 |
The Insider’s Guide to Travel, Food and Wine
The Old Havana, Cuba Habana Vieja
I gleaned my