Oceanside California - San Luis Rey Mission Indian Pow Wow

Map showing 21 Missions

Charles III, the King of Spain, having heard from the Court of Catherine the Great in Russia that the Russians were building a fort in Northern California, decided he needed to grab as much land as he could with the least amount of expense. In order to save the vast sums of money it would cost to send an entire army to claim California for Spain, the King financed the missionary army of the Catholic Church. The Church sent a few dozen Franciscan Friars, accompanied by a small group of soldiers for protection, to lay claim to California. Twenty-one missions were formed in all, linked by the Royal Road or El Camino Real.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

The 18th Mission to be built, San Luis Rey de Francia, lies in a valley just east of Oceanside on State Highway 76. The Mission was named for Louis IX of France, whose descendants occupied the Spanish throne at the time and whose claim to fame was leading two disastrous crusades to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages.

San Luis Rey Cemetary

Pepper Tree

Christmas Altar

The grounds of the Mission contain a beautifully manicured garden cemetery, complete with a large crypt that serves as burial place for the Friars. On the other side of the Church is a private rose garden that is home to the oldest Pepper Tree in California. Retreats are held at the Mission which can accommodate up to 100 people.

For more information on the Mission and their retreats visit their website: https://www.sanluisrey.org/Retreats/Retreat-List

See video below for a view of the Mission and an interview with Elizabeth Springfield, a knowledgeable volunteer who is happy to share information about the Mission and its garden. The Mission is currently undergoing earthquake proofing and will re-open at Christmas.

The Mission was built on the site of the ancestral home of the “ataaxam” people, later renamed Luiseno by the Franciscans, to identify them with the San Luis Rey Mission. In the name of God and the King, the Franciscan Friars claimed one million acres of land around San Luis Rey and became known as the King of the Missions.

On June 9th & 10th, 2012 the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseno Indians held its 16th annual Inter-tribal Pow Wow on the grounds of the San Luis Rey Mission. This annual Pow Wow is the only one ever held on the grounds of a Mission. The event included members of many other tribes such as Apache, Cherokee, and Seminole who jointly participated in a variety of ceremonies. An assortment of arts, crafts and food booths were available operated by Indian vendors.

Click on video below to see an interview with Carrie Lopez, the Pow Wow Coordinator. Also featured in the video are the Inter-Tribal dancers.

It was impossible to resist the savory smells of Barbeque, Tortillas, and a wide assortment of delectables emanating from the food booths. The one with the longest line featured women from the Luiseno Band of Indians making Indian fry bread to order. The light crusty bread, the recipe of which is a highly guarded secret among the tribes’ women, was absolutely delicious.

The Pow Wow really got going with the Grand Entry. Representatives of all the tribes present, many of whom were dressed in their native regalia, participated in the event. The arena was blessed beforehand by their Spiritual Advisor, Robert John Knapp, a member of the Seneca/Tubotolobol tribe.

After that, another man was designated to “smudge” all the participants. Although I did not get his name, the man told me he is a descendent of a line of men specifically trained to perform this portion of the ritual blessing. Standing at the entrance of the arena all weekend, he smudged the Native Americans, who were the only ones allowed to enter the sacred space. He explained to me that first he sprinkled tobacco on the ground as a gift and way to give back to Mother Earth. This was followed by lighting the smudge packet and waving the smoke over the Native people entering the arena. Smudging involves the burning of sage wrapped in paper or even a corn husk. It is believed that the smoke from the burning sage has healing properties and purifies the mind and body.

Click on video below to see the Grand Entry and smudging.

Bell like metal cylinders sewn onto their clothes tinkled, glass beads glittered in the sun, and all manner of bird feathers nodded in time on lavish head dresses as the ornately attired inter-tribal dancers made their way around the arena. Synchronized musical rhythms were created for the dancers by four or five men sitting in a circle, beating on a single large drum, and chanting songs in their native tongue.

