Belgium

The Modern Efficiency Killer

I’ll be the first to admit that I do love my smartphone.  The primary need for me to own/use one is for work.  I need to be connected at all times of the day and just about anything I can do on my laptop, I can also do from my Samsung Android smartphone.  But there are plenty of times that I wish the darn things hadn’t been invented.   I also enjoy staying in touch with friends and family via Facebook and Twitter.

As my wife and I were exiting the Eurostar Lounge at the Brussels train station, we entered a large waiting area which was slowly moving towards the platform for our Eurostar train.  There were several hundred people in a small space and things were moving rather slow.  I wondered what could be the cause of this?  Could it be there’s another security checkpoint?  Ticket verification checkpoint?  Then I looked around and I saw it.  Literally everyone was in this zombie like mode of trying to read something, watch something or type something onto their phones.  The line was literally going no where.  More about this later…

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The Finer Things

As a pipe smoker, I enjoy slowing the world down to a snails pace.  If I happen to be reading, working a word search puzzle or just watching people…I use the art of pipe smoking to calm myself and to calm the world around me.  When I typically sit down to smoke my pipe, I’m not bothered by what time it is and I almost never ever have any place to be anytime soon.  In other words, if my pipe smoking session takes 30 minutes or turns into one hour or more, it’s 100% fine.  As my wife is a cigarette smoker, it’s taken her some time to get used to this concept.

A Time and Place

There’s a time and place to slow things down and likewise a time and place to be as efficient as possible.  The somewhat ironic thing about the behavior I witnessed in the Brussels train station does baffle me.  After all, at no time was anyone asked to switch off their phones.  There’s no safety demonstration and passengers are not restricted from using their phones at any point of the trip.  Phones (including data/text) ever worked under the English Channel.

Unfortunately, I witness this same behavior at my office, at the grocery store…just about everywhere.  The very devices which keep us connected and in some ways make our lives easier….are also distracting us and causing delays where they certainly don’t need to be.

Solution?

Unfortunately I don’t have all the answers and I don’t see this getting better anytime soon. I do my part by keeping my cell phone in my pocket when I’m in a busy environment.  What are your thoughts?  Please leave a comment below or Tweet me and let me know.

Until next time…

Happy Piping!

Jerry

July 23, 2019 by Pipe Smoking 0

Belgium–The Final Day

The day has arrived for us to travel back to England from Belgium.  We’re headed back the same way we came, via the Eurostar.  Earlier today I enjoyed my last cup of Belgian coffee, or what I thought was my last.  We left the hotel to go and have one last visit with my father-in-law before we left for Brussels.  Of course we had breakfast at the hotel which has served as our Belgian base since Wednesday.  They had an all-you-can-eat breakfast bar each morning and it was very nice. Here’s a picture of their fresh honey.  If it were any fresher we might have swarms of bees after us.

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Upon arriving at my father-in-laws house, it was time to smoke our pipes one last time for this visit.  You just never know when the last time on this earth will actually occur for any of us. He and I both savored the moment.  It was a good pipe.

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Once we arrived in Brussels and made our way to the Eurostar Lounge, it was time for another cup of coffee and one that would certainly be the last.  We should arrive in Ashford just before 5 PM and then we have an hour taxi ride back to Tunbridge Wells.  Leaving Belgium is always bittersweet, but England and especially Tunbridge Wells is truly our home away from home.  It will be good to be back home.  For now!

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We have less than one week remaining of our England/Belgium vacation.  We’ll depart London Heathrow for Denver on Saturday.  Then even more unfortunately, the wife and I will return back to work on Monday. But let’s not think about that for now…lots more time to enjoy my pipe and coffee in the English Countryside of Kent.

Until next time…

Happy Piping!

Jerry

July 21, 2019 by Pipe Smoking 0

Cutting Grass on Vacation?

On Thursday, 18 July…we entered our 6th day of vacation and the 2nd day in Belgium.  We’re in Belgium to visit my wife’s family (father, sister and nieces/nephew etc.).  My father-in-law is in his 80’s and can’t take care of his yard any longer.  So I did what any good son-in-law would do and cut his grass.

