Catching up!

[ValeTudoGuy]

I have been remiss in staying up to date and I am all to aware that I have stuff that needs sending out too.... So sorry for that guys.

I woke up this morning with a stark realisation that I have been the beneficiary of some wonderful brotherly love and have allowed myself to become momentarily lax in my display of gratitude.... Again, please forgive me.

Post holiday blues, sick children, mountains of work and a re-discovery of spending time doing things I loved before my internet addiction have meant that this place was unfortunately shelved temporarily.

In reality it's not all a bad thing and it's taught me that I need to find a slightly better balance. But I'm still here (Coming back bit by bit.) and I'm not going away. Though my activity will likely remain more managed.


Well rant over, what's been happening in Marc's world recently.

[ValeTudoGuy]

I got Hogged! This should probably go in the other thread, but I'm sticking it here because this is my confessional soul cleansing thread.


Thanks buddy! I'm a massive fan of CAO and RG so they will go down a treat and the others will be new discoveries for me. (Edit: I have had a black market.... Though not in this size.)

[PeeJay]

Ah, the anticipation........

[ValeTudoGuy]

image.jpg
Well EdBlackadder sorted me out with a sterile suture, which is now packed safely away in my little emergency tin.
I continue to practice now and then with a standard needle and thread on pig skin. I really don't ever want to use one of these. But the act of suturing really holds a morbid fascination to me.

Thanks Ed.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Rascal proves that he's the undisputed grumpy Santa again! A while ago he gave me some advice relating to straight razors and said he would send me a sharpening stone..... Well he sent it, along with a flipping RAZOR to have a crack at it with and an cigar to perk me up when I muck it up and have to start over again.

Thanks fella!

[ValeTudoGuy]

On to my Holiday.

The south west f France is many many wonderful things.... But a Cigar haven is not one. There's literally thousands of Tabacs but they are full of low end pipe tobacco and every cigarette brand imaginable.
They have lovely pipes, but not at particularly good prices. When they do have cigars though CAO have a massive presence followed by Macanudo and a couple other generic NC brands.

I did find one reasonable Tabac in Bordeaux (Beautiful city and well worth a long weekend.) They had a HUGE selection of StDupont accessories up to eye watering prices and had a barely passable selection of Cubans ... Though nothing particularly rare unfortunately... Still €3 something for a ERDM Demi Tasse is refreshing to pay compare to UK B&M prices.

This is what I bought to smoke there, but I never ended up smoking anything at all so it came home with me.

The 8-9-8 keeps looking at me.... And I don't know when I will smoke the Gigantes, it's feckin massive!

Oh and the shop. It's http://www.la-regence-cigares.info/c...l#.VCVOA3-9KK0
Don't worry, they only sell face to face (French Law Enforced.) so I don't think I'm breaking any rules. If your in Bordeaux it's about your best option for tobacco and related stuff.

Edit: Oh the one at the top is not a Cuban at all. It's a Don Horacio del Monte, I think it's just called the "5" and I wasn't going to get it but the guy in the shop was so enthusiastic about it I got one. He said that a lot of old timers are buying them up because they taste like an old style Cuban from the 70's (Regrettably I can't actually remember which one he said.... Doh!)

Well I'm prepared for it to be crap but if it's not then it's a bonus.

[Edamski]

Welcome back buddy I had started to wonder where you'd gone [emoji4]

[ValeTudoGuy]

image.jpgThis is more like it! You can't go to France and not buy some alcohol.

Thats what's left of the selection of local Burgundy I brought back... The sweet wines are out of this world, seriously. I challenge anyone to find better sweet wine.

Also I couldn't drive through Normandy without buying cider. Sadly only two bottles remain for me to photograph. Since coming back we have polished off about 10l of wine and similar of Cider.

The tins at the bottom are my remaining Foie and a little compote to go with the sweet wines.

Oh and I found a little box of French Puro's....... Though I haven't smoked one yet.... Let's just say that going by visuals, consistency isn't high on the agenda. Oh and historically Burgundy is the centre of Franc's Tobacco industry, there's a lovely little Tobacco Museum.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Finally some extra special treats. This is a 1983 (My birth year.) bottle of Bordeaux, incidentally 1983 was apparently a great year... Though I was told 1991 was allegedly arguably the best in Bordeaux's history.... So perhaps a 91' would be a good pressie for someone you know with that birth year.

If anyone's after some old Wine or Spirits then look up Michael Cramay La Temps Du Vin in Bergerac.... He can account for every year of production in Burgundy and Bordeaux from around 1904 and a couple from before. Also his selection of out of production and vintage spirits is crazy.

[Sean]

Very nice to see you back marc and some good bombs there mate and wine selection is very nice aswell mate

[Sean]

I do love a good bordeaux when you going to crack that open mate

[groundhog]

Good to have you back! Sounds like an excellent jolly [emoji1]

Sent from deepest darkest Yorkshire, by magic..

[ValeTudoGuy]

Finally Pi?ce de r?sistance

My birth year, single barrel Armagnac.

[Sean]

Now that looks nice mate your bags must of came back so heavy

[ValeTudoGuy]

I do love a good bordeaux when you going to crack that open mate

That's going to be a birthday treat.