Each dancer designs his or her own outfit paying particular attention to detail that represents their Native ancestry. There is even a special protocol on how to treat all regalia. If indiscretions are discovered, then the guilty party is severely scolded. The dancers compete for cash prizes and many make the rounds of the various Pow Wows to hone their skills.

What surprised me most at the Pow Wow was the realization that the Native American tribes were able to maintain any of their ancestral traditions and religious beliefs. The Pow Wow is a testimony to their Native Spirit, considering they were driven off their ancestral lands, enslaved to build monasteries and other structures for the white man to live in, converted against their will to Christianity, forced to relinquish their traditional way of life, imprisoned in remote reservations and destined to live in poverty and squalor.

I will never forget the commercial made in 1970 depicting “Chief Iron Eyes Cody” (actually an Italian actor portraying a Native American) rowing a canoe through a polluted lake and coming ashore only to have trash thrown at him and landing at his feet. A single tear fell from his eye. That commercial’s message, made to promote Earth Day, was so powerful it can be credited with starting the nationwide movement to stop littering. See the full commercial below.

Today, we are only just beginning to realize what an important role Native Americans play in today’s world. Native medicine men are finally gaining a small modicum of respect for their use of natural medicines in healing all manner of illness and disease. Historically, all the tribes were dedicated to giving back to Mother Earth and preserving the natural resources and environment.

Pow Wows provide a way for Native Americans to connect with other tribes and non-Native people. They continue to honor their heritage, as can be seen in their regalia, interpretive dances, drum rhythms and songs. Their way of life may have died, but Native Americans are living proof that their culture and the spirits of their ancestors live on.

Pow Wow’s are held all over the country.

For more information on a Pow Wow in your area go to: https://www.powwows.com/

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website June 14, 2012.

Bamberg Germany - Stolpersteine and Civil Courage

Click on player above to see Pat's video titled, "Stolpersteine - Window on Bamberg Series".

One of the things you would notice on a walking tour of Bamberg would be the Stolpersteine. These are brass covered stones positioned in front of specific buildings where Jewish people were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to Nazi concentration camps. Each stone is engraved with the name of the person taken, their birth date, the date they were taken, the camp they were taken to, and the date they were murdered.

The word Stolpersteine literally translated means stumbling stone. The point being that as people walk along and they see these stones, the memory of those who died is kept alive. From what I have been told, there are 20,000 of these stones in Europe, mainly in Germany. They were all made by one man, Gunter Denmig. He had the idea to honor the dead in this way. The stones now represent the world's largest decentralized memorial. Click here to see the complete list (in German) of stones commemorating the Jews taken and later killed by the Nazi's.

The organization behind the Bamberg stones is the Willy-Aron-Gesellschaft organization. I was fortunate to meet Andreas Ullmann. He is a student at the University of Bamberg who donated money for two stones and is an active member of the organization. Andreas introduced me to Dr. Nikolai Czugunow-Schmitt, the President of the Willy-Aron-Gesellschaft Bamberg organization.

We met for nearly two hours at a local restaurant, DaCaBo, where he explained the purpose of the stones and the organizations plans for a large memorial to be erected on the grounds of Bamberg University. The memorial will honor three men killed by the Nazis, one a Jew, Willy Aron, one a Catholic, Hans Wolfel, and one a German Army officer in the 17th Calvary Regiment of the Reichswehr, Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. His regiment was based in Bamberg, but Stauffenberg had to work in Berlin where he became responsible for the emergency plan called "Walkure". He and his friends changed that plan so it could be used to arrest the Nazi Government officials and the SS. Stauffenberg tried to assassinate Hitler by placing a briefcase with a bomb in it under a table where Hitler was meeting with his generals. Stauffenberg left the meeting and another general moved the briefcase behind a pillar to get it out of the way. The pillar took the brunt of the explosion and Hitler received minor scratches. They knew Stauffenberg was responsible and picked him up immediately. Recently, Tom Cruise made a movie about von Stauffenberg, called Valkryie.

