A Dangerous Man... Lawrence After Arabia...

The Study - Nicotiana Tabacum - Some Travel Cigars - Choose them with thought and care .....

(All Photos by Tavarua)

A few of my Travel Cigars.....

The tobacco leaves came from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico in 1558 to Europe....There will always be cigars....even if i seldom smoke them the smell from the tobacco...brings back memories from the old world...

"Limited Edition"

dunhill...cigars have been manufactured in Dominican Republic since 1989...

"No.4"

Partagas...has always been known to be a superior cigar and the company was founded in Cuba in the mid-19th century.  The countries of origin can easily be recognized - "Partagas 1845" and the Cuban "Habana"

Davidoff...

"Epicure No.1"

Hoyo De Monterrey...one of the oldest brands still in existense..since 1865 - Cuba...

"Gran Reserve"

Arturo Fuente....

Do not forget that they should be savoured slowly for their exquisite flavour and aroma.....

(1948 - Photo by William Sumits)

Sir Winston in his study at Chartwell - 1948. This portion of the house dates back to the 1100s. 

The Study....here is where one can meditate over life..How I always have enjoyed, the study, the trophy room, the library............ old mahogany furniture, Chesterfield, campaign chairs, leather books, the smell of pipe/cigar tobacco, port and old cognac, objects which all have a story to tell. Years and years of memories and more stories embedded into the walls ....

By the way, Sir Winston did stock around 3,000 and 4,000 cigars, mainly his favorite Cuban, in a room adjacent to his study. The cigars were kept in boxes on shelves with labels reading "large" and "small," "wrapped" and "naked" - that was to clarify which ones were wrapped and which were not. He daily smoked 8 to 10 cigars. Sir Winston an epicure, a connoisseur of cigars and wines. T.E.Lawrence (I recommend to read Seven Pillars of Wisdom) use to dine with Sir Winston at Chartwell until his death.

A life to remember - Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) - Adventures in Arabia...

Gertrude Bell

Eccentric? - Possible - Gertrude Bell gathered information/intelligence data which was used by T.E.Lawrence in the successful Arab revolt against the Turks (1915-1916). She saw the young T.E.Lawrence when he was just 23 years old in Arabia, she was then 42 years old and already famous. She spoke fluently French, German, Arabic and Persian. She had a passion for Arabia - Independent, Intellectual, Intelligent born in 1868 she attended Oxford, climbed the Alps which, also gave her a reputation for being mountaineer. She made two voyages around the world prior to her arrival to Arabia.

Gertrude Bell was the one of the Empires leading Arabists. She rode camels with the Bedouin in the Arabian desert, spoke their language, dined with tribal leaders. Recruited by British Intelligence during the First World War. Political Officer, Oriental Secretary to the High Commissioner in Baghdad. She had a strong interest in archeology and founded the Baghdad Archaeology Museum.

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King Faisal I

Gertrude Bell was part of the negotiating the borders of Iraq.

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Gertrude Bell attends a meeting of the Mesopotamia Commission at the Cairo Conference of 1921.In the photo are Gertrude Bell, Sir Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence.

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Sir Winston Churchill accepted Faisal as the new King of Iraq due to his talks to Gertrude Bell. Further, Bell was close to King Faisal and acted as his adviser as well.