Bremen, I discovered your videos a couple months ago. I have a few things to say. My career, I am recently retired, was in the motion picture business. And I can say, you are the real deal my friend. And I know it when I see it. A combination of your enjoyment of your pipes and various tobaccos and other people and places. After watching your vlogs, I feel a sense of being there or you being here. A couple of friends chatting and smoking together, enjoying the world around us. In finishing, I'll quote you. "I hope you can see that." And. "Be well."
Many, many thanks for these kind and heartwarming words! Means a lot for me, coming from you! Take care...and (of course!) "be well, my friend!"... :-) Mark
Mark, thanks so much for showing Verdun. I think people really don't understand the carnage that goes on during war. The amount of unknown soldiers there is astounding. I certainly enjoy your videos and keep up the great work.Regards,Bill
Well Mark, I have watched all of your videos. I'm very impressed with them. I too am a Meerschaum smoker and love your pipes. I will need to tell you that this is my Grandson's RUclips page however.Regards, Bill
What a wonderful video Mark. Much credit to you for sharing it with all of us. I share your love of history. You are taking me to places I could never visit otherwise. Your stores and tobacco reviews are always enjoyable. Thank you so much. Jim Dennis
Eastern North Carolina here! On my drive from Greenville to Wilson every morning I pass countless fields of beautiful green tobacco fields with old wooden drying barns dotting the landscape. When the plants flower there's the most wonderful smell in the air. I had to replay the video when I thought I heard you say "Eastern North Carolina". Great video...always enjoy the history you share as well as the tobacco.
Hi Mark, I want to belatedly thank you for posting the videos from your stays at the Vieux Moulin, and I want to do it for a reason. Me and my dearest have just returned from that beautiful spot, having been there for the 2nd time now. When I saw the footage from your vacations in 2016, I knew we'd have to go there, too (it's only an 3.5-4 hours drive). And so we did. Talk about love at first sight! So, again, thank you very much for discovering and 'sharing' a holiday home that has become something special to us. "Take care and be well"! ;-)
Hello Ian! Thanks a lot for that! Glad, you enjoyed! I'll be there in October again :-) Did you leave me some baccy at a hidden space? ..LOL Take care! Be well, my friend! Mark
Well, if only I'd known... I even had an unopened tin of HU Flanagan Flake with me...! I guess that, indeed, a tobacco tin with a greeting note, stored inside that heavy wooden table in the living room, wouldn't have been taken away by anybody. But knowing you, I'm sure you won't suffer any shortage of tobacco either way.... ;-) So, have a nice vacation in October! À toute à l'heure!
Bremen Pipe Smoker ...........you bet! Keep it up. I like your tampers too. Beautiful work. We would love to see the fruits of your labor every once in awhile. Even if you are just subtly tamping with it during a video. Thanks again. Be well.
Very good to see you brother. Its like stepping back in time with this video. Very nice to see these off the beaten path areas that us Americans would never see. Thanks a bunch for taking the time and sharing. Happy Smokes. 🔥🔥🔥
Another FANTASTIC video, Mark!! ...and by the way....thanks for the shout out with the Uncle Tom's tobacco--it is likewise one of my favorites as well! The history of France is truly remarkable and matched only by its scenic beauty!! Thanks again for sharing and be well, my friend!!
Hello Tim, my friend! Many thanks again, for that great tobacco! I tried the Tilbury some days ago...and that was another exciting experience to me...this is just wonderful stuff...I think, I gonna do a video about that soon...thanks for that! I guess, my package hasn't reached you so far...I gonna do a search order next week (it's 5 weeks now...)... Take care, my friend! And talk soon! Mark
Glad you like the tobaccos!!! Still no package--I am sure customs is doing their thing to be sure that we are not secret agents trying to defy the government...LOL Have a GREAT weekend---All the Best!!
Many thanks for that! And...yeah...this Meerschaum is really coloring very quickly...let's see, how it looks in one or two years... Take care! And be well! Mark
Wow. Another fantastic, historical, educational, video with pipes and lovely tobaccos too! Thanks for sharing your vacation! Amazing footage of Verdun. That old mill is hard to forget - beautiful. Great taste in scotch, too. :-) Peace.
Thanks a lot for watching...and your really kind words! Yes, the mill is a wonderful place ... nearly "unrealistic"... like some decoration for a Disney movie... :-) Take care! And be well! Mark
Hi Mark: It is genuinely hard to imagine something like the horrendously bloody battle of Verdun taking place in such a placid and beautiful area that exists today. Apparently the main strategy of such battles was to decimate the enemy forces so totally that they would literally bleed to death and disappear from the battlefield. One of the highly educational assets of your historical videos is to discover that many of these twentieth century unfortunate and often deadly occurrences are rooted in the long forgotten past. To think that the mayhem of the battle of Verdun in the early twentieth century had its start because of a dispute between three brothers long ago is amazing. The same lesson is taught in your video where you visit the Saxon killing ground where Hitler memorialized the Saxons with 4500 stones, great lessons my friend, just one of many reasons to never forget our respective histories and where they are rooted. I would love to attend one of your lectures but then I would probably have to learn German and my mental block on learning a foreign language would become embarrassingly obvious. Keep Puffin.
Thank you so much for that, Doug! Good thoughts about history...as always! And completely agreed on your thoughts about the strategy of Verdun... Take care! Talk soon! Mark
The trench is amazing! What a great history trip, thanks so much! So heartening to see the trees conquering the devastation My wife would set up camp at the Verdun memorial and never leave, why I've never taken her to Arlington :)
Many thanks for watching and your kind words, my friend! And...yeah...history is very "close" at these places...but nature doesn't care so much about our human disasters...it just goes on with it's circle of life... Take care! And be well! Mark
The tour of Metz and Verdun was especially tranquil with river shots outside your cottage rental. The ending photos, from the beagel watching from a balcony to the sun setting in Verdun was very relaxing. We have a few WW1 memorials here in the states but only those countries who gave so much for those atrocious combat years show the appreciation by the grand buildings, grounds, and cemeteries which are so linked to their history. Peace & thank you for bringing us along. Jack
Many thanks for watching...and very thoughtful comment! It's interesting, to hear about the american view on these events...many thanks for that! Take care! And be well! Mark
Hello Mark! You visited some very interesting places. I visited Verdun and Metz about 25 years ago. I remember seeing the trenches from the road when driving through the region by car. I think I have a picture of that (a diapo), and we even saw some portions with pieces of woods that were maintaining the dirt on either sides. Very impressive. I also saw l'Ossuaire de Douaumont and Le Fort de Douaumont. L'Ossuaire de Douaumont is certainly one of the most impressive, fascinating and emotionally taking place I have visited (with Struthof-Natzweiler that is in the Alsace region). Verdun, is certainly a place to visit... Take care my good friend... and Be well! Hope to talk soon!