The memorial will consist of 3 bronze busts depicting the heroes. It is a unique concept in that the men being honored came from disparate backgrounds. Each gave their lives and showed tremendous Civil Courage by their individual resistance efforts against the Nazi regime. The purpose of this important memorial will serve as a reminder to future generations of the importance of Civil Courage, sacrifice and to be willing to fight against evil. The organization gives out an award each year to a person who has demonstrated Civil Courage.

The cost of the memorial is 100,000 Euro (approximately $136,000). They still need to raise 70,000 Euro (approximately $95,200). Their goal is to raise the memorial in late 2010.

The Willy-Aron-Gesellschaft organization is trying to raise money for another 210 stones to be placed in Bamberg. The cost per stone is 125 Euro (approximately $170). Donors can choose the name of a person to honor in stone or let the organization decide.

Update: On June 25, 2016, the memorial to Civil Courage was unveiled.  Click here to see the photos of the installation.

I later connected the Willy Aron society with the JROTC youth on the Bamberg military base. They became friends and I was able to set up a meeting with both groups. The video below shows that meeting and the cadets speaking about civil courage.

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on March 21, 2010.

Bangkok Thailand - Andy the Hobo Traveler

Buddhist Boy monks

Most people can only dream of traveling to far off and exotic places. Imagine being able to go wherever your wanderlust takes you - backpacking in the Himalayas, exploring dense forbidding jungles, rafting down killer river rapids, bartering with skilled merchants in Mozambique, Cairo, and Katmandu, and living the life of a globe trotting nomad. Sadly, cramming a lifetime of thrills into a few paltry weeks of an annual vacation just serves to make a person ache all the more for adventure.

Fortunately there are a growing number of people in the world who have figured out how to turn their love of traveling into a lifestyle and are willing to share it with the rest of us, especially those of us who can only travel as far as our TV clicker will take us. Living to travel is what Andy Griffin does better than anybody. He has turned his passion for traveling into a profitable business, thanks entirely to the invention of the internet. Andy gave up the life of a workaholic real estate agent in 1998 and has never looked back.

Khao San Road

“I work on my websites which takes up a lot of my time each day.” Andy, (a.k.a. the Hobo Traveler)
While doing research for my trip to Thailand, I came across Andy’s site Hobotraveler.com. Bangkok now serves as his home base, a far cry from his boyhood home in Indiana. After exchanging emails, he agreed to meet with me over lunch when I arrived in Bangkok. The burning question in my mind was how can a man who doesn’t work, is not independently wealthy, and has no property or investments, afford to travel ad infinitum?

Without the benefit of exchanging photos to identify each other, we arranged to meet in the lobby of Andy’s hotel, the D&D Inn on Khao San Road, a.k.a. backpackers row. The lobby was jammed with people checking in and checking out. I stood there in the middle of the room looking around hoping to catch the eye of someone looking for me. I felt like I was back in high school waiting for someone to ask me to dance.

Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long. At the stroke of 1:00 pm, an incredibly handsome middle-aged man about 5’10” tall with shoulder length blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a perfectly tanned and shaped physique, walked straight up to me. Exuding an air of confidence and congeniality, in matching red and white t-shirt and shorts, Andy greeted me with a warm and friendly smile. Based on his youthful writing style, I had been expecting someone half his age. It never occurred to me the hobo traveler was a man almost the same age as me.

Andy suggested we go to one of his favorite places for lunch. He led the way. We sauntered down Khao San Road. Noisy retailers hawked their goods vying for our attention. We dashed across a busy road and through the grounds of a huge temple which opened up into a modest outdoor café. All the tables were shaded by a canopy of assorted trees.

Over an enormous portion of chicken fried rice, I asked Andy about his lifestyle and how he pays all his expenses if he doesn’t work. “I work on my websites which takes up a lot of my time each day.” He politely answered all my questions and said that his website gets over 7,000 hits per month from curious would-be travelers and contains literally thousands of pages of useful information on how to travel on the cheap in comfort and safety. The website is linked to Google Ad Sense which has something called an affiliate marketing program. Andy has dozens of links to other sites that are all connected to travel. Whenever someone clicks on an advertiser and goes to that site, Andy gets paid up to 10 cents per click. With over 7,000 people looking at his site each month and clicking away to his advertisers to book a hotel or etc., Andy is able to make enough money to keep him going. This never would have been possible without the internet.

