Travels with Harry & Marsha - 2017 Havana, Cuba - Marathon FL

2017 Havana, Cuba and Key Colony Beach, Florida

3/31/2017

On January 15th we will depart for south eastern USA and Cuba. We will take one week traveling down to Miami, spend one week in Havana, Cuba, then fly back to Miami and drive down to Key Colony Beach, Florida. We have rented a house with Marsha's cousin Linda and her husband Dan for 1 month.

On March 1, Will will join us for the trip back to Lexington taking two weeks to go to Ft Myers for Red Sox spring training, Sarasota to visit our friend Alex and Kathy McKenzie, and Atlanta to see Marsha's brother's family, including 2 new babies. Then a three day drive back with a stop in Washington to Lexington.

We're eager to go where it will be warm and we can live more outside than we tend to in the winter in New England.

We are also eager to stretch our minds beyond our current national nightmares and to remind ourselves that our country is better than the Trump regime.

Stay tuned for the good news we discover in our travels!

Love,

-- Harry & Marsha

P.S. Here are items regarding viewing posts and images in this blog:

The posts are in reverse chronological order. Advice: If you want to read from start to finish, go to the bottom of this page, click <-previous and read backwards.
To see all of some of the posts (such as this one) you will have to click on the Read More link at the bottom right of the individual post.
To see enlargements of any of the images, click on the image.

-- HF

Click below right to see more about our plans for Cuba and the Florida Keys:

Rest of Trip: Key Colony Beach, FL

2/2/2017

We have more things to say and show, but to date, not the time to publish them. Sometime when we are retired... Oh wait, we are retired!

Day 18: Wednesday February 1, 2017: Home in an AirStream AirBnB with Glenn and Natalie; Key Colony Beach

2/1/2017

The breakfast buffet that Glen had lovingly prepared for his guests this morning was a wonder to behold.   Freshly cut fruits, homemade fruit breads, fluffy and moist scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, warm spiced apples, raspberry and chocolate chip pancakes, bagels etc. etc. etc…..

But it isn’t just the food and quirky accommodations that keep us coming back to are the people.   Natalie and Glen top the list, of course, but the ever-changing variety of wonderful people for whom this place is just unusual enough for them to go out of their way to stay here that make meal time such a joy.

It was hard to leave after such a short stay but we had arranged to meet Linda and Dan at the Publix supermarket on Key Largo at 1:30 pm since we needed to complete the ritual of starting a month’s rental is the food shopping trip to stock up.

That accomplished we drove another hour to our rental at Key Colony Beach.   When renting accommodations on-line you get to see photos but there are those first few minutes after you actual enter when you hold your breath and hope for the best.
Thankfully we were all please – it was just as pictured.   Not much more we could ask for.

Day 17: Tuesday January 31, 2017 -- Havana to Miami to Homestead

1/31/2017

Sadly we had to say goodbye to Otto, Mylena and Jolie this morning and headed to the airport. The scene that passed before our eyes upon our arrival eight days previous unraveled like a documentary film entitled “Arriving in Cuba today”. At each turn you caught a glimpse of a billboard with revolutionary slogans, automobiles that you hadn’t seen since your teens, and crowds people waiting for buses or provisions. The scene was the same upon our return to the airport but this time it was familiar and we were sad to leave this city and it’s people.

All the possible travel difficulties did not materialize with the exception of the perfectly understandable traffic rush hour from the airport back to our car.

Natalie and Glen greeted us with open arms when we arrived at their Vintage Airstream paradise. Our home for the night was a rare 1955 airstream lovingly restored/refurbished by Glen. We bedded down in memory foam comfort beneath the pleasantly curving walls. Just as we had had some difficulty adjusting to the nighttime street noises in Havana if was momentarily difficult to adjust to the absence of the sounds of the Vedado at night.

Day 16: Monday January 30, 2017 -- Plaza Vieja

1/30/2017

Our last full day in Havana.  I was up early and joined Harry on the porch.
Our plan for the day was to complete our souvenir shopping and spend some time in Plaza Vieja.

We splurged and spent $5CUC on a taxi ride in town.  We had a smooth ride in a late 50's Chevy with - wait for it - air conditioning.

To fortify ourselves for the shopping ahead we stopped for dos cafe con leche at the Hotel Ingleterra.   Of all the hotel lobbies we have spent time in the past week - for internet or banos access or for cold refreshments - this was the nicest.  Spanish tiles, comfortable wicker chairs, good service and really good coffee.