Hello Gilles, my good friend! Well...time and YTPC...I know, what you're talking about...LOL Not always that easy to handle... Thanks a lot for your "lifesign"....I hope, you have a great vacation! Relax and try to recover from your work! Take care...we'll talk soon! Mark
Mark, glad you're back safe updating us on your beautiful holiday. This was a nice surprise for me today, a good treat. I'm ordering a lot of new blends on the 15th, I'll be including this Red Virginia, cheers mate!
I have been looking forward to this video since you last announced you were on vacation. Thank you so very much for making the time to capture such great footage and provide us with the very informative historical narrative. I plan to study up on Verdun this evening. LOL All the best! Bob
Greetings Mark! Very good to see you enjoying your holiday! Thanks for the wonderful tour and history lesson. Such a nice area. Be well and enjoy your time and your pipes!
I really enjoyed that video. Discovered this beautiful channel only a few weeks ago. Watching now one video after the other. Looking forward for such a quit place, smoke a pipe and get new ideas for new branding works. Have a good smoke. Greetings from BaWü. Mathias
Hello Mathias! Many thanks for watching and your kind words! Very best wishes from Bremen to the beautiful southwest - where my fathers family comes from! Take care! And be well! Mark
What a great holiday, really my kind of getaway, glad you had a good time and a good trip....and thank you for taking some footage to share with us. I would like to get back to Europe again sometime soon, I certainly miss it, so much history, beautiful places and beautiful people. Take care, be well, and perhaps I'll see you again. Corey
What a fabulous video Mark! Very moving to see all those graves at Verdun. What a masterstroke to use the white stone they did for the crosses - it doesn't discolour or age - makes one feel closer in time to the fallen even though it was 100 years ago. So much for the 'War to end all wars' eh?! (Smoked a good meerschaum with some Scottish Cake whilst watching your video by the way...). Thanks again, Paul
Hello Paul! Many thanks for watching...and thoughtful comment! Yeah...the year 1914 was really the beginning of a cascade of catastrophys, changing the face of the continent - and the entire world - for ever... Let's hope, we'll never forget that... Thanks again! And take care! Mark
Thanks a lot for taking the time! And...yes, the malt was remarkable...and fortunately, there is still something left in the bottle... :-) Take care! Mark
Thank you for this excellent video and the inspirational insights in your life! I like those vacations. Going to places with a story, taking a step back from daily life and noticing what's really there. Somehow pipesmoking is the perfect habit for that.
Hello Andre! Thank you so much for taking the time and most kind words! And yeah...in some situations, the pipe just helps, to "focus"...in some ways... Thanks again...and be well! Mark
My Goodness! The scale of it. The devastation. The death. The madness.... The monumental I don't even know... Fascinating video. Thanks, Mark. I'm just waiting on a delivery tomorrow which is gonna have a lot of McConnell tobacco with some Red Virginia and Scottish Cake, too. I have never tried them. I am waiting. Thanks, again. I really appreciate your channel.
I like that Red Virginia too. My father who is 85 years old says it reminds him of a candy he new as child. I live in NC...in tobacco country and I really like smoking tobaccos that were grown literally in my neighborhood. Take care.
Hi Marc ! Very nice location ! The Background looks like a painting ! Very cool ! I also like the Red Viriginia ! For me it´s like a kind of malty notes ! Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures with us ! I wanted to visit this very interesting historical area some time ! Take care Andreas
Excellent video, one of your best yet! I greatly enjoyed the miniature history lesson as well as the historically significant locations. Your vacation spot looks fantastic, I can see why you keep returning to it.
What a terrific video. I enjoyed watching it on a hot summer day here in July and could feel like was practically there! Lovely. Two thoughts occurred to me as I watched. The first when you were in the remaining trenches at Verdun. How surreal that today we see trenches again in Ukraine. How truly sad. The second thought was wondering where you would be this summer vacation?? Mark, I so enjoy your work. You filmed this one five years ago but it seems so relevant today. Vielen Dank, and hope you’re enjoying your 2022 summer!
Thank you so much for that, Michael! Much appreciated! And...yeah...actually I'm planing on another vacation to France next week...haven't been there for too long... Take care! Be well! Mark
Mark I want to congratulate you on such an engaging and enjoyable video. One of the best yet my friend. Thank you for sharing. You have a beautiful retreat there. Talk very soon! Peace
Beautiful country side Mark. I was out that way this spring and I got to visit Belleau Wood near Chateau Thierry (very big deal for US Marines history, I served in two of the Battalions that fought there 3/6 and 3/5 and we wear still the French Fourragere as tribute to their valor to this day). I love the way the French preserved their battle fields and kept them natural as you described, Belleau Wood was very similar to the natural setting of Verdun. Excellent video and commentary as always Mark, and it looks like you had a great time! Take care and happy smokes! Kent
Hello Kent, my friend! Many thanks for taking the time...and great comment! I guess, we'll have a lot, to talk about, during your hours in Bremen... :-) Take care...and talk soon! Mark
Thank you for this video and for the history lesson! Really beautiful places. I have only been in the big cities in France and Germany (Paris/Berlin) and would love to see some of the country side. I enjoy your channel very much, keep up the good work! /Rick
Hello Rick! Thank you so much for watching ... and interesting comment! And ... yeah...the countryside is always different...but hard to discover, if you just stay for a limited time...if you ever come near ... let me know... :-) Take care! And be well! Mark
Love this channel......your accent is peaceful and your info is priceless.....(started watching your videos on meerchaum pipe collection) subscribed. Thanks for your time and effort to share your knowledge and info!
Wonderful video. The battlefield reminds me of some of the American civil war battlefields. Even after 150 years they still look like they did in the 1860’s. Even had trenches then too.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much for sharing with us these stories and areas of France. A little more than 4 months ago I listened to a 24+ hour lecture from The Great Courses on audible.com regarding the French revolution and Napoleonic wars. The History of Europe is so full of strife between so many different cultures in a small area and it is so incredibly intriguing to me. This video has been a visual gold mine for me. Thank you. Europe, France, is so much more quaint than I envisioned it would be today. Nice dip in the river too. Tells me about ya like to experience the environment and that is always good. So much here that I would like to comment on but i'm not going to bore everyone. Oh also, I bought my first meerschaum because your video earlier. The pipe that I purchased is from Strambach. It appears to be a good pipe and is already gaining a good amount of color. However, by looking at the pipe you smoke next to the river I realized why I have a a small section next to the plastic stem that is not coloring as it goes directly from the meerschaum to stem and does not include a silver band. I gather that silver band covers up a portion of the meerschaum. So I might look at getting a more impressive meerschaum in the future. To see those trenches was an impressive thing to see. Thank you sir.