Andy doesn’t have a phone and can only be reached by email, which he says is the way he likes it. I happened to mention to him the problems I had encountered using my cell phone in Thailand. He suggested we go back and meet his young friend Andrew, a young 21-year-old man whom he had met at a cybercafe in India. Andy was so impressed with Andrew’s knowledge and skill that he hired Andrew to help him to make improvements to his HoboTraveler website and flew Andrew to Bangkok to work with him for two weeks.

In spite of our combined technological skills, we spent the entire afternoon trying to make my computer hook up to the internet through my phone and never got it to work. Andy and Andrew were both extremely kind and patient and never once made me feel as though I had intruded on their time - which of course I had. The time finally came for me to say goodbye, and with some coaxing I was able to convince Andy to let me take his picture, but with a caveat. I had to promise never to publish it. Andy insisted that he remain anonymous. He said he does not like to be recognized when he travels and because of his website he is becoming fairly well known. Then he asked if he could take my picture and put it up on his website. Flattered by this kind suggestion, I agreed immediately. Now if you Google my name and the words “hobo traveler,” the item he wrote about me and my picture will come up on his site.

Pat in Bangkok - January 2005

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Andy and Andrew. They both were sweet, kind, and patient men willing to try to help a complete stranger. It’s this kind of generous human spirit that served as a beacon lighting the way as I continued my journey in Thailand.

(Note: I wrote this while on my trip to Thailand in 2005 doing research for my master’s thesis on the plight of Burmese refugees living in Thailand.)

Burmese refugee camp

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on October 23, 2008.

Boquete Panama vs Baltimore MD - In Search of Paradise

What is paradise? If you found it, would you want to buy a second home there or perhaps even move there permanently? Is paradise determined by having a sunny climate year round, where the temperature only varies by 30 degrees, never going below 50 or above 80 degrees; or by living in luxurious accommodations coupled with a low cost of living, and having servants who work cheap and also happen to be nice happy people, living in an area of spectacular natural beauty with incredibly low crime and virtually no air pollution?

The online e-zines, travel brochures, even AARPs Modern Maturity magazine often have seductive stories of life in exotic locations outside the USA

Boquete River Valley

where retired people can live like kings and queens on their lowly social security pensions in a place where the air is fresh and clean, the forests are lush with tropical birds, exotic fruits, and assorted wild flowers that cascade like rivers down the mountainside.

Boquete (which is Spanish for gap) is just such a place. It is located at 4,000 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of a dormant volcano named Volcan Baru in the Chiriqui (pronounced Chee-ree-key) province in the Republic of Panama. On a clear day, from the summit of the 11,000 foot volcano, you can see both the Pacific and the Caribbean. The province of Chiriqui, which is mainly rural, extends from the Pacific Coast to Volcan Baru on the west, the Continental Divide to the north, and more mountains to the east which descend into the Caribbean Sea. Boquete is situated at the tip of a valley made over the centuries by the Caldera River flowing south through magnificent cloud forests and spilling into the ocean.

Click on video below to see the town of Boquete from the perspective of a guy on a motorcycle.

Recently, Boquete was selected by Modern Maturity, the AARP magazine, as the “fourth best place in the world for Americans to have a second home.” This scenic mountain town is easily accessible by car, thanks to the newly paved road system that stretches into the farthest corners of Panama.

Waterfall near Boquete

Thick white clouds cover the ground and spread like frosting on a cake to form a canopy over the lush rain forests each day during the wet season in the Spring. It’s an amazing site to stand at the edge of the forest and watch as the clouds descend to the ground and spill between the trees like lava, eventually obscuring the forest from sight.

High up in the mountains, the pristine water in the rushing streams is crystal clear from the daily rainfall, then turns to mud as it passes through various Indian vegetable farms rising up at severe angles on the surrounding mountain slopes.

