Written on October 23, 2011 at 7:30 pm by Glo0

St Claude – Day 1 (The Flight & Le Boit)

Filed under Pipe Tobacco Reviews, Smoking Diary, Videos {no comments}

Well the day started early, i was getting a taxi at 5am to start the journey which would constist of

** Nottingham - London(Stansted) :: Bus - 115miles
** London - Lyon :: Plane - 454miles
** Lyon - Le Biot :: Car - 126miles
** Le Boit - St Claude :: Car - 71miles
** St Claude - Genva :: Car - 40miles
** Geneva - London(Luton) ::  Plane - 460miles
** London - Nottingham :: Bus - 100miles
All in 48 hours - 1366 miles

I was up at 4am and waiting outside for my taxi at 5. I made it the airport with plenty of time to waste. I made the most of this by drinking my own weight in tea, eating almond croissants and wandering round aimlessly. To fill up a bit of time i had my first bowl of Penzance and damn was that good (read my review). Finally my gate was listed and just passport control standing between me and the plane to France.

Passport control is a funny place, i normally dont get more than a quick pat down. I should have guessed it might turn a little more detailed when my bag went down a different conveyor belt. I was patted down, cupped & my feet tickled in my socks. Shame im not into 50yr old men. Then i was asked if i had anything that could get me into trouble, a few times. “Course not” I responded. He then asked to search my bag, “Go for it”. First thing he pulls out the tin of Penzance, “Whats this?”. I reply with “Its pipe tobacco” and he didnt believe that for one second until he opened the tin. He then commented how nice it smelt while he swabbed it. Clean, he then opens my pipe bag and find 3 blends in plastic ziplock bags. These are swapped along with my pipes. Still nothing, so he swabs my bag, still nothing. So he then checks my laptop and phone, these he checks again and walks off with my laptop for someone else to swab it. Comes back all clean, i almost shit it! He took a card of me and we chatted about how people still smoke pipes (young & old).

With all that out if the way i was finally in the air and making my south to Lyon. We arrive early and put in my call to John (my boss). While i was waiting i had a cheeky bowl of Bagpipers Dream in my Peterson smooth 303. For those of you who are yet to try Bagpipers, you have no idea what you are missing. Soon enough i was in the car and on my way into the Alpes. The drive to Le Biot took us through tunnels, motorways on stilts and some of the most beautiful scenery i have seen.

We spent a cold night in Le Boit at Johns ski cabin, the views again where amazing. Tree lined mountains all golden browns, red, oranges, purples and yellows. By night the milky way shone in all its glory, through some binoculars we could even see Jupiter and 3 moons(or distant stars in alignment). After a beer and some food at the local bar/restaurant we called it a night.