Thank you so much, for taking the long time to watch and your very interesting comment! And ...yeah....here in Europe, everything is pretty close...with all the advantages and disadvantages... Just glad, you found some sequences of interest in the video! Also great, to hear, that you found yourself a proper Meerschaum and that you already got some color on it...that's the part, you can never be sure of, before you start smoking it...some are quicker, some slower, some nearly "deny their purpose"...lol And "silver bands"...? That's always a question of personel preferences....because it "breaks" the color line. If you have an amber stem, the coloring without a band can be very beautiful too... Thanks again1 And take care! Mark
I am in the midst of reading Sir Winston Churchills' account of WWI. So seeing the various sites in your video was very meaningful. Thank you so much for sharing all the views as well as your informative commentary.
today is my hard fitness day and when ı came home ı was very tired.ı wanted to sleep early.ı ı eat my dinner and light my bowl.after a few minutes ı saw your video.aman allahım(oh my god)40 minutes...L.O.L.ı love traveling,ı love history,ı love pipes and you are my friend ı wached your video minute by minute.1 st world war!in çanakkale anzacs and turks sleeping together.great video mark.enjoyable,sadness like life.take care and be well
Many, many thanks for that, Oguz, my friend! And even more for taking the long time after your hard workout! Just glad, you enjoyed! Let me know, if there is anything you need! Tried the Macun-i-Mesur today...the secretary (she is from Turkey) didn't know it either...this is really great stuff...sweet and spicy the same time... Hope, you are well! And take good care, my friend!! Mark
This is a great video, bro! I dont know how I missed it for so long. I studied History in university and the German language aber mein Deutsch ist nicht mehr sehr gut. The First World War has always been one of my favorites to study. Really, it is the greatest catastrophe in human history. It was nice to visit it with you in this video. Oh, and Marshal Ney is a really interesting fellow, too - his defense of the French rear during their retreat from Moscow is legendary.
Many thanks for that, my friend! Really so much appreciated! And yes, I agree...but this catastrophy seems unfortunately to be in the shadow of WWII...although it gives a quite more educational lesson than WWII, where good and bad were easy to distinct...but WWI was really a madnes over nothing, in which people seemed to "slide in" without really knowing, what they started, unable to stop it, when they realized that modern warfare is in no way glorious... Gives us much to think about in times, where people like to throw away easily so much, that we built in the last 60 years in Europe... Thanks again...and take care, my friend! Mark
Wonderful place for a time-out. Last year i watched this video and thought how interesing it would be to visit this place. Now i had a look and was a little bit surprised - 2 hours with the car. That is pretty close. Maybe if we have the time this summer we will do our vacation there.
Yeah...you really should! Take some time and do a little hike into the large battlefields of the past... and enjoy some good (traditional German style) food and beer in Metz... I think, you won't regret... Take care! Hope, you are well! Mark
Many thanks for that, my friend! Why black..? Well...many years ago, I got used to it...leaves me more time, to focus on the important things, when I don't have to make decisions on my wardrobe... :-) Take care! And be well! Mark
Hi Mark, my friend: A wonderful video!! You've given us plenty to think about, and to go research. I, for one, am fairly ignorant of the history of the First World War. I need to do some homework. The scope of destruction, and death, in these battles, is just unbelievable. Well....on a lighter note, I thought it was interesting that you were smoking what looked like a Peterson bulldog with an "army mount", while walking along the trenches on the battlefield at Verdun. I had read that the army, or military mount, was developed by soldiers in the trenches during WW1. Supposedly, if a soldier was called to duty while smoking his pipe, he could quickly pull it apart, and put it in his pocket, or bag, and get into the fighting. Any truth to that, do you think? Thanks so much for this video. I really enjoyed it. It sure looked as if you enjoyed your vacation. Be Well. Ed
Hello Ed, my friend! Thank you so much for watching and your (as always) thoughtful comment! And again...you have sharp eyes, my friend...LOL...I took this pipe (it's a Peterson Ashford, built after old historical designs of this era), because it is my closest model to the pipes of these times. German soldiers often used short pipes from wood and ceramic ("Gesteckpfeifen") with painted pictures on the bowls...but also pipes with "army mount"...I have seen several of these pipes in a museum nearby... And you're right about the reasons for using this kind of pipe... Near the places, I showed, is a very modern museum, where all the descriptions are in french and german...and the exhibition really leaves you speechless because of the incredible horror, these men had to go threw... Thanks again, Ed! And take care, my friend! Mark
Hello, Mark. excellent video! Crazy to think how a field of such violence and destruction can now be so beautiful and lush. Thanks as always for the views and history. They help get me through the day at my job. Haha. How do you keep your pipes so well lit, especially outside? I’m currently struggling and would love some advice from you (regarding your pack and lighting I’m assuming). I’m probably one of the few Americans who prefers 9mm pipes, so I have a hard time getting advice for pipes with filters. Any help would be much appreciated! Hope you are well, friend, and God bless! Bryce from Texas.
Great video as usual Mark! Thank you so much for sharing. I have never been to Europe and all your locations look so beautiful! And I love history as well, and you have so much more over there than here in the States. Also, I've been really wanting to try some Robert Connell, I think you've convinced me. Thanks Again for sharing! SAL.
Thanks a lot for watching...and your really kind words! Yeah....there is much history around here...but many of these places just remind us of a violant past... Take care, my friend! And be well! Mark
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed your German perspective on these incredible sites, amazing architecture and beautiful scenery. Thanks for taking the time to upload in HD, places such as these deserve it! Can I ask about the place you stayed? Is it for rent? appears to be on a river given the water wheel or maybe the Canal de l'Est or Meuse? And finally, what are you filming with? It zooms in with impressive clarity.
Many thanks for watching and most kind words! And yeah...it's an old water mill at the Moselle...the village is "Malroy"...just take a look at google maps.... I'm filming with my cell phone...it's a "samsung k-zoom"...It has a real ten times zoom...I take the videos with full hd1920 and 60 frames...but I compress for the upload to 1280...otherwise, it would take me days for the upload...thanks to our slow internet, here in old Germany...LOL Thanks again....and take care! Mark
Great video as always. The war memorial was amazing. It is a shame that we did not learn much from all that death and destruction, as is clear in this mad world we live in today. I do have a question for you, which is how many languages do you speak? I ask this because you have mentioned some of your travels and I know that one does not need to speak the language of the area but it does help.
Thanks a lot for watching, my friend! And for good words! Well...I don't speak many languages...unfortunately... In France, it's good, to speak at least "some" french... :-) But in most european countries, English will "do the job"... Unfortunately "latin" is no longer a common language here...LOL Take care! And be well! Mark
Bremen. I'd like your opinion of gawith and hoggarths Kendal Kentucky. Being a cigar smoker myself I find I'd rather grand. I'm also a Robert McConnell fan. My wife's maiden name is McConnell as well. Love your talks man. Love from Cornwall!
Hi Mark. That area by the river with the chairs, is that the same place you were before and it dates back to the 1700's? If so, love it! I love history and old buildings!
Red Virginias from North Carolina! You're welcome. :) That's a gorgeous pipe. So . . . on other matters, would you agree that there is a central-European proclivity to fight two-front wars? Or is that just an American perspective from folks who have had geography on our side for our entire history?
Posted the above too early. This video is absolutely fantastic. Somber historic memorials + trench warfare + pipe menagerie = A place in the "Best Pipe Videos Ever" playlist. Would love to talk sometime about American/European perspectives on the two world wars.
