The Bee Magaly – Carnival à la GALANA

We are closed for women's carnival. In Cologne this would otherwise be a blatant violation of every conceivable kind of law. Women's right to self-determination, workers' right to a high holiday. The employer's right to a freely chosen vacation day, the manager's right to real nonsense and the Cuban women's right to cultivated Cologne madness.

What I hadn't expected: while I was briefly opening my shop on Women's Carnival to get a carnival cigar from the humidor, several women did the same and stormed the shop instead of the town hall. “I don't actually smoke, but I need a cigar for my costume!” Maybe we should add cardboard cigars to the program next year? But I'm leaning more towards a pre-carnival cigar beginners course that gets the Jecken cigar-proof and puts them in the fortunate position of appearing authentic and contributing to the current fine dust excitement with fantastic clouds of smoke.

On Friday our Cuban Galana Magaly showed up in a Maya the Bee costume. Matching our Princess Maya cigar, which we currently only have in our program for regular customers in a small selection, rolled by a real Mayan princess from Honduras. But this is another story. Magaly wrapped in yellow plush, with funny bobbing antennae on his head and black stripes on his chest. Plus the indispensable and tireless Cuban cheerfulness, which is in no way inferior to that of the Rhineland. She has gotten used to the Cologne carnival over the years, not an easy step when you come from Cuba! There you celebrate the fun days in the middle of summer, drink rum and dance salsa all night long.

Our LA GALANA customers will be put to another tough test on Rose Monday. Another high holiday in Cologne and our shop is closed. That's why it continues on Tuesday. When the cars are towed in front of the door so that the jesters have space and the neighborhood children are already standing expectantly on the street at lunchtime, waiting for the Veedels train. Then you can go back into the cigar paradise and look knowingly at the parade with a LA GALANA cigar and blow the puffs of smoke onto the stucco ceiling, knowing full well: Ash Wednesday is definitely coming. Be prepared and make a nice long ash now.

Kölle Alaaf! LA GALANA Alaaf!