We strolled slowly down Obispo making our purchases along the way. We stopped for a final Lemonade Frappe at the Hotel Ambros Mundos and then continued on our way. When we discovered that the cigar store was closed for lunch we decided to have our lunch too. Then went back to the cigar store to make our purchases. Our final walk was along Mercaderes Street where we entered courtyards, galleries and shops.

Our final destination was Plaza Vieja.   Sitting on a stoop on one side of the square we enjoyed the variety of architecture represented.

Then Marsha bargained quite successfully with a bicycle taxi driver for a ride to our collectivo taxi stop.  The driver propels himself and his two passengers who are seated in a makeshift carriage.  The bicycle was basically a chain, 3 wheels, 2 pedals and handlebars.  One of the two pedals fell off twice during our ride.
This young man was very strong with the most muscular thighs I've ever seen.

Our collectivo taxi back to venue tres y vente (the corner of Calle 23 and Calle 20) was the antithesis of our morning ride.  A real klunker.  It, nonetheless, got us to our destination.

After a short rest we headed to El Coclero for our final dinner.   They had indicated that they were fully booked for the evening when Otto called to make a reservation for us but we went early and the charming (and cute) young man at the desk arranged for a table for us.

This is now our final evening on the porch.  The new residents of Room 1 have arrived but are out to dinner.   We have really enjoyed this aspect of our time here where we can pretend to be the owners of this apartment just sitting and enjoying the scene both in the morning and at night.  Harry is sketching while I write.  I know he is enjoying himself because he is humming while he draws.

Day 15: Sunday, January 29, 2017 -- Rainy Day -- First talking with Otto and Mylena about Cuba and then after the rain visiting the Palacio de Bella's Artes Cubano, the Hotel Nacional, and the Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor

1/29/2017

Harry, Marsha and the housekeeper

We awoke to rain that turned into a downpour.   So we took the opportunity to get acquainted with the current occupants of Room 1 (we inhabit Room 2). Since we arrived there have been new occupants every two days.   All of these young people planned their trips to include a few days in Havana at the beginning and end of their trips and to travel to Vinales (National Park Area) or another city.   When we arrived there were two young women from Finland,  they were followed by two brothers, one a Public Health Professor at Brown University and the other a newly minted Doctor from Albuquerque.   Eileen and Tony, who arrived yesterday, are from New Jersey (near Philadelphia).  They both speak Spanish.  His parents were from Puerto Rico and hers from Costa Rica.   When the rain increased and we all retreated from the porch to the living room Otto joined us and said he had two questions.   The first question was would we like some fresh coffee.   We all agreed this was a fine idea.   The second question was why we had decided to travel to Cuba.  Harry answered that we had come of age during the revolution and were curious to see where some of those events happened.   There is for me also the natural allure of going someplace that had been forbidden for so long.   Eileen raised the notion that many Americans (us included) want to come before the inevitable crush of tourists begins to change things for the worse.

As the conversation continued we all both asked and answered a variety of questions.  Otto and Mylena were as interested in learning about our lives as we were about theirs.

Otto's family was from a small town in central Cuba and they moved to Havana when he was a young boy.   Mylena's family have been in Havana for a long time.  They have two children, a daughter who lives in Mexico with her husband and a son who is here in Havana.

One subject was about the Cuban system of food distribution.   There is rationing of basic items like sugar, rice, eggs, and beans.   Each person, for example, receives nine eggs per month.   There are neighborhood bodegas that distribute these items.

We asked Otto about what political changes he foresees.   He believes that the country will remain communist/socialist but that there will be more capitalism.
He noted the unmanageable size of the bureaucracy and how that stifles independence.   He hopes for a more decentralized government.

Mylena and Otto have been able to travel (they went to Barcelona last year) but need to get a Visa.   Visas are not required for travel to Russia or China.

It was a wonderful discussion but we needed to head off to the Cuban art museum which closes at 2pm on Sunday's and is not open on Mondays.   We shared a taxi into town with Eileen and Tony who were headed to the Police Station.   A thief ripped Tony's gold necklace off yesterday and miraculously the police showed up at the door this morning with a photo of the thief who they had arrested and asked them to come to the station to identify the culprit.   It is, however, unlikely that they will ever see that necklace again.

There are two art museums in Havana.  The Museo Nacional de Bella's Artes that houses international art and the  Palacio de Bella's Artes Cubano which contains just Cuban art.   We opted for the Cuban.   The building itself is from the 1950's but still feels modern.   While not curving like the New York Guggenheim there are multi-level sloping ramps between floors and the galleries are spacious and well lit.  Our preference was for the less recent parts of the collection.   We especially liked the pieces done from the 1930's and 1950's.   The collection was larger than we expected and so we had to hustle a bit to see it all before closing.