Thank you so much for watching and heartwarming words! And...yes, would be great, to have a pipe and talk about different perspectives on these events... I think, one of the historical "problems" of european history is, that Europe is built by several countries of (nearly) equal power with permanent competition for leadership...whenever one country seemed, to become some kind of "hegemon", other countries united, to equal the power. The wars between those alliances or rivals of equal power used to be extremely bloody (in both senses), because a final victory was hard to get. And after those victorys, the seemen for the next revenge was already planted...and new war just a matter of time... This circle was broken by german-french friendship, carefully built after WWII ... and by building the European Union... Thanks a lot for watching! Take care! And be well! Mark
Hallo Mark, wieder einmal ein ganz tolles Video von Dir, wie gewohnt. Frage: Wo bekommt man so eine schöne Meerschaumpfeife her? Genau mein Geschmack!!😀 Schonmal vielen Dank im Voraus und eine Bitte: Ich hätte gerne einen Stopfer von Dir, einen dunklen. Kannst Du mir dazu eine PN schreiben? Liebe Grüße. Tanja
I'm looking for a Meerschaum pipe shape exactly like yours. lol Any recommendations on where to get one? Thank you, I'm of German descent, so the history lesson was very interesting, love your videos. Please show us your watch?
Nice to see you again Mark. What do you think about English blends. I just started smoking them (from Aromatics) & i got Peterson's Irish flake, Dublin old & Dunhill my mixture 965. I really enjoy smoking them that i regret i bought many aromatics. I started to like the nicotine punch the English blends deliver. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for watching! Yes...I'm pretty into in the "grown up stuff" myself...LOL Have you seen, the video about the HH Bold Kentucky? If you like the Irish flake, that may be something for you as well... also the Rattray's Stirling flake...and the 3P of Peterson... Take care! And be well! Mark
Was your father in the army during WWII or was he too young? If you don't want to talk about it that's ok, but I studied history at university too and I've always been interested in German perspectives. Good to see you btw
Hello Matthew! No, my father was too young for that. My Grandfather was an engine driver at the Railway near the eastern front. He was prisoner of war for 8 years. He had incredible storys to tell...but he never spoke bad about the russians ... he once fled from a terrible prisoners camp and lived for two years with a farmers family, who didn't even know, that there is a war going on... Take care! And be well! Mark
+Bremen Pipe Smoker that makes sense, you are probably closer to my age then. I had a grandfather and lots of great uncles that were in the war but they all died young or weren't close so I never got to talk to them about it much.
Guten tag, I was wondering if you could do a video sometime showing each of your meerschaum pipes and what you like about the quality of them, I was also wondering what are your main go-to pipe tobaccos, if you had just one kind of tobacco to smoke what would it be?
Hello Jason! Yeah...many of the Meerschaums, I already showed in the "Meerschaum talk"...but perhaps, I gonna do another video about all my Meerschaums one day...thanks for the hint! And ...well... I don't really have a limited number of go-to tobaccos...there is so many good stuff out there... I always have several pipe tobaccos, I smoke very often over some month...before I switch to something else... But there are some tobaccos, I always come back to... like: Three nuns, Makhuwa, Indaba (both in the next video...), Dark Twist, 3P, Best of show, six pence, Stockton, silver flake, D Navy Rolls and so on... if there would be only one tobacco? I would pick something more "neutral", something, you wouldn't get tired of smoking that...like the Golden Sliced... Take care, my friend! Be well! Mark
Oh and I wouldn't feel too bad about the Germain tobaccos because even though we have them in America, you cant ever find them, so it's not much different haha
Bremen,
I discovered your videos a couple months ago. I have a few things to say.
My career, I am recently retired, was in the motion picture business. And I can say, you are the real deal my friend.
And I know it when I see it. A combination of your enjoyment of your pipes and various tobaccos and other people and places. After watching your vlogs, I feel a sense of being there or you being here. A couple of friends chatting and smoking together, enjoying the world around us. In finishing, I'll quote you. "I hope you can see that." And. "Be well."
Many, many thanks for these kind and heartwarming words! Means a lot for me, coming from you!
Take care...and (of course!) "be well, my friend!"... :-)
Mark
Mark, thanks so much for showing Verdun. I think people really don't understand the carnage that goes on during war. The amount of unknown soldiers there is astounding. I certainly enjoy your videos and keep up the great work.Regards,Bill
Hello Bill!
Many thanks for taking the (long) time! Really much appreciated!
Take care...and be well!
Mark
Well Mark, I have watched all of your videos. I'm very impressed with them. I too am a Meerschaum smoker and love your pipes. I will need to tell you that this is my Grandson's RUclips page however.Regards, Bill
What a wonderful video Mark. Much credit to you for sharing it with all of us. I share your love of history. You are taking me to places I could never visit otherwise. Your stores and tobacco reviews are always enjoyable. Thank you so much.
Jim Dennis
Many, many thanks for watching and most kind words! So much appreciated! Just glad, you enjoy!
Take care! And be well, my friend!
Mark
Eastern North Carolina here! On my drive from Greenville to Wilson every morning I pass countless fields of beautiful green tobacco fields with old wooden drying barns dotting the landscape. When the plants flower there's the most wonderful smell in the air. I had to replay the video when I thought I heard you say "Eastern North Carolina". Great video...always enjoy the history you share as well as the tobacco.
Thank you so much for that, my friend! The image, you gave as is so much appreciated!
Take care! Hope, you are well!
Mark
Hi Mark, I want to belatedly thank you for posting the videos from your stays at the Vieux Moulin, and I want to do it for a reason. Me and my dearest have just returned from that beautiful spot, having been there for the 2nd time now. When I saw the footage from your vacations in 2016, I knew we'd have to go there, too (it's only an 3.5-4 hours drive). And so we did. Talk about love at first sight! So, again, thank you very much for discovering and 'sharing' a holiday home that has become something special to us. "Take care and be well"! ;-)
Hello Ian!
Thanks a lot for that! Glad, you enjoyed! I'll be there in October again :-) Did you leave me some baccy at a hidden space? ..LOL
Take care! Be well, my friend!
Mark
Well, if only I'd known... I even had an unopened tin of HU Flanagan Flake with me...! I guess that, indeed, a tobacco tin with a greeting note, stored inside that heavy wooden table in the living room, wouldn't have been taken away by anybody. But knowing you, I'm sure you won't suffer any shortage of tobacco either way.... ;-) So, have a nice vacation in October! À toute à l'heure!
Of all the enjoyment I get from you tube. Your channel is certainly in my favorites. Thank you.
Thank you so much for that, my friend! Truly appreciated by heart!
Take care!
Mark
Bremen Pipe Smoker ...........you bet! Keep it up. I like your tampers too. Beautiful work. We would love to see the fruits of your labor every once in awhile. Even if you are just subtly tamping with it during a video. Thanks again. Be well.
Very good to see you brother. Its like stepping back in time with this video. Very nice to see these off the beaten path areas that us Americans would never see. Thanks a bunch for taking the time and sharing. Happy Smokes. 🔥🔥🔥
Hello Eric, my friend!
