Day 2 Part 1

Saturday February 27 2016  ~~ Day 2 Part 1

I took a gazillion photos today and I’ve tried to narrow it down…wish I could share them all but hope you enjoy this photo essay!

The alarm goes off at 8am…we needed a good sleep after a busy day of travel and exploring.  It was a new experience sleeping in a twin/double bed…quite cozy.  A critter greets us in the shower….already dead so Vince takes care of it.  Showers done quickly as we weren’t sure how much hot water there might be.  We also realized at this point that there were no extra rolls of toilet tissue.  Hmmm.  It’s a pretty small roll so we began rationing!  By day 4 we were glad for some extra Starbucks napkins that we ‘borrowed’ from the Cancun airport!  We did look for a grocery store but never did find anywhere to buy more supplies.  I’d pack an extra roll in my suitcase next time!  Okay, on to the fun and a busy day of drinks, museums and a ton of walking…..

Vince has a coffee in our pretty plaza while I finish getting ready, then we’re off.  I hadn’t planned a lot of the day but knew the general direction we were going.  Maylú had told of us a little bakery a few blocks away.  We thought maybe we could pick up some pastries to nibble on.  Out the door….bananas galore….

It’s an interesting walk through the local neighbourhood….

A little art gallery that had a lot of colourful cat paintings…

Looking back up towards our casa with the Museo de Revolución in the background…

Taxi

Moto sidecar

Dinner?

Must be something interesting in there…

So, after a short walk we arrive at the bakery.  Okay, not quite what we expected.  When we see the locals lined up with what we presume are their ration cards, we continue walking.  I know these places run out of food and there is no way that I would want to take away from someone.  We’re still quite satisfied from our late dinner anyway.

Road resurfacing….we’ll see the finished work on the way home later…

Lots of little souvenir places…

Tattoo?....Maybe later….

Cuban parking lot…

There is a lot of restoration taking place….a lot of work to be done.  I saw a documentary that said a gallon of paint was $5….the average worker makes $20 per month.  Improvements are done with help from sources abroad.

It’s about 10am now and we’re just aimlessly wandering and taking in all the sights as we go.  And then….we hear musica!  Oh, that sounds good!  And then I see the sign…La Bodeguita del Medio.  YES!!!  This was on the must see list!  Their specialty is the Mojito.  We’ll just have a look and come back for drinks later.  Everyone signs their name on the walls…

We squeeze our way inside to see the band and to watch the mojito magician….

The music is fantastic….

This was where Ernest Hemingway came to enjoy his mojito…..

The staff are great!

So, Vince says….”That sure looks like a breakfast smoothie to me!”  I’m not sure that I like them so we just order one….besides it’s only 10am!

Soon, it’s jam packed….

We get our mojito to share.  Well, that was a mistake!  OMG….these are amazing!!!  Uno mas por favor!  They are $5CUC each….about $6.50CAD.  Worth every penny.  Yes, we ordered another....maybe even a third....I forget!  

This is better than I ever could have imagined….exactly the experience that I was hoping for but hadn’t expected.  The music makes us want to dance but it’s shoulder to shoulder in this tiny space.  We chat with one of the musicians and are really happy to find that they have a CD for sale for $15CUC.  That CD has been in my car since we got home and I love it!

Click here for video...

The band takes a break and we decide that we better get on with our ventures, but we’ll be back for sure!  This was one of the singers….he was awesome and such an entertainer!  Another one of my favourite photos from this trip....

This lady posed for photos…for a fee...

Artwork for sale…

A short walk down the block and we arrive at Plaza de la Catedral…

We would have lunch here…at that table with the green tablecloth…

Museo de Arte Colonial….recreation of an aristocratic colonial home…we will tour this.

La Cathedral…it was closed today so we will view the inside on Monday...

On to the museum….entrance was $6CUC and we also tipped the tour guide.  The first stop was a room filled with beautiful fans…

The inner courtyard….

The view from one of the rooms out to the street….

The lavish bedroom…

These are stained-glass vitrales.  We hadn’t really noticed these on buildings before this, but then we started to see them everywhere…they are beautiful!  Most of these were from the late 1800s….

The family dining room…

This writing desk is almost identical to one that my mother has from her home in Denmark.  Most of the items here were from Europe…Spain, Germany and Italy.

This decoration is made of hundreds of tiny shells…

The view of the plaza from the museum…

We enjoyed the tour and the guide was very sweet.  Our next stop was an art show….

It’s hard to tell how intricate and large these items are... 

They were also very expensive!

Take a close look at this one to see all the detail…

In another room there were trinkets to buy and an old photo of Havana, along the waterway…

Humidor…

It’s 1:30 and tummies are definitely grumbling.  We find the perfect spot at Restaurante Paris to sit and enjoy the view and the tourists passing by. 

There are musicians here as well.  That is one thing that we truly loved about Cuba….music everywhere!

A delicious complimentary breadbasket….oh, that hit the spot! 

We share the “Walk on the Square” nibbles….

And Vince has a chicken and corn soup…

This kitty joins us and got quite a few treats….

More musical entertainment…

Click here for video....

This kitty has found the perfect spot for a siesta…

Lunch was perfect…$21.50CUC….food was good and the view was outstanding.  The washrooms were fine too….an attendant with paper for purchase.  I think I got 2 or 3 squares and tipped in CUP, the local currency.

On to more adventures….our lunch spot…

Another view of the plaza….

Where next?!.....

To be continued…..