Boquete hillside farm

The area immediately surrounding Volcan Baru is a nature lover’s paradise and plays host to 980 bird species, more than can be found in all of North America, such as the nearly extinct Quetzal, the Three Wattled Bellbird, Black faced Solitaire, Volcano Hummingbird, Long tailed Silky Flycatcher, and the Prong billed Barbet, just to name a few.

Quetzal

The rich soil and precipitation stimulates a dizzying array of flora and fauna everywhere you look. In hikes through obscure mountain paths, wild impatiens, of every possible color, seem to mark the way. Spectacular natural beauty and an endless variety of flowers, such as rare orchids, grow wild in abundance.

White and purple Orchids

Yellow and orange orchids

Tin roof shack

Guyami people

The entire region is dotted with coffee plantations. The coffee “cherries,” as they are called, are harvested by transient Guaymi Indians who can be easily spotted by their colorful attire as they travel throughout the region during the picking season between October and February.

The Indians live in tin-roofed grey wooden shacks, with dirt floors and no electricity. In front of each shack is a garden of wild flowers, over time grown tall in order to obscure their humble homes. The Indian women are dressed in brightly colored shifts, the men wear clean white shirts and black trousers, and the children are neat and tidy, dressed as miniatures of their parents.

Big house outside Boquete

Dotted throughout the region are clusters of big modern houses, often surrounded by seemingly derelict shacks that are actually the localpeoples’ homes. The big houses, which are often empty, are mainly used as second homes, and are built for wealthy Americans, Canadians, and Europeans using a cheap local labor force for construction. The houses have all the most modern conveniences and are filled with every possible item to give comfort to their owners.

Bambito Hotel where we stayed in Volcan Baru

One expatriate, Bill Hemingway, has lived in Central America for thirty years. He has a business named “Hemingway’s Hideaway,” which is a construction company for building American style homes in the area. He warns people who may want to retire to the Chiriqui province the importance of having a hobby: “We cannot reiterate how important this is. We have seen too many ex-pats come here to drown in drink.”

Let’s compare Boquete, the rural Panamanian town referred to by Modern Maturity as paradise, with what some people refer to as an urban paradise, the city of Baltimore, Maryland.

Baltimore at night

Baltimore is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay, and surrounded by rivers on three sides. The rolling countryside expands into undulating lush green hills forming the foothills for the Appalachian mountains in western Maryland. There are extremes in temperatures ranging from below zero to nearly one hundred, and the climate includes all four seasons. Murders average around 250 a year, the roads are filled with potholes, parking is difficult, and property taxes are high.

Lyric Opera House

Meyerhoff Concert Hall

National Aquarium

To understand why anyone would consider Baltimore paradise, it’s important to really look at what Baltimore has to offer. Culture abounds in the form of several major museums, the National Aquarium, and a beautifully redesigned inner harbor. It is home to the 110 year old Lyric Opera House and the Meyerhoff concert hall is located on the next block, and home to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Both facilities are well supported by the community.

Fells Point

Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood

There are several charismatic neighborhood communities throughout the city, such as Mt. Vernon in mid-town and Fells Point, established before Baltimore, with its ancient buildings, commercial docks, and secluded quays. Every type of food can be found in Baltimore, with over 1000 restaurants in the city.

Baltimore is home to two major sports teams, the Ravens and the Orioles.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Orioles

It offers first class healthcare facilities and is home to outstanding schools such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Baltimore, and the University of Maryland medical school. Opportunities for business, growth, and development are apparent to even the most casual visitor to the downtown district, with old buildings being renovated and new skyscrapers being built. Home values in the city increased by a whopping 23% in one year! Baltimore is a major seaport, second on the east coast only to New York City. As a historic city, Baltimore has a policy of preserving many of its original buildings wherever possible. It is conveniently located near Washington, DC and is an easy commute to the Big Apple (a.k.a. New York City).