It was still raining when we emerged so wandering through Havana Vieja was not an appealing option.   We took a cab to the Hotel Nacional to both check it out and have lunch.   We accomplished both.   While Harry checked email I walked around the Hotel and since the rain had stopped I walked out to enjoy the view of the Malecon.

When I glanced at the map to get our bearings I realized we were a few blocks away from the Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor. The large metal and class building is in the center of a park and It is very popular and there are usually long lines. Since it was such a cold day there were no lines when we arrived. It was a bit confusing to understand where we were supposed to sit and how to order but were directed to one attendant who spoke a bit of English and help us find a seat, took our order and told us how to pay. The ice cream itself did not have a high cream content and did have ice crystals but we liked being there on a Sunday afternoon and watching the families enjoy the special treats. And two scoops for 1 peso is a good deal.

We hailed a taxi and headed back to Calle 20.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. The time has gone by very quickly

Day 14: Saturday January 28, 2017 -- Hemingway's Finca la Vigia

1/28/2017

Well fortified by another plentiful breakfast and encouraged by a break in the weather we headed off with our driver Boris to Finca la Vigia.  It was about a 30 minute drive to this villa that Hemingway purchased in the 1940's and where he lived here until 1960 at the beginning of the revolution.  Some hypothesize that his realization that he could never return to Cuba was the reason for his suicide one year later.

This Spanish Colonial villa was built in 1887 and has a wonderful view of Havana.  It was here that Hemingway wrote "The Old Man and the Sea", "Islands in a Stream", Across the River and into the Trees" and "A Moveable Feast".  He was here in 1954 when he learned that he had received the Nobel Prize.

His wife at the time, Martha Gelhorn, has a four story tower built so that he could write without disruption and enjoy the view.   He, however, liked being in the house and continued to sit at his desk.

Visitors cannot enter the house itself but view the rooms through the windows and doors of the surrounding patios.   The house has been left as it was in Hemingway's time.   The furnishings  include his library of over 9,000 books, the antlered heads of animals shot on African safaris and his personal possessions.

A short walk down a lovely sloping path through the garden took us to the now empty swimming pool (where according to legend, Ava Gardner swam naked) and the pavilion built over the former tennis court to house Hemingway's fishing boat the Pilar.

Another 30 minute drive took us to what is known as Fusterlandia at Calle 226 and Avenue 3. The ceramic artist Jose Fuster has turned his home and neighborhood into a tiled masterpiece. The installations are reminiscent of Gaudi's ceramic work and with artistic references to Picasso and Brancusi with just the right touch of Fuster's playfulness thrown in.

We were back at Calle 20 by 2 pm and decided to take it easy this afternoon. Both we and our digital devices needed our batteries recharged. This evening we will go out for dinner and to enjoy the music and see the art at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano just six short blocks from here.

Day 13: Friday, January 27, 2017 -- Plaza de la Catedral

1/27/2017

It was evident that it was going to be a hot day even when eating breakfast this morning on the porch.  The sun was doing it's thing and there was nary a cloud in the sky.

But we persevered and headed into Havana Vieja with our destination for the day being the Plaza de la Catedral and the surrounding area.  This morning we had the back seat of the collectivo taxi to ourselves.   It almost seemed luxurious.

On the walk to the Plaza we did a bit of souvenir shopping and stopped for a lemonade frappe and then headed to the Catedral de la San Cristobal.   The Jesuits began building the cathedral in 1748 but were expelled from Cuba in 1777 by the Spanish crown .   The Franciscans finished the construction and consecrated the Catedral in 1789.   It has a dramatic Cuban Baroque exterior with two asymmetrical bell towers and almost an excess of niches and columns.   It is lovely to behold.   Given the drama of the exterior the interior is somewhat disappointing.   Although there is something to be said for sitting in a stone church on a hot day.

Across the plaza was the Museo de Arte Colonial.   It is housed in the 18th century home of a governor of Cuba.  The house has been meticulously restored and the collection is effectively displayed.   The ground floor rooms are each dedicated to a specific part of the collection.   For example, you will find colonial doorways in one room and wrought iron decorations in other.   The Creole craftsmen were especially adept at Medio Punto (stained glass) windows.   The geometric designs are vibrantly colored and displayed effectively.   On the first floor (really the second) there period rooms from the 18th and 19th centuries.   These represent the homes of middle class and aristocratic families.   The majority of the decorative pieces were imported from Spain, France and Italy.

