Yes, I am Alive!

[condorlover1]

Thank you for all the messages. Contrary to popular belief I have not vanished, got sucked back to the early 1920s due a time slip or generally done a "DB Cooper"! I have been in the UK and traveling and for some reason I cannot get onto Pipes Magazine probably due to the new stringent rules in the U.K regarding anything tobacco related. At present I am in Berlin and was pleasantly surprised to find I could access Pipes Magazine. I have answered all the PM's that have piled up in my inbox since July including the gentlemen on his cigars and the my good friend in California and his tobacco. As you are all aware the new government guidance on customs duties makes posting stuff back states side to be a little complex so putting stuff in a suitcase and carrying it home seems to be the safest approach. I have visited the Nottingham Pipe Show with @simong in the late summer and I even saw @halfdan up close in his revolutionary war outfit which was quite interesting. Whilst at the show I also got to try out some of Gawith's new offering and met with Rachel as well as a host of warm and welcoming people. In the words of George Formby it was 'A grand day out!' although the train journey home was a bit on the tedious side. Anyway I hope you guys are surviving everything with the change in seasons and I hope to be back in the U.S in January 2026!

 

[huntertrw]

Good to hear from you, Sir, and know that the you are not in custody of the pipe police!

Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and looking forward to your return to this side of the pond in January.

 

[JOHN72]

Welcome, Sir Condorlover1....................

 

[condorlover1]

Thank you dear friends. Berlin is certainly an interesting city but I sadly don't see anyone smoking and I think I am the only pipe smoker in the city. The food is most interesting and this place has certainly changed since I was last here back in 1989/90. This afternoon I am going to try and find a beer cellar and maybe nibble on a couple of German sausages but the weather is just very dull and overcast. I never thought I would say that I am looking forward to returning to London on Wednesday. I suppose the joys of East London have just grabbed my attention but I do miss NYC and Florida.

 

[Elric]

Safe travels, Condorlover1.

 

[GardenStateoftheArtBriar]

Nice to hear from you Simon

 

[BingBong]

Thank you dear friends. Berlin is certainly an interesting city but I sadly don't see anyone smoking and I think I am the only pipe smoker in the city. The food is most interesting and this place has certainly changed since I was last here back in 1989/90. This afternoon I am going to try and find a beer cellar and maybe nibble on a couple of German sausages but the weather is just very dull and overcast. I never thought I would say that I am looking forward to returning to London on Wednesday. I suppose the joys of East London have just grabbed my attention but I do miss NYC and Florida.

West Ham United have finally strung together two wins, so I understand your excitement at returning.

 

[Sig]

Imagine, the home country of the tobacco you love, bar you from viewing tobacco related content!
What a sham!!
Take to the streets!!

Oh wait, the streets are already full of protesters probably.

Anyways, glad you're safe, and sorry to hear you have NOT been sucked back to the early 1920s.
Back then they wouldn't ban you from talking about the legendary Condor!

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Welcome back, mate. Can you say what the new Gawith offerings you tried were?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Are you returning to Florida anytime soon? If so, I'll schedule a meet in Tampa.

 

[condorlover1]

@hoosierpipeguy should be back in Florida in January.

 

[condorlover1]

@smudgersmissingleg : Thats a very interesting question. We were handed a card by Rachel and a number of packets of Gawith products. Both @simong and yours truly gave them a good old college try and rated them but I don't recall them having a specific name. One or two of them were pretty good and were roughly what you would expect out of the Gawith crew. Others didn't float my boat, that is not to say they were bad or anything, it is just simply as you all know my tastes in tobacco are pretty well set in stone and generally dominated by Rose Geranium and dark plug/twist.

 

[ashdigger]

I’m glad to hear rumors of your demise were slightly exaggerated.

 

[woodsroad]

It is my understanding that Simon is still sequestered in the boot of an old Rover that’s been driving around London trying to pawn his meerschaum collection. The person posting is actually a morbidly obese Haitian woman that has some kind of mind-meld voodoo spell on him.

That’s what I heard, anyways.

 

[Servant King]

this place has certainly changed since I was last here back in 1989/90.

An astute observation. Slightly different, yes.

 

[condorlover1]

@Servant King : It is very hard to find things to do on a Sunday in Berlin especially since all the street signs are in German!

 

[woodsroad]

@Servant King : It is very hard to find things to do on a Sunday in Berlin!

The burkha shops are closed on Sunday?

 

[condorlover1]

@woodsroad : You wouldn't believe it but the place is crawling with Germans and kebab shops!

 

[ashdigger]

I did Nazi that coming

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

@smudgersmissingleg : Thats a very interesting question. We were handed a card by Rachel and a number of packets of Gawith products. Both @simong and yours truly gave them a good old college try and rated them but I don't recall them having a specific name. One or two of them were pretty good and were roughly what you would expect out of the Gawith crew. Others didn't float my boat, that is not to say they were bad or anything, it is just simply as you all know my tastes in tobacco are pretty well set in stone and generally dominated by Rose Geranium and dark plug/twist.

That's really cool. Always enjoy trying anything new by Gawith.