Baltimore Catholic Basilica

It is home to the first Catholic Cathedral ever built in this country and to dozens of other religious facilities, churches, synagogues, temples and mosques. Baltimore’s population is a mixed variety from every country in the world making the culture rich and diverse with a colorful nightlife and something for everyone.

The lifestyle in Baltimore is quite different from the sleepy breezes, crystal clean water and fresh air in the highlands of Panama. In Boquete, the buildings are all run down and crumbling, the restaurants are plentiful and unclean, and the nights are pitch black. There is no noise, no place to go, nothing to see, no library, cinema, museums or sporting events to attend. Everything on TV is in Spanish with the exception of HBO, which has Spanish subtitles. There are very few Americans or Europeans in the area to talk to, and those that are there are often missionaries sent by their churches to work with the Indians. The majority of the population in the area has little or no education and they live in the most appalling conditions.

Is it possible that paradise is more than the right climate, spectacular natural beauty, luxurious accommodations, and a low cost of living? Imagine just how comfortable could a person feel sitting alone on the veranda of a lavish house in the middle of magnificent rain forest surrounded by colorful neighbor’s living in extreme poverty?

The concept of paradise goes beyond the material world and into the psyche of individuals. For paradise to exist people need to feel connected to the essence of the community in which they live, to something greater than themselves, and that their lives share a common purpose, be it in the highlands of Chiriqui or downtown Baltimore, it really doesn’t matter.

Thomas Merton

The philosopher Thomas Merton had this to say about paradise: “I suppose what makes me most glad is that we all recognize each other in this metaphysical space of silence and happening, and get some sense, for a moment that we are full of paradise without knowing it.”

(Note: I wrote this after Bob and I took a trip to Panama in May of 2004. Additional pictures and video added August 2013.)



This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on October 23, 2008.

Ybor, Florida - The City Cigars Built

Ybor City postcard

We often hear the United States of America being described as a “melting pot”, where different races merge into a salad of immense variety to form a medley of blended cultures and communities working together in harmony for the common good.  It is this ideal that continues to draw people to the USA from all over the world – hopeful that they too may somehow share in the success uniquely produced in this “land of opportunity”.

Don Vincente Ybor

One of the best examples of this ideal concept becoming a reality was created by a Spanish immigrant and master cigar manufacturer, Vicente Martinez Ybor, founder of Ybor City, Florida. When he was 14-years old, Ybor fled his home in Spain and went to Cuba in 1832 to avoid being drafted into the military.

He began his career as a grocery clerk and by 1856 had started his own cigar manufacturing company with the creation of his Prince of Wales brand. He would later flee from Cuba in 1868 with his family to avoid being imprisoned by the Spanish rulers for being a Cuban independence sympathizer.

Prince of Wales Cigar box top

Ybor and his family set up a new successful cigar factory in Key West. Several factors, including labor unrest between the Spanish and Cuban immigrants, a lack of fresh water and no rail transportation to ship the cigars, made the Key West location untenable. This forced Ybor to relocate to a more suitable location northeast of Tampa in 1885.

After a major fire in Key West in 1886 nearly destroyed the town, thousands of cigar industry workers and those in the subsidiary industries, fled to the newly created Ybor City. Immigrants from beyond Cuba and Spain came to support the burgeoning cigar industry. For example, Afro-Cubans filled the factories. Germans produced the graphics for the cigar boxes. Italians set up restaurants. Romanian Jews and Chinese set up retail and service businesses. The Irish provided a plethora of priests and nuns to keep everyone in line.

(Left) Ybor cigar factory (Right) Don Vincente Ybor

Ybor City became known as the “Cigar Capital of the World” producing half a billion a year.  The wide variety of cultures worked to help each other, constructing social centers for each ethnicity which sprang up all over town.

Old cigar factory - photo by Joe Giamotti

Ybor built affordable housing for the workers, brought in doctors and medical facilities, built schools and roads. He built a variety of community facilities and services established to support the multi-ethnic community.

Click on player below to see a video about the Columbia Restaurant and it's Cuban sandwich.