Good, to have you here...as always! Many thanks for watching and kind words!
Take care! And talk soon!
Mark
Another FANTASTIC video, Mark!! ...and by the way....thanks for the shout out with the Uncle Tom's tobacco--it is likewise one of my favorites as well! The history of France is truly remarkable and matched only by its scenic beauty!! Thanks again for sharing and be well, my friend!!
Hello Tim, my friend!
Many thanks again, for that great tobacco! I tried the Tilbury some days ago...and that was another exciting experience to me...this is just wonderful stuff...I think, I gonna do a video about that soon...thanks for that!
I guess, my package hasn't reached you so far...I gonna do a search order next week (it's 5 weeks now...)...
Take care, my friend! And talk soon!
Mark
Glad you like the tobaccos!!! Still no package--I am sure customs is doing their thing to be sure that we are not secret agents trying to defy the government...LOL Have a GREAT weekend---All the Best!!
Beauiful setting and a great telling of the local history. Thanks for taking us on holiday with you! Your new meerschaum is coloring quickly.
Many thanks for that! And...yeah...this Meerschaum is really coloring very quickly...let's see, how it looks in one or two years...
Take care! And be well!
Mark
thanks for taking us with you on your vacation. I can't imagine the horrors those men went through. Great video.
Many thanks for taking the time!...and...yeah, its the same for me...
Take care! Be well!
Mark
Wow. Another fantastic, historical, educational, video with pipes and lovely tobaccos too! Thanks for sharing your vacation! Amazing footage of Verdun. That old mill is hard to forget - beautiful. Great taste in scotch, too. :-) Peace.
Thanks a lot for watching...and your really kind words!
Yes, the mill is a wonderful place ... nearly "unrealistic"... like some decoration for a Disney movie... :-)
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Hi Mark: It is genuinely hard to imagine something like the horrendously bloody battle of Verdun taking place in such a placid and beautiful area that exists today. Apparently the main strategy of such battles was to decimate the enemy forces so totally that they would literally bleed to death and disappear from the battlefield. One of the highly educational assets of your historical videos is to discover that many of these twentieth century unfortunate and often deadly occurrences are rooted in the long forgotten past. To think that the mayhem of the battle of Verdun in the early twentieth century had its start because of a dispute between three brothers long ago is amazing. The same lesson is taught in your video where you visit the Saxon killing ground where Hitler memorialized the Saxons with 4500 stones, great lessons my friend, just one of many reasons to never forget our respective histories and where they are rooted. I would love to attend one of your lectures but then I would probably have to learn German and my mental block on learning a foreign language would become embarrassingly obvious. Keep Puffin.
Thank you so much for that, Doug! Good thoughts about history...as always! And completely agreed on your thoughts about the strategy of Verdun...
Take care! Talk soon!
Mark
You always make great videos. I'm so glad I subscribed!!
Many thanks for that, Bill!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
The trench is amazing! What a great history trip, thanks so much!
So heartening to see the trees conquering the devastation
My wife would set up camp at the Verdun memorial and never leave, why I've never taken her to Arlington :)
Many thanks for watching and your kind words, my friend!
And...yeah...history is very "close" at these places...but nature doesn't care so much about our human disasters...it just goes on with it's circle of life...
Take care! And be well!
Mark
The tour of Metz and Verdun was especially tranquil with river shots outside your cottage rental. The ending photos, from the beagel watching from a balcony to the sun setting in Verdun was very relaxing. We have a few WW1 memorials here in the states but only those countries who gave so much for those atrocious combat years show the appreciation by the grand buildings, grounds, and cemeteries which are so linked to their history. Peace & thank you for bringing us along. Jack
Many thanks for watching...and very thoughtful comment! It's interesting, to hear about the american view on these events...many thanks for that!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Hello Mark!
You visited some very interesting places. I visited Verdun and Metz about 25 years ago. I remember seeing the trenches from the road when driving through the region by car. I think I have a picture of that (a diapo), and we even saw some portions with pieces of woods that were maintaining the dirt on either sides. Very impressive.
I also saw l'Ossuaire de Douaumont and Le Fort de Douaumont. L'Ossuaire de Douaumont is certainly one of the most impressive, fascinating and emotionally taking place I have visited (with Struthof-Natzweiler that is in the Alsace region). Verdun, is certainly a place to visit...
Take care my good friend... and Be well!
Hope to talk soon!
Hello Gilles, my good friend!
Well...time and YTPC...I know, what you're talking about...LOL Not always that easy to handle...
Thanks a lot for your "lifesign"....I hope, you have a great vacation! Relax and try to recover from your work!
Take care...we'll talk soon!
Mark
Thank you my friend!!
Try not to work too hard!! ;-)
Mark, glad you're back safe updating us on your beautiful holiday. This was a nice surprise for me today, a good treat. I'm ordering a lot of new blends on the 15th, I'll be including this Red Virginia, cheers mate!
Thanks a lot for watching and kind words, my friend!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
I have been looking forward to this video since you last announced you were on vacation. Thank you so very much for making the time to capture such great footage and provide us with the very informative historical narrative. I plan to study up on Verdun this evening. LOL All the best! Bob
Many thanks for taking the time and very kind words! I'm just glad, you enjoyed!
Take care...and be well!
Mark
Greetings Mark! Very good to see you enjoying your holiday! Thanks for the wonderful tour and history lesson. Such a nice area. Be well and enjoy your time and your pipes!
Hello Mike, my friend!
Many thanks for taking (the long) time!
Take care and be well!!
Mark
I really enjoyed that video. Discovered this beautiful channel only a few weeks ago. Watching now one video after the other. Looking forward for such a quit place, smoke a pipe and get new ideas for new branding works.
Have a good smoke. Greetings from BaWü. Mathias
Hello Mathias!
Many thanks for watching and your kind words!
Very best wishes from Bremen to the beautiful southwest - where my fathers family comes from!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Mueller und Feh, Kunst und Grafikdesign GbR. I also recently found his channel......great channel good info and peaceful yo watch.
What a great holiday, really my kind of getaway, glad you had a good time and a good trip....and thank you for taking some footage to share with us. I would like to get back to Europe again sometime soon, I certainly miss it, so much history, beautiful places and beautiful people. Take care, be well, and perhaps I'll see you again. Corey
Hello Corey!
Many thanks for taking the time! And also for good words! So much appreciated!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
What a fabulous video Mark! Very moving to see all those graves at Verdun. What a masterstroke to use the white stone they did for the crosses - it doesn't discolour or age - makes one feel closer in time to the fallen even though it was 100 years ago. So much for the 'War to end all wars' eh?! (Smoked a good meerschaum with some Scottish Cake whilst watching your video by the way...).
Thanks again,
Paul
Hello Paul!
Many thanks for watching...and thoughtful comment! Yeah...the year 1914 was really the beginning of a cascade of catastrophys, changing the face of the continent - and the entire world - for ever... Let's hope, we'll never forget that...
