Back from the Adventure and, as promised, a couple of pics and a review.
Italy is a great place to smoke as long as you are outside. Everyone is lighting up something everywhere you go. As suggested by several here when I was in Rome, visited Fincato Cigar shop. This shop is in a good location, close to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, but is a bit hard to find being obscured by some construction and down a side street.
http://picpaste.com/cigar1-qfsYVUXC.jpg
The first floor of the shop is clearly for the standard walk-in customers and the tourist trade. I am sure the get a lot of Americans that have no idea what they are buying. They have some very low-level Cuban cigarillo-sized things down there for those that just want to say they brought home a Cuban cigar.
http://picpaste.com/cigar2-RDyHePvD.jpg
Frankly, they are a bit dismissive - almost rude - of anyone walking in that is clearly a tourist until they know you are serious about buying something serious. As soon as they realized I was going to be buying a couple boxes their attitude changed quite a bit! The real Cubans are kept upstairs and they call someone to meet you up there. Before I went I had checked prices on a certain PURO site that promises EXPRESS delivery of Cubans to the US and, to my surprise, on several sticks the Fincato price was significantly less. Others were quite a bit higher and most competitive. As you might expect the price for boxes/cabinets are cheaper than singles.
Unfortunately their inventory was very low. I would have bought some more if they had had them in stock. They had been expecting a new shipment for several weeks and they had been very busy. I picked up their last box of Monty #2s, all of the loose Hoyo de Monterrey Epi #2's they had on hand (they were out of unopened boxed ones) and a handful of Party Series D's. They charge a 3% surcharge on credit cards but right next door was a bank money machine that had no fee on it so, combined with my Capital One card that doesn't charge anything and that gives you a fair rate, it worked out pretty good.
The best part was when I was first looking and the guy was acting a bit put out having to wait on this tourist and I asked if they had any boxes/cabinets of the Hoyo Epis and when he said no they were all out I said that, if he gave me the cabinet price I would take every loose Epi he had - it was almost a full box-load and he really perked up when I said that. Suddenly I was worth being treated royally and had another guy come out to greet me when I wanted the box of Monty's
http://picpaste.com/20170925_133656-y2weu6H5.jpg
Probably let the Monty's rest for a while but the Hoyo's were outstanding to smoke right now. Fired up several on the rooftop patio at our B&B that overlooked the Colosseum and the Forum.
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http://picpaste.com/romeroof-JTy3fGri.jpg
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They also sold "high end" whiskey upstairs and I noted this in a prominent location, Buffalo Trace at $75 a bottle!
http://picpaste.com/IMG_20170925_134722-DyVrGC5y.jpg
Now I like Buff Trace, but considering I can get that for $18 at our local supermarket, I am thinking there is a business opportunity here...
FWIW, no issues going through customs. Was asked if bringing anything into the US and said some cigars and wine but nothing over the limit and that was that.
Lastly just a comment on anti-smoking stuff. All cigarette packs in Italy have to be 2/3 covered with some anti-smoking picture and lots of warnings. There are also lots of anti-smoking posters and adds all over and cigarette taxes are pretty high as well. The result....people were smoking everywhere! It was like Italian "Mad Men." At the cafes, on the streets and sidewalks, in the lines. Indoor smoking rooms, when they were available, were packed. Men, women, young, old, everybody.
As to the pictures on the cigarette packs, the woman where I bought this pack said young people want to buy the ones with the nastiest, grossest, photos - and some of them were REALLY nasty. They even collect and trade the "rare" ones (I will give you two Camel tuberculosis for your Marlboro tracheotomy...)
This one, however, is apparantly popular with the ladies...
http://picpaste.com/cigwarn-JOlH756T.jpg