In the late 1800’s, with such a wide variety of culinary tastes from the diverse immigrant population, restaurants and sandwich shops sprang up all over Ybor City. One of the most notable culinary creations was the invention of the “Cuban Sandwich”.

For an authentic experience, it must be made on bread from the La Segunda Central Bakery, established in 1915 and one of Ybor’s surviving historical landmarks.

Click on player below to see video about La Segunda Central Bakery.

The Columbia restaurant uses bread supplied from La Segunda. The founder of the bakery was Juan More, a native of the Catalan region in Spain. His love of Cuban bread combined with ham, roast pork, cheese and mustard created the now world famous sandwich. Later, due to the Italian influence, salami was added to the mix. The Cuban recently became Tampa’s official sandwich.

Columbia Restaurant

Bob and I went to meet a friend, Rudy Triana, for lunch at the fabulous Columbia restaurant founded in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. It is the largest and oldest Spanish restaurant in the USA. His family still owns and runs the restaurant which has expanded well beyond the original corner shop and takes up an entire city block. The Columbia restaurant group now has restaurants in several locations throughout the USA.  What began as a small cafe serving coffee and Cuban sandwiches to the cigar factory workers, has become a world famous eatery.

Large dining room in the Columbia restaurant

Columbia’s unique Spanish cuisine is why the place was packed. There are 15 separate dining rooms, ranging in size and shape from small intimate spaces to large spacious rooms including diners seated at tables on the balcony’s overhead.

Bob and Kristine

We had a lovely lunch and were served by a charming waitress, Kristine Smock. She really brought a smile to our faces as we watched her deftly scoot around several crowded tables, like an experienced skater on ice, carrying large plates piled high with generous portions of delectable goodies. It’s been a long time since we’ve enjoyed such a terrific meal where the exquisite food + delightful service = an excellent dining experience!

Sadly, the heritage of Ybor City is about to be lost forever. The manufacture of cigars is in itself a “melting pot” of tobaccos - specifically blended to create a recipe for a unique and flavorful experience found in each individual brand.

The tobacco for premium cigars is actually allowed to “sleep in bales for seven years.” The entire process is practically an art form and takes a considerable amount of time for a talented cigar manufacturer to produce a premium cigar that has a robust taste, the right length and the correct rate of “burn”. Even the way the cigar creates ashes is important to aficionados. All of those elements combined are what determines the quality of the cigar and pleasure of the overall experience.

All those wonderful ancient earthy scents and subtle flavors exhaled from the mountains of tobacco bales and fragrant cigar smoke that once wafted through the air in Ybor City are now long gone.

Stanford Newman

J. C. Newman Cigar Company headquarters

 If the F.D.A. has their way, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company factory, the last premium cigar manufacturer, is about to be driven offshore.  They will join the ranks of all the others that have been forced to leave due to the extraordinarily stringent measures being placed on the industry. The Newman’s factory, El Reloj, employs mostly women who deftly operate antique well-seasoned machines to produce the premium cigars.

Rep. Kathy Castor

“It goes to the heart and soul of Tampa,” said Representative Kathy Castor, a Florida Democrat from the area who introduced a bill to try to protect premium cigar manufacturers. “This would be a blow to our cultural history to have the last remaining cigar factory close. (Lizette Alvarez, NY Times July 21, 2014)

Although I have never smoked a cigar, I respect the rights of those who find pleasure in doing so. How sad the love and care that goes into the creation of this naturally produced heritage product by the last remaining Florida manufacturers, the Newman brothers, will soon be lost to the Caribbean. After all that Mr. Ybor did to raise the quality of cigar production and the livelihood he created for tens of thousands of immigrants, the heritage of this National Historic Landmark City is about to be lost forever.

On a lighter note, while we were in the Columbia restaurant a charming couple came in dressed in costume of dancers from the thirties. I couldn't resist speaking to them and asking to take their pictures and make a video. They are Sandy and Daryl known as  "The Joy of Dancing". They perform dances from the big band era in assisted living facilities. What lovely people they are!

Click on the video below for my interview with Sandy and Daryl.

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website December 16, 2015.