Thanks again! And take care!
Mark
I really enjoy the historical aspects of your vacations plus the gite location is so serene .I hope you had time to relax with that fine looking malt!
Thanks a lot for taking the time! And...yes, the malt was remarkable...and fortunately, there is still something left in the bottle... :-)
Take care!
Mark
Thank you for this excellent video and the inspirational insights in your life! I like those vacations. Going to places with a story, taking a step back from daily life and noticing what's really there. Somehow pipesmoking is the perfect habit for that.
Hello Andre!
Thank you so much for taking the time and most kind words!
And yeah...in some situations, the pipe just helps, to "focus"...in some ways...
Thanks again...and be well!
Mark
My Goodness! The scale of it. The devastation. The death. The madness.... The monumental I don't even know... Fascinating video. Thanks, Mark. I'm just waiting on a delivery tomorrow which is gonna have a lot of McConnell tobacco with some Red Virginia and Scottish Cake, too. I have never tried them. I am waiting. Thanks, again. I really appreciate your channel.
Thank you so much watching... and good words! Hope you gonna enjoy the baccy!
Take care and be well!
Mark
Hello Mark you always find the most beautiful scenery to smoke ur pipes just beautiful I just love it happy smoking my friend enjoy ☺☺☺☺
Thanks a lot for watching, my friend! And also for your kind words!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
I like that Red Virginia too. My father who is 85 years old says it reminds him of a candy he new as child. I live in NC...in tobacco country and I really like smoking tobaccos that were grown literally in my neighborhood. Take care.
Many thanks for watching! And...yeah...that's really great stuff, growing in your neighborhood... :-)
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Thank you for taking us on another vacation! Nicely done!
It's incredible how a horrific battlefield site created a space so beautiful.
Yeah...that was my thought too...
Thanks for taking the time! And take care!
Mark
Hi Marc !
Very nice location ! The Background looks like a painting ! Very cool !
I also like the Red Viriginia ! For me it´s like a kind of malty notes !
Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures with us !
I wanted to visit this very interesting historical area some time !
Take care
Andreas
Hello Andreas!
Thanks a lot for taking the (long) time!
Yeah...I think, "malty" could be quite accurate...
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Mark excellent video I love history, always have, even the narrative on the toilet lol, take care and be well.
...LOL...thanks a lot for that, my friend!
Take care...and be well!
Mark
really nice pipes and a nice spot. Thanks for showing.
Thanks for watching!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Excellent video, one of your best yet! I greatly enjoyed the miniature history lesson as well as the historically significant locations. Your vacation spot looks fantastic, I can see why you keep returning to it.
Thanks for watching, my friend...and also for very kind words!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
What a terrific video. I enjoyed watching it on a hot summer day here in July and could feel like was practically there! Lovely. Two thoughts occurred to me as I watched. The first when you were in the remaining trenches at Verdun. How surreal that today we see trenches again in Ukraine. How truly sad. The second thought was wondering where you would be this summer vacation?? Mark, I so enjoy your work. You filmed this one five years ago but it seems so relevant today. Vielen Dank, and hope you’re enjoying your 2022 summer!
Thank you so much for that, Michael! Much appreciated!
And...yeah...actually I'm planing on another vacation to France next week...haven't been there for too long...
Take care! Be well!
Mark
Mark I want to congratulate you on such an engaging and enjoyable video. One of the best yet my friend. Thank you for sharing. You have a beautiful retreat there. Talk very soon! Peace
Many thanks for that, my friend!
Let's talk soon! Hope, you are well!
Mark
Beautiful country side Mark. I was out that way this spring and I got to visit Belleau Wood near Chateau Thierry (very big deal for US Marines history, I served in two of the Battalions that fought there 3/6 and 3/5 and we wear still the French Fourragere as tribute to their valor to this day). I love the way the French preserved their battle fields and kept them natural as you described, Belleau Wood was very similar to the natural setting of Verdun. Excellent video and commentary as always Mark, and it looks like you had a great time! Take care and happy smokes! Kent
Hello Kent, my friend!
Many thanks for taking the time...and great comment! I guess, we'll have a lot, to talk about, during your hours in Bremen... :-)
Take care...and talk soon!
Mark
Thank you for this video and for the history lesson! Really beautiful places. I have only been in the big cities in France and Germany (Paris/Berlin) and would love to see some of the country side. I enjoy your channel very much, keep up the good work! /Rick
Hello Rick!
Thank you so much for watching ... and interesting comment! And ... yeah...the countryside is always different...but hard to discover, if you just stay for a limited time...if you ever come near ... let me know... :-)
Take care! And be well!
Mark
I am really enjoying your videos. Thank you
Thanks for that!
Take care!
Mark
Love this channel......your accent is peaceful and your info is priceless.....(started watching your videos on meerchaum pipe collection) subscribed.
Thanks for your time and effort to share your knowledge and info!
I really enjoyed this video thanks again 👍👍👍
Great video, thank you for sharing!!
Thanks a lot for that, my friend!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
It's a great video, thank you .
You are amazing guide in any times , and places you've a great knowledge in history.
Thanks Mark 💥👍💥
Many thanks for that, my friend! Really so much appreciated!
Hope, you are well! Take care!
Mark
Mark glad you had a great vacation thanks for the great video take care my friend
Thanks for that, my friend!
Take care...and be well!
Mark
You also Mark.. Great to hear from you my friend always enjoy your videos great job
Wonderful video. The battlefield reminds me of some of the American civil war battlefields. Even after 150 years they still look like they did in the 1860’s. Even had trenches then too.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much for sharing with us these stories and areas of France. A little more than 4 months ago I listened to a 24+ hour lecture from The Great Courses on audible.com regarding the French revolution and Napoleonic wars. The History of Europe is so full of strife between so many different cultures in a small area and it is so incredibly intriguing to me. This video has been a visual gold mine for me. Thank you. Europe, France, is so much more quaint than I envisioned it would be today. Nice dip in the river too. Tells me about ya like to experience the environment and that is always good. So much here that I would like to comment on but i'm not going to bore everyone. Oh also, I bought my first meerschaum because your video earlier. The pipe that I purchased is from Strambach. It appears to be a good pipe and is already gaining a good amount of color. However, by looking at the pipe you smoke next to the river I realized why I have a a small section next to the plastic stem that is not coloring as it goes directly from the meerschaum to stem and does not include a silver band. I gather that silver band covers up a portion of the meerschaum. So I might look at getting a more impressive meerschaum in the future. To see those trenches was an impressive thing to see. Thank you sir.
Thank you so much, for taking the long time to watch and your very interesting comment!
And ...yeah....here in Europe, everything is pretty close...with all the advantages and disadvantages... Just glad, you found some sequences of interest in the video! Also great, to hear, that you found yourself a proper Meerschaum and that you already got some color on it...that's the part, you can never be sure of, before you start smoking it...some are quicker, some slower, some nearly "deny their purpose"...lol
And "silver bands"...? That's always a question of personel preferences....because it "breaks" the color line. If you have an amber stem, the coloring without a band can be very beautiful too...
