Last month, shortly before Leslie and I went to Cuba, Habanos S.A. announced that they would be raising the prices of all their cigars, but they would really be raising the prices of the two top ‘exclusive’ brands, the Cohiba and the Trinidad.I am grateful that the price hikes did not take effect until after… Continue reading To the Moon, Alice!
Category: LCDH
Operation National Proposal
(While this was originally posted to my Weight Loss blog, I feel it should be shared on both of my permanent blogs as well. I look forward to reading your comments! –MDG)I knew a couple of months ago that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. We had a few ups… Continue reading Operation National Proposal
Reynaldo the King!
One of the more difficult hotels to find in Old Havana, if you do not know exactly where to look, is the Conde de Villanueva. Located in the Calle de los Mercaderes, it is a true gem. Once you walk into the open-air foyer, you will know that it is worth the search. When some… Continue reading Reynaldo the King!
LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
My pedometer reads a hair shy of 19,000 steps as I sit down in the Salon de Fumadores in the LCDH of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and it is just about 7:00. I have had a full and excellent day, and i have several hours to kill. Because of an event I was invited… Continue reading LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
Calle 63: Alphonso’s Domain.
I have spent more time in Varadero than I have in Havana, so it only makes sense that I have a couple of stores that I enjoy in town. No trip to Varadero is complete without stopping in to see Alphonso at the LCDH at the corner of 1st Avenue and Calle 63. Alphonso has… Continue reading Calle 63: Alphonso’s Domain.
La Grande Dame de Los Puros: Juanita
For years my friends who come to Havana often have spoken of the lovely Juanita, the in-house cigar roller at the Melià Cohiba hotel in Vedado, but I had never gotten down to meet her... until this trip. I walked into the LCDH at the Melià, only to find out she had been transferred. I… Continue reading La Grande Dame de Los Puros: Juanita
Why I love being a Partagas VIP
A little over a year ago, my friend Greg and I were taken by our buddy Jiolys to the Partagas Store in Habana Viejo (not to be mistaken with the Partagas factory, some three kilometres away). The back yard neighbour of El Capitolo, at the right time of day the store's awning will find itself… Continue reading Why I love being a Partagas VIP
Bienvenido a la Habana!
I started this blog a couple of months ago, and have been busy and stressed almost the whole time, waiting, anticipating, today. At 8:05am this morning I boarded an Air Canada Rouge flight from Toronto to sunny, gorgeous, welcoming Havana, Cuba. By 1:15pm I had kissed my girlfriend, dropped off my valise, and we made… Continue reading Bienvenido a la Habana!