It’s the only piece of “free Cuban soil” in the world…and it’s locked behind bars. The Martí statue in the Friends of José Martí Park, Tampa. Over a hundred years ago, Jose Martí, the Apostle of Cuban Liberty, visited Tampa, Florida to raise awareness and collect money for Cuba Libre, the effort to rid Cuba of Spanish rule and establish Cuba as an independent country. When in town, Martí stayed at the home of Afro-Cuban patriot Paulina Pedroso, who operated a small boarding house on 8th Avenue. The Pedrosos eventually moved back to Cuba and the property passed though several hands until it was eventually donated to the Cuban government as a tribute to their national hero.

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Hi Bob, I'm a very new listener, (via i Phone podcasts). A couple weeks ago you caught my attention when you were surprised to hear many smokers only smoke 1-2 cigars per month. I fall into this category, as do ALL of my friends who smoke cigars. I wanted you to know this so you will realize my recommendation should be put in its proper perspective and will probably not be appropriate for you and your friends with much more developed tastes and palates.

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In the latest DogWatch Cigar Radio show, episode #277, Bob was contemplating the vicissitudes of being a lounge attached to a certain brand, for example, a La Aurora, Diamond Crown, or Rocky Patel Lounge. As a manager in a retail store that took the plunge last year (Centro Cigars is a Diamond Crown Lounge), I have to say that the experience has been largely positive.

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Recently I was blessed with an amazing addition to my life. My wife and I had our first child: a baby girl named Lucy. Once the dust had cleared and Mom and Baby settled in at home, I chose to mark the occasion like so many of us do – by enjoying a fine cigar with good company. I chose a special stick that had been resting in the bottom of my humidor for over a year: a Gurkha Centurion. I sat down at the back patio table with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. A ten-year-old Late Bottled Vintage port was chosen to complement the choice of smokes. I clipped the beautiful 6 x 60 figurado with my Palio cutter and sat back, port in hand, and watched the sun creep down behind the landscape of post-WWII era suburban homes.

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Embarking on this cigar journey has been both a pleasure and a burden. I am not sure how many people actually read my blog (http://newbiecigarblogger.blogspot.com/), with any regularity, but I find myself constantly being an observer. Not only an observer of cigars, or people in the cigar shops, but in life as well.

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