Hi all
I have just returned from a river cruise down the Rhone in South-eastern France. It was a wonderful holiday with lots of sun and even more Cotes du Rhone!
There were about 90 passengers on board and as near as I can tell no more than half a dozen smoked anything at all (Passengers were 75% Brit and 25% German), never mind a pipe. This, as much as anything, is probably a sign of the times. There was one unfortunate incident: the rep for the travel company smoked cigs and would join us (my wife and I) on the top deck for a smoke after dinner. One of the passengers began to berate her for smoking and, of course, she could not respond in kind as she was employed by the travel company. I am not employed by them however and told her none too sweetly to mind her own business (She had the kind of zealous look in her eye that might indicate a former smoker who sees herself as an anti-smoking evangelist). I hope that this ISN'T a sign of the times.
When we stopped somewhere (Avignon, Lyon, Arles, etc) I popped into a Tabak - there are still lots of them in France and there would be no problem getting cigs etc - most of them sell lottery tickets, greetings cards, magazines, and so on. However, I did not once see a single pipe. I am sure somewhere as big as Lyon would have serious tobacconists, but it is clear that the normal Tabak no longer caters for pipe smokers, apart from stocking a handful of otc blends.
So there you are: a little depressing from the pipe point of view. Still, the wine was great!
Mike
I have just returned from a river cruise down the Rhone in South-eastern France. It was a wonderful holiday with lots of sun and even more Cotes du Rhone!
There were about 90 passengers on board and as near as I can tell no more than half a dozen smoked anything at all (Passengers were 75% Brit and 25% German), never mind a pipe. This, as much as anything, is probably a sign of the times. There was one unfortunate incident: the rep for the travel company smoked cigs and would join us (my wife and I) on the top deck for a smoke after dinner. One of the passengers began to berate her for smoking and, of course, she could not respond in kind as she was employed by the travel company. I am not employed by them however and told her none too sweetly to mind her own business (She had the kind of zealous look in her eye that might indicate a former smoker who sees herself as an anti-smoking evangelist). I hope that this ISN'T a sign of the times.
When we stopped somewhere (Avignon, Lyon, Arles, etc) I popped into a Tabak - there are still lots of them in France and there would be no problem getting cigs etc - most of them sell lottery tickets, greetings cards, magazines, and so on. However, I did not once see a single pipe. I am sure somewhere as big as Lyon would have serious tobacconists, but it is clear that the normal Tabak no longer caters for pipe smokers, apart from stocking a handful of otc blends.
So there you are: a little depressing from the pipe point of view. Still, the wine was great!
Mike
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