Sir Winston Juan Lopez Selection #2 Partagas Shorts Partagas 858 Partagas Lusitanias Cohiba lancero I agree, I'm almost all robusto and pyramid. Thats the purpose: outside the norm, but based on what I like. I think the long and thin suggestion was the best general suggestion. Its definitely lacking in my usual suspects.

My favorite cigars all seem to be popular cigars. The greatest hits, if you will. I think of myself of a fairly adventurous person, but a list of my favorite cigars would not lead one to believe so. I'll list my favorites below. Please let me know what you think I might enjoy, and I'll give a few a shot. I'm headed to Aruba on Sunday, so I should have plenty of time to smoke more than a couple cigars. If you want to stay up to date on my progress, check out my blog (scroll down on it, I just harvested the first of my tobacco crop), www.bonvivantva.com or on twitter @@bonvivantva. Thanks in advance for my suggestions. Hoyo Epicure #2 (second favorite, most smoked) Monte #2 and #4 Behike (all sizes) Partagas SD#4 H.Upmann Mag 46 RA SS (haven't had an amazing one in a while though) Trinidad Robusto T (current favorite) I've been dying to try a Trinidad fundadores, but I haven't been able to find any. I had a Boli Royal Corona the other day that I enjoyed, but I wouldn't say its my cup of tea. I doubt I'll be able to find much vintage stock in Aruba, so sticks that smoke good now would be ideal. Thanks again!

Its worth your time. I had some people over that are adventurous eaters, and not so much, but everybody loved it. Paired with some Rioja, and a simple salad, it was an excellent meal.

I found a recipe for Ernest Hemingway's Hamburger online a while back, and finally fixed it up. It was pretty labor intensive, but I ended up with a very different, and very delicious result: http://bonvivantva.com/?p=4056

In general, I think Bradley has infinitely more talent than any other US player, but today he was struggling. Germany is a good team, but I wanted a win.

Vamos Chile, Adiós Spana!

Wow. That Aussie Dutch game was way better than expected. Great soccer.

Talisker 10 is my all time favorite dram, and although I think of myself as a bourbon guy, perhaps king of the brown sauces. I've had the storm. I like it a lot, but not as much as the standard bottle of Talisker. I feel similarly about the Uigeadail. I prefer the standard bottling. I've had 1.5 ounces of Talisker 30. Very, very good.

Thats whats up! USA! USA! Agreed! Has anybody else been doing some drinking during the cup...? I have been doing plenty: http://bonvivantva.com/?p=3617

Agreed. That was clearly simulation. Thats possible. Perhaps they did not want Brazil to burn itself down. However, the bigger issue is that FIFA incentivizes diving/simulation. They need to impose fines or instant replay, or something, to fix the problem. I realize this isn't FIFA's priority, but I don't think the US, Australasia, etc. can get behind football the way other countries have until they fix the simulation issue. Think about all the first time watchers that saw that penalty and the resultant momentum shift, and realize that games can be determined by bad refs/cheating. I think the influx of money is good for developing countries like South Africa and Brazil, but only if it gets into the right hands. As long as safety isn't an issue, I don't think see the real problem. However, the Qatar mess is crazy. Bribery, limited access to booze, no gays allowed, and slave labor... Sounds like a real fun time... Also, did anybody else feel like the Croatian goalkeeper was on the take? Good lord, how do you play so poorly? In any event, I'm off to watch today's matches. Enjoy gents.