Cigar stories: Qu'est-ce que la Raclette?

Before our trip to Jordan, I was busy trying to get the blog up to date, and I still am, so once again I'm going back in time, to a time just after St. Patricks day, when we were on our way to the Larkins for a sleep over, and the car decided it could do with a new gearbox, and for the third time in our two year relationship, left a long trail of transmission fluid behind itself. So much for an afternoon of fun times, beer and cigars.

On the plus side, it was a lovely sunny day and were lucky we broke down where we did. A few minutes earlier would have left us in the middle of major roadworks at a major junction at the bottom of a huge hill, in heavy traffic.

We were just over half way to the Larkins, so Carine drove over to rescue the wife and child, leaving me to be rescued by the AA.

A few hours later and I was on my way back to the Larkins by train. Ryan picked me up at the station, and after a couple of very welcome beers, we sat down to enjoy the food Ryan and Carine had planned for the evening, which was a Raclette grill.

I'd never heard of a Raclette grill before, and for those as philistinic as I am, I shall explain. Raclette involves cheese (Raclette), a variety of meats and a grill that sits in the middle of the table, with little trays that are used to melt the cheese with the meat and potatoes.

It's simple, delicious, and Swiss, not French. Sorry Carine.

The Raclette grill was great fun so thanks to the Larkins for a lovely night and a tasty meal.

The cigar that night was a Bolivar and the picture below shows a lovely dark cigar, but I don't remember much about it. I think it was a bit on the tight side, and never really opened up, but one cigar that didn't have a problem opening up, was the Partagas Serie D No. 4 Especial Limited Edition 2010 that Barney gave me in Luxembourg last year. I'd been saving this for a special occasion, and a sunny Saturday afternoon the following week seemed special enough, and I needed cheering up.

Earlier in the week, the car was patched up, given a full service, and managed to get half a mile up the road before making a rapid return to the garage, after the mechanic noticed a big pool of oil that should have been inside the car, rather than on the ground outside.

The Especial Serie D is bigger than the normal Serie D, with a beautiful dark wrapper, and this particular cigar that was never in doubt. Definitely one of the best I've ever smoked and with the garden in bloom, it was a lovely 75 minutes spent thinking of what my next car might be.

More time travel now as I skip forward seven weeks. We've arrived home from Jordan, but the car is still in the garage. A new gearbox, radiator, ECU and other bits and bobs later, we get the car back in time for the drive home to Ireland.

Next time I'll be in the present, more or less, where I'll cover off the trip home, so once again, I'll leave you with some photos to enjoy.