Sunday February 28 2016 ~~ Day 3 Part 2
Continued….
We exit Hotel Ambos Mundos….
And head south on Mercaderes. These little sweeties were posing for photos…
Plaza de Bolivar…
Pretty courtyard at Hostal Conde de Villanueva…
La Imprenta...
And then….on the corner of Mercaderes and Amargura……the
Churro man! They look so
delicious, but the line up is a tad long!
We watch and enjoy the wonderful aroma for a while and then
seek out the next line up nearby…..at La Casa del Chocolate! Oh my! Another must-see place that I had read about. Now this line I am joining!
I happily purchase some Havana 7 Rum balls….
I think we should taste-test them! This is such a dreadful photo but this is the face you make
when a rum ball filled with Havana 7 melts in your mouth! Delicious!
We seriously consider getting back in line for more but
decide to come back tomorrow!
We continue on our walk south towards Plaza Vieja and then
turn north on San Ignacio...
Near Café Paris, we find a Fidel lookalike…a generous tip
leads to a photo op…
We wander west on Obispo, stopping at Hotel Florida which
looks like a beautiful place to stay…
There was an art show taking place in their courtyard…
The walking street of Obispo is not quite what I was expecting
and is quite a change from many of the other areas we have been so far. Fancier shops mixed in with little
tiendas. Lots of tourist groups
from many different countries.
We stop in at a small ‘grocery store’. We had searched in our travels for some
kind of market to purchase a few things like water, cerveza, and to replenish
our dwindling supply of toilet paper!
Well, there wasn’t a lot to choose from at this store….lots of
cigarettes and rum, but very little food.
Everything is behind the counter and you have to ask for what you
want. I don’t know if all shops
are this way, but it was an eye-opener!
It’s getting a bit late and some of the artists are packing up, but we find a few items to purchase at Artesania Cubana….a figurine cat of black ebony wood and a hummingbird. The fellow wrapped it well for us and it made it safely back to Canada!
I don’t think this is working anymore….
Dancing in the streets….
Wi-Fi hot spot….
As I’ve mentioned before, I was ridiculously challenged
finding my way around. So, it’s
another happy surprise when I see that we are right by El Floridita!!!
Open since 1819, it is well known as Ernest Hemingway’s
watering hole for daiquiris. The
place is jam-packed but we are lucky to find a table to share with some
visitors from the UK.
Great
music….(we recently saw this band performing on Canada’s Amazing Race)…click for a short video....
Yes, the drinks are overpriced at $6CUC each, but it’s so
worth it to be surrounded by the décor, crowds and music. A must-see in Havana! Another plus….clean, free washrooms.
One giant daiquiri glass!
Ernest Hemingway…
We notice a few people at the bar snacking on some plantain chips
and the bartender happily provides us with a plate of them…..oh my! So delicious! Yes, we were starving, but these were awesome! We nibble on a few and then put the
rest in our bag to enjoy later!
We’re surprised to come out onto the streets and find that
it is dark…where did the time go!?!
To be honest, I was a bit uneasy walking
back to our casa. The
streets were dark and again, I didn’t really know where we were….thankfully
Vince was confident we were walking in the right direction and there was no
need to worry. He was right, of
course, and before I knew it we were enjoying the view of our pretty little
plaza….home sweet home.
A quick clean up while we munch on our Floridita chips….
And then we walk the few short steps to Trattoria 5
Esquinas. All the tables inside are occupied, so we happily find a
spot in the street…
Time for a mojito!!! Cheapest one that we found, at $3CUC, and it was excellent!
We ordered brocheta de queso for an appetizer and it was so
delicious and flavourful…
Vince orders a pasta dish…Amatriciana, with freshly grated
parmesan…
We also share a pizza with ham and mushroom…soooo good!
For a grand total of $32CUC (we left $40CUC)….what a bargain! We definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re in Havana Vieja….good service, excellent food and drinks.
We wander up the hill to our little casa and spend some time
writing post cards to send home.
After a very busy day, we fall asleep before our heads hit the pillows!
Day 4 coming up!....
