Richard Smokes Europe: Step 1: Italy

'You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself' (Alan Alda). Taking the words of Mr. Alda literally, I have embarked on a tour of the different parts of the world to live and experience Cuban cigars through diverse climates and cultures to discover how these variations influence my smoking moments. I am hoping that this tour will open my palate to new combinations, a finer perception of difference and a true understanding of what I like. Our journey starts locally, just over the border in fact. Italy is one of Europe's most complex, colorful and enticing destinations. A country of contrasts and contradictions. Whilst being a modern, industrialized nation, with an artistic and architectural legacy that few other countries can rival, it's also a Mediterranean country with a southern European sensibility, where traditional attitudes still prevail and often act as law. Thriving small businesses contribute to strong regional identities, re-enforced by an unfaltering appreciation and promotion of local produce. This has helped Italy avoid some of the bland effects of globalization. In towns and villages all over the country, life grinds to a halt in the middle of the day for a long lunch. Coffee breaks are almost a religious experience, whilst love and business can be gained or lost over a 'gelato' (ice cream). Above all, Italy provokes reaction. If there is a single national characteristic, it's to embrace life to the full: in the importance placed on good food; in the hundreds of local festivals taking place across the country on any given day; in the obsession with clothes and image; in the ultra support given to local football teams and above all in the daily domestic ritual of the collective evening stroll or passeggiata – a sociable affair celebrated by young and old alike in every town and village across the country. The more time I spent in Italy, the more I appreciated my smoking moments. Was it for the incredible combinations of flavor; an unforgettable Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill paired with a fresh Sicilian lime juice that spurred my palate into overdrive making it one of the single most exciting moments ever experienced in my mouth. Was it for the awe inspiring setting in which I smoked; when one smokes a Bolivar Royal Corona beside the Trevi Fountain in Rome, you really really feel you are sharing a Cuban with the Gods. Was it simply the company with whom I shared these smoking moments; I will, and can never forget an evening in Padova (Northern Italy) spent with the local gentleman's domino team, during which I did not manage to get a single word into the conversation, even though we were discussing Cuban cigars (this was the starting point. We did finish the evening discussing the pros and cons of centralized and de-centralized governments....). As the local gentlemen, in heated debate, smoked their way through a full box of Montecristo No.4, I simply watched, completely immersed in the smoky atmosphere. I did not need to understand all of what they were saying to see, feel and share the pleasure they were experiencing. Italy remains one of my favorite places to visit and this trip certainly re-enforces my firm belief that the voyage of discovery through the world of the Cuban cigar is one that will never end. It simply goes on evolving and mutating, bundled forward and backward by our environment, our palate environment and ourselves. Enjoy!