BIG PHIL (SEGAL) right
My Dad, “BIG PHIL” is on the right, and my Grandpa Charlie is on the left. Unfortunately, they didn’t live long enough for me to share a cigar with them. I was a late bloomer (I started smoking cigars at 40).
This year was the first year in 19 years I did not get to celebrate Father’s Day with my kids. I am traveling thru Europe on a cigar mission and my son is in Australia for a cousin’s bar mitzvah. I told both my kids, “Hakuna Matata”, “No worries”, we will celebrate Father’s Day when we all back in town. Seems simple enough, right?
BUT, WHY do we only “remember” our Fathers on Father’s Day? Hmmm…
Many times when I light up my cigar I only wish that my foreFATHER’s (not four), were still around to sit down for a long chat and a smoke…I think about that often, not only on Father’s Day…
I remember very well sitting in the back seat of my Dad’s 911 Porsche (before they were convertibles). According to my memory, my dad smoked whenever he was in the car. So if I was in the backseat and the windows were up (maybe it was raining), I would be inhaling all the smoke as a 6-9 year old kid. But of course, he always opened a tiny vent or cracked the window ever so slightly to allow 50% of the smoke to escape…
Sunsets are more beautiful when you can SEE them, hence=convetible
FAST FORWARD…all of my 911’s have been convertibles, therefore I would only smoke my cigars when the top is down. For all those who know me very well…my top is ALWAYS DOWN…rain…cold…super hot & sunny…the top stays down.
Today was a good day. Why? I got to smoke THREE big fat cigars while driving my car! I started the day with the Punch Limitada Suiza (Conde 109) that I got when we were with our friend Yannick in Basel, Switzerland. The Conde 109 is a roughly 90 minute smoke depending on the the environmental conditions (eg: windy convertible car driving very fast!). This PUNCH helped us get through the horrible traffic leaving Stockholm which was over an hour! Thank goodness for my PUNCH!
made up from 14 different isands with ~50 bridges! GORGEOUS
After exiting Stockholm and heading south, it was time for a snack and a chance to light up another “friend”. This time I chose the Siglo VI, from the jar I got in Dusseldorf. The jar was fantastic as it has preserved the cigars integrity as far as construction AND humidity. The wrapper was so smooth and silky to the touch on my lips with the powerful chocolate notes that I like in the Cohibas. It burned extremely well despite my excessive speed and wind shear! When choosing the appropriate smoke for a convertible car drive, I always suggest something medium to full bodied and large ring gauge and long length.
The wind is blowing away the smoke quickly so you need to be able to taste the cigar, and you need length and girth to make the cigar last at least an hour so you don’t have to keep relighting new cigars every 20-30 minutes…
What else do you need?
I am extremely lucky to have a girlfriend who travels with me who knows how to choose a cigar, prepare a cigar(punch or cut), light it properly and most importantly, while driving, will aid me in “fixing” the cigar…(needs a relight, adjusting torching due to canoeing,etc).
After lunch, it was time for some good earthy fun in the sun(or lack thereof) with a luscious MonteCristo Edmundo, that I also got in the jar in Switzerland that has protected the cigars during the whole trip. Thank goodness for that idea!
All in all, I was able to smoke a total of three cigars all while driving today on a 7-8 hour drive from Stockholm, Sweden to Malmo. Thank goodness for my Girlfriend who helped me so many times….It is very difficult and downright dangerous to be “preparing” your cigars while driving +100 mph…
Oh yes, Father’s Day. So, in conclusion, I only DREAM that roles could have been reversed and that my Dad would have had convertible 911’s like me so I could have enjoyed breathing the fresh air while he enjoyed his cigars and more importantly, it would have been the best Father’s Day gift EVER, if my Father could be with me today. HERE’s to you Dad…This one’s for you….I love you Dad…