On Mylena's suggestion we had lunch at Paladar Dona Eutimia at the end of a side street just a few steps from the Museo.  It was a bit of a challenge to get passed the menu waving hawkers touting the other restaurants on the alley but we forged ahead and kept saying "No".   Our determination was rewarded as it was a lovely lunch.
We were without a reservation for this popular spot but the matre'd accommodated us with only a short wait.

Harry found a hotel lobby to sit in and compute while I walked the streets adjacent to the Plaza and explored the shops, inviting courtyards and galleries.

Then it was a hot slog back to the spot where we hail a taxi heading out of town where we thankfully got a ride relatively quickly.

Now we are we showered and revived and in for the evening.   We seem to have the whole place to ourselves tonight which suits us just fine.

Day 12: Thursday, January 26, 2017 -- Plaza de Armas

1/26/2017

After another delicious breakfast we headed off to hail another Collectivo taxi and head back to Havana Vieja.   Our plan for the day was to stay in the area of Plaza de Armas.  This seems to us a pretty good way to organize our days touring Havana: select on of the squares and then use it as the day's base of operation: have lunch, visit the important spots near the square, have a refreshment, people watch, etc.

As we walked down Obispo Street toward our destination we found that we were pointing out stores and architectural elements that we had totally missed when we walked down the same street just yesterday.

Before reaching our destination we stopped for a lemonade at the the Hotel Ambros Mundos.  Hemingway stayed here frequently from 1932 to 1939 and began writing For Whom the Bell Tolls in room 511.   Not feeling that we were about to write a great novel we settled for listening to the pianist and clarinetist in the lobby and sipping frozen lemonade.  Delicious.

With our thirst temporarily quenched we decided to visit the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales which houses the Museo de la Cuidad (City Museum).   The building was begun in 1776 and completed in 1791.  It is described in the guidebooks as Cuban Baroque which in this case means stone construction, lots of arches, columns, and balconies around a central courtyard.   Housed within are paintings and artifacts of the cities past along with some beautifully furnished 19th century salons.

Needing to sit for a while, we chose a shaded sidewalk cafe on the Plaza for lunch.  Thus situated we could eat, drink, listen to music and watch the passing sea of humanity.

After lunch we walked the streets around the square admiring the building facades, the small parks with their bubbling fountains and works of art.

Harry then went to the Hotel Florida for his one hour of daily WiFi connection and I continued walking through the side streets around the square.   One shop keeper took one look at me and said "Americano?"   When I answered affirmatively he queried, "Boston", I again said "Si", he then said "Big Papi - Red Sox, I love America" and handed me one of his refrigerator magnets of a Havana scene and said "no charge - I love Boston".   On Calle de la Obra Pia there were a series of houses with magnificent doorways including one from the 17th century that was sculpted in Spain.   Near the waterfront was the Castillo de la Real Fuerza.   Built (1558-77)  to protect the city from pirates.   It has all the components you would expect - a moat, a drawbridge, a multitude of cannons, and thick stone walls.   Alas, they built it too far inside the bay so it did not serve it's purpose.   Today it is marvelous to look at and just steps from a major Plaza.

After collecting Harry we headed back to the Vedado and are enjoying our leftovers from last nights dinner on the porch while I write and Harry sketches.

Observations:

The cuban food in Miami and elsewhere is much better than that in Havana. This is probably due to the lack of access to quality ingredients.
There are stray dogs and cats everywhere you go. Could this be because the people cannot afford to keep them as pets?
Speaking of dogs. In the tourist areas there are dogs dressed up by their owners to entice the passing tourist to stop and want to have their photograph taken and then pay the owner for the privilege. One day we came upon a man with two dachshunds. He had trained one of them to look at you lovingly when he said "Obama" and fittingly to bare it's teeth and snarl when he said "Trump".

Day 11: January 25 -- Museo de la Revolution

1/25/2017

Jose Marti

Che, Fidel and Jose

Che

Fidel

Jose Marti

We decided to get into the flow of life in the tropics and lingered over breakfast on the porch and did not venture out until midday.

Armed with the instructions from Mylena and Otto on how to hail a collectivo taxi and specify where we wanted to go, we set off with more than a little bit of trepidation. The collectivo taxis are basically unrestored old American cars that ply certain routes for 1 CUC (Convertible Peso) (worth about $1.25) per person per ride. The cars are basically rattle traps that spew noxious diesel fumes. The drivers weave slowly in and out of traffic depositing passengers at their destinations and picking up new ones along the way. They shift gears and make change for their passengers all at the same time. On our return trip from Havana Vieja tonight Harry noted that the car radio was basically filling the noise gap between the noisy muffler (actually I'm not sure these cars have mufflers) the crunching gears and the other rattles emanating from this ancient Plymouth.