Hola Havana

It is day #3, Friday, Octovber 2 ,2015

Today is my Hemingway Day. The other day at Floridita and La Bodequita de Medio was just to whet my Hemingway appetite.

Ok, ok, I know he was a coarse man, a womanizer, a drunk, and often not a very nice person. But, he was larger than life and an awesome writer. An icon for sure.

Let's raise a glass to Papa Hemingway.

My day started when Alexis and the taxi (Jose) arrived to pick me up about eleven a.m. Our first stop was the Hemingway home just on the outskirts of Havana.

Finca Vigia (outlook farm) is in San Francisco de Paula. The drive there was not memorable. Arriving at the finca, which is now a museum, was a surprise. There were a few vendors outside, but at least they were down in the parking area and not near the house. Alex had arranged for me to be driven right up the driveway to be let out at the staircase. He said that I was entering the way a Hemingway would have. The other mere mortal tourists had to park in the parking area, hehe.

The air was fresh and clean. The temperature was noticeably cooler and refreshing. One cannot go inside the house, but must view from the open windows and doors. This is really not an issue because a house built in the tropical style has large openings to let the breezes in. The house was built in 1886 and he lived in it from 1929 to 1960.

After the Cuban revolution he was on good terms with the Cuban government, but as the relationship with the U.S. deteriorated and much land was confiscated Hemingway left for the U.S. in 1960. He committed suicide in Idaho on July 2, 1961. His widow deeded the house, furnishings etc. to the Cuban people. It is now a museum to honour Ernest Hemingway

These are some photos from the rooms. A painting of him game hunting in Kenya, trophies on the wall, the drinks table, his desk and typewriter. You can see Havana city from the view in the tower.

It does look like he just stepped out for a bit, because when he left he really didn't know that he would not be returning to Cuba.

The Pilar is now on the grounds, but sorry no photo.

I spent about two hours there, much of the time sitting at one of the patios just taking in the ambience and pretending I was a dear friend or family member visiting for the weekend ( no one ever said I didn't have a great imagination). I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Hemingway.