Thanks again1 And take care!
Mark
Beautiful and really well done. I know some of those places. Great!
Thanks you so much, for watching...and kind words!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Thanks for taking us on that informative and historic tour! Amazing! A little bit of everything in this one...even a fancy French water closet :)
...LOL...yeah...I just couldn't resist ...
Thanks a lot for watching! And kind words!
Take care!
Mark
Another fantastic video Mark.
Many thanks for that!
Take care!
Mark
Loved this video.
love to here the history .
Ram and Alicia.
A&R pipe Co.
Many thanks for that, my friend! Hope you are well!
Take care!
Mark
Thanks mark the pipe business id doing well hope is well across the pond.
Ram and Alicia.
A&R pipe Co
Splendid video, thanks for sharing
Thanks for taking the time!
Take care!
Mark
Great video Mark. And wow, the history! Take care my friend, and enjoy that pipe.
Have loved seeing you and watching your videos! I hope you continue!
No matter how much destruction humans cause...eventually nature will return and bring life with it.
Sal
...guess, you're right!
Many thanks for watching!
And...take care!
Mark
I am in the midst of reading Sir Winston Churchills' account of WWI. So seeing the various sites in your video was very meaningful. Thank you so much for sharing all the views as well as your informative commentary.
Hi Marc it's a very interesting video it's different like your others I like it and I saw it with a nice Zigar in my garden See you soon
Thanks for watching, Marco!
Take care! And see you soon!
Mark
today is my hard fitness day and when ı came home ı was very tired.ı wanted to sleep early.ı ı eat my dinner and light my bowl.after a few minutes ı saw your video.aman allahım(oh my god)40 minutes...L.O.L.ı love traveling,ı love history,ı love pipes and you are my friend ı wached your video minute by minute.1 st world war!in çanakkale anzacs and turks sleeping together.great video mark.enjoyable,sadness like life.take care and be well
Many, many thanks for that, Oguz, my friend! And even more for taking the long time after your hard workout!
Just glad, you enjoyed! Let me know, if there is anything you need! Tried the Macun-i-Mesur today...the secretary (she is from Turkey) didn't know it either...this is really great stuff...sweet and spicy the same time...
Hope, you are well! And take good care, my friend!!
Mark
This is absolutely stunning ❤️
This is a great video, bro! I dont know how I missed it for so long. I studied History in university and the German language aber mein Deutsch ist nicht mehr sehr gut. The First World War has always been one of my favorites to study. Really, it is the greatest catastrophe in human history. It was nice to visit it with you in this video. Oh, and Marshal Ney is a really interesting fellow, too - his defense of the French rear during their retreat from Moscow is legendary.
Many thanks for that, my friend! Really so much appreciated!
And yes, I agree...but this catastrophy seems unfortunately to be in the shadow of WWII...although it gives a quite more educational lesson than WWII, where good and bad were easy to distinct...but WWI was really a madnes over nothing, in which people seemed to "slide in" without really knowing, what they started, unable to stop it, when they realized that modern warfare is in no way glorious... Gives us much to think about in times, where people like to throw away easily so much, that we built in the last 60 years in Europe...
Thanks again...and take care, my friend!
Mark
A very interesting Video, thank you so much for this,
Greetings from Austria.
Thanks a lot for that!
And my best greetings and wishes from Bremen to Austria!
Take care!
Mark
Wonderful place for a time-out. Last year i watched this video and thought how interesing it would be to visit this place. Now i had a look and was a little bit surprised - 2 hours with the car. That is pretty close. Maybe if we have the time this summer we will do our vacation there.
Yeah...you really should! Take some time and do a little hike into the large battlefields of the past... and enjoy some good (traditional German style) food and beer in Metz... I think, you won't regret...
Take care! Hope, you are well!
Mark
Love the history Mark. A lot of blood in them trenches at one time. We never seem to learn from history though.
Many thanks for watching! And...yes...Ghandi once said: "what we learn from history is that we never learn from it..."
Take care! And be well!
Mark
McConnell is awesomely good tobacco I agree! Like that Meerschaum too! 😊
Amazing video like always!!! Keep doing that great work!!! Mark.... Winter or Summer, Spring or Autumn you are always Man in Black. Why?
Many thanks for that, my friend! Why black..? Well...many years ago, I got used to it...leaves me more time, to focus on the important things, when I don't have to make decisions on my wardrobe... :-)
Take care! And be well!
Mark
I can't help thinking that if more people smoked pipes we would have less of an inclination to blow ourselves to pieces.
Hi Mark, my friend: A wonderful video!! You've given us plenty to think about, and to go research. I, for one, am fairly ignorant of the history of the First World War. I need to do some homework. The scope of destruction, and death, in these battles, is just unbelievable. Well....on a lighter note, I thought it was interesting that you were smoking what looked like a Peterson bulldog with an "army mount", while walking along the trenches on the battlefield at Verdun. I had read that the army, or military mount, was developed by soldiers in the trenches during WW1. Supposedly, if a soldier was called to duty while smoking his pipe, he could quickly pull it apart, and put it in his pocket, or bag, and get into the fighting. Any truth to that, do you think? Thanks so much for this video. I really enjoyed it. It sure looked as if you enjoyed your vacation. Be Well. Ed
Hello Ed, my friend!
Thank you so much for watching and your (as always) thoughtful comment!
And again...you have sharp eyes, my friend...LOL...I took this pipe (it's a Peterson Ashford, built after old historical designs of this era), because it is my closest model to the pipes of these times. German soldiers often used short pipes from wood and ceramic ("Gesteckpfeifen") with painted pictures on the bowls...but also pipes with "army mount"...I have seen several of these pipes in a museum nearby... And you're right about the reasons for using this kind of pipe... Near the places, I showed, is a very modern museum, where all the descriptions are in french and german...and the exhibition really leaves you speechless because of the incredible horror, these men had to go threw...
Thanks again, Ed! And take care, my friend!
Mark
Hi Mark: Is the river behind the old mill where you stayed-the Mosel?
Yes, it is! It's wonderful, to take a swim there...the water is clear and not quite cold...LOL
Outstanding...Thank You
Great vid again mate- some fantastic sights!
If you like Robert Mc's blends- have you tried the Tree Mixture? Its one of my favourites! :)
Many thanks for watching and kind words!
No, I haven't....so....many thanks for the hint. I'll give it a shot!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Hello, Mark. excellent video! Crazy to think how a field of such violence and destruction can now be so beautiful and lush. Thanks as always for the views and history. They help get me through the day at my job. Haha. How do you keep your pipes so well lit, especially outside? I’m currently struggling and would love some advice from you (regarding your pack and lighting I’m assuming). I’m probably one of the few Americans who prefers 9mm pipes, so I have a hard time getting advice for pipes with filters. Any help would be much appreciated! Hope you are well, friend, and God bless! Bryce from Texas.