I’ve been cutting grass since I was in my pre-teen years.  This was one of my teenage jobs which I maintained about 3-4 yards and cleaned some swimming pools between my jr. high and high school age years.  There’s really no telling how many miles of grass I’ve cut.  However, while I’ve cut grass using push mowers, self-propelled mowers, small garden tractors and even larger tractors for mowing grass/hay etc.  But this was the first time in my almost 53 years that I ever cut grass with an electric lawn mower.

After the grass chores were completed, my wife and I enjoyed a short walk to a nearby cafe for a coffee.  I enjoyed a pipe of some Mac Baren Vanilla Creme Flake while enjoying the cool weather.  Things are due to heat up later this week.  For my readers who are not familiar.  Most homes in Europe (including UK) don’t have air conditioning.  In all honesty, it’s really not needed as the number of days where the temps break the upper 80’s and 90’s are rare.  But when they do, it can be miserable.

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My father-in-law smokes Schippers brand pipe tobacco.  I tried a bowl and enjoyed it.  I really don’t know much about it.  I got a chocolate/nutty taste with it, but it burned well.  As my father-in-law can’t get out, I went down to the local newsagent and purchased him a half dozen packs.  So between what he had on hand, what I purchased along with the two tins of Lane 1-Q, he’s set for a few weeks of pipe smoking enjoyment.

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For the next few days we’re visiting family and friends in Belgium.  We depart for England via the Eurostar on Sunday and will head back to Tunbridge Wells.  While this vacation has not been everything we planned, we’re making the best of it every where we can.

Until next time…

Happy Piping!!!

Jerry

July 19, 2019 by Pipe Smoking 0

Belgium Travel Day

With the wife about as cured as one can hope for, the day began at 0400 hours.  Actually, truth be told…the day actually began much, much earlier.  I fell asleep around 9 PM and woke just before midnight.  I’m honestly not sure I ever went back to sleep.  That’s jetlag for you. But I did enjoy my first cup of coffee (actually a double-shot of espresso) around 4:45 AM.  Coffee Count = 1.

Our taxi arrived promptly at 5:30 AM for the one hour drive from Tunbridge Wells to Ashford International.  After a brief wait in the passenger lobby (and enjoying a cup of coffee) we proceeded to the platform to wait the arrival of the Eurostar train.  Coffee Count – 2.

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Once onboard and pulling away from the station, we enjoyed a hot breakfast served in the First Class coach.  This included a full English breakfast and two cups of coffee.  Coffee count = 4

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Apparently the tunnel is 21 miles long and runs approx. 150 feet deep under the English Channel.  It seemed to take just 20 minutes or so to complete the underwater/underground portion of the trip and we soon pulled into the station in Lille, France.  Since I had not yet had the opportunity to ever visit France, I asked one of the crew members if I could very briefly step off the train and onto the platform.  She agreed and actually escorted me in doing so.  She didn’t want to take the risk of the train leaving me on the platform.  How very, very nice of her.

Once back on  board, we pulled away from the station and were soon served an official (so I’m told) French double espresso.  At this point I can pretty much see sound waves.  Coffee count = 5.

Brussels –> Antwerp

Our final destination after all this was Antwerp.  After arriving in Brussels, we changed platforms and manage to get to Antwerp, drop bags off at hotel and get to my father-in-laws house before high noon.  Oh…I had one more coffee this afternoon around 2 PM.  I believe this makes coffee count = 6.  But in all actuality, when you count the double shots, it really increases the count to 8.  But really..who the heck is really counting.

What about the pipe?

Oh yes….I almost forgot (not really, after all what is the main focus of this blog?) my father-in-law absolutely loved the Lane Limited 1-Q.  I brought him two tins and within 5 minutes of walking in the house, he wanted to crack the tin open and smoke a bowl.  Which we did just that.  We then enjoyed a second bowl each after lunch.

Tomorrow we have some family business to sort out and as a result, there may not be much fun information to share with you all.  However, I do have a article I wrote earlier in the week that will publish tomorrow about the Tin Society.

Finally, I do want to thank those of you who have helped share my blog site on Twitter.  Things have begun to take off nicely and that’s certainly encouraging to keep writing.  So please keep it up.  If you enjoy my content, please share with your Twitter followers.  I really appreciate it.

As the clock is about to chime 8 PM here in Antwerp, Belgium…I think I’ll head down to the outdoor bar for a nightcap and the last pipe of the day.  Good night to one and all.

Until next time…

Happy Piping!

Jerry

July 19, 2019 by Pipe Smoking 0