Great video as usual Mark! Thank you so much for sharing. I have never been to Europe and all your locations look so beautiful! And I love history as well, and you have so much more over there than here in the States. Also, I've been really wanting to try some Robert Connell, I think you've convinced me. Thanks Again for sharing! SAL.
Thanks a lot for watching...and your really kind words!
Yeah....there is much history around here...but many of these places just remind us of a violant past...
Take care, my friend! And be well!
Mark
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed your German perspective on these incredible sites, amazing architecture and beautiful scenery. Thanks for taking the time to upload in HD, places such as these deserve it! Can I ask about the place you stayed? Is it for rent? appears to be on a river given the water wheel or maybe the Canal de l'Est or Meuse? And finally, what are you filming with? It zooms in with impressive clarity.
Many thanks for watching and most kind words!
And yeah...it's an old water mill at the Moselle...the village is "Malroy"...just take a look at google maps....
I'm filming with my cell phone...it's a "samsung k-zoom"...It has a real ten times zoom...I take the videos with full hd1920 and 60 frames...but I compress for the upload to 1280...otherwise, it would take me days for the upload...thanks to our slow internet, here in old Germany...LOL
Thanks again....and take care!
Mark
Ah...yes, Chemin du Moulin, nice spot! And that is an impressive cell phone! Happy smokes!
Great video as always. The war memorial was amazing. It is a shame that we did not learn much from all that death and destruction, as is clear in this mad world we live in today.
I do have a question for you, which is how many languages do you speak? I ask this because you have mentioned some of your travels and I know that one does not need to speak the language of the area but it does help.
Thanks a lot for watching, my friend! And for good words!
Well...I don't speak many languages...unfortunately... In France, it's good, to speak at least "some" french... :-) But in most european countries, English will "do the job"... Unfortunately "latin" is no longer a common language here...LOL
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Robert McConnell Red Virginia is a very nice tobacco although for me I prefer the Black and Gold.
Bremen. I'd like your opinion of gawith and hoggarths Kendal Kentucky. Being a cigar smoker myself I find I'd rather grand. I'm also a Robert McConnell fan. My wife's maiden name is McConnell as well. Love your talks man. Love from Cornwall!
Hi Mark. That area by the river with the chairs, is that the same place you were before and it dates back to the 1700's? If so, love it! I love history and old buildings!
Yeah...same place...love it too!
Thanks for taking the time...and very kind words!
Take care! Be well!
Mark
the public toilet was quite interesting.. pay to go.
Red Virginias from North Carolina! You're welcome. :) That's a gorgeous pipe. So . . . on other matters, would you agree that there is a central-European proclivity to fight two-front wars? Or is that just an American perspective from folks who have had geography on our side for our entire history?
Posted the above too early. This video is absolutely fantastic. Somber historic memorials + trench warfare + pipe menagerie = A place in the "Best Pipe Videos Ever" playlist. Would love to talk sometime about American/European perspectives on the two world wars.
Thank you so much for watching and heartwarming words! And...yes, would be great, to have a pipe and talk about different perspectives on these events...
I think, one of the historical "problems" of european history is, that Europe is built by several countries of (nearly) equal power with permanent competition for leadership...whenever one country seemed, to become some kind of "hegemon", other countries united, to equal the power. The wars between those alliances or rivals of equal power used to be extremely bloody (in both senses), because a final victory was hard to get. And after those victorys, the seemen for the next revenge was already planted...and new war just a matter of time...
This circle was broken by german-french friendship, carefully built after WWII ... and by building the European Union...
Thanks a lot for watching!
Take care! And be well!
Mark
Hallo Mark,
wieder einmal ein ganz tolles Video von Dir, wie gewohnt. Frage: Wo bekommt man so eine schöne Meerschaumpfeife her? Genau mein Geschmack!!😀 Schonmal vielen Dank im Voraus und eine Bitte: Ich hätte gerne einen Stopfer von Dir, einen dunklen. Kannst Du mir dazu eine PN schreiben? Liebe Grüße. Tanja
I'm looking for a Meerschaum pipe shape exactly like yours. lol Any recommendations on where to get one? Thank you, I'm of German descent, so the history lesson was very interesting, love your videos. Please show us your watch?
Looks like a nice place. Like alot of other germans, you should make the trip to Bornholm where i live ;-)
Sounds like a brilliant idea! :-)
Many thanks for watching!
Take care!
Mark
awesome tobacco
Nice to see you again Mark. What do you think about English blends. I just started smoking them (from Aromatics) & i got Peterson's Irish flake, Dublin old & Dunhill my mixture 965. I really enjoy smoking them that i regret i bought many aromatics. I started to like the nicotine punch the English blends deliver. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for watching!
Yes...I'm pretty into in the "grown up stuff" myself...LOL
Have you seen, the video about the HH Bold Kentucky? If you like the Irish flake, that may be something for you as well... also the Rattray's Stirling flake...and the 3P of Peterson...
Take care! And be well!
Mark
+Bremen Pipe Smoker thanx a lot Mark
It's in France too, so they probably got smoking ones too
Was your father in the army during WWII or was he too young? If you don't want to talk about it that's ok, but I studied history at university too and I've always been interested in German perspectives. Good to see you btw
Hello Matthew!
No, my father was too young for that. My Grandfather was an engine driver at the Railway near the eastern front. He was prisoner of war for 8 years. He had incredible storys to tell...but he never spoke bad about the russians ... he once fled from a terrible prisoners camp and lived for two years with a farmers family, who didn't even know, that there is a war going on...
Take care! And be well!
Mark
+Bremen Pipe Smoker that makes sense, you are probably closer to my age then. I had a grandfather and lots of great uncles that were in the war but they all died young or weren't close so I never got to talk to them about it much.
Guten tag, I was wondering if you could do a video sometime showing each of your meerschaum pipes and what you like about the quality of them, I was also wondering what are your main go-to pipe tobaccos, if you had just one kind of tobacco to smoke what would it be?
Hello Jason!
Yeah...many of the Meerschaums, I already showed in the "Meerschaum talk"...but perhaps, I gonna do another video about all my Meerschaums one day...thanks for the hint!
And ...well... I don't really have a limited number of go-to tobaccos...there is so many good stuff out there... I always have several pipe tobaccos, I smoke very often over some month...before I switch to something else... But there are some tobaccos, I always come back to... like: Three nuns, Makhuwa, Indaba (both in the next video...), Dark Twist, 3P, Best of show, six pence, Stockton, silver flake, D Navy Rolls and so on... if there would be only one tobacco? I would pick something more "neutral", something, you wouldn't get tired of smoking that...like the Golden Sliced...
Take care, my friend! Be well!
Mark
Oh and I wouldn't feel too bad about the Germain tobaccos because even though we have them in America, you cant ever find them, so it's not much different haha
...LOL... same old story...everywhere...
Take care!
would be nice to sit by the water relax and smoke a pipe!
Franz Marc was killed at Verdun, the world lost a great artist, for what?
For the uninitiated: Lothringen = “Lorraine”
Idyllic.
Thanks for that!
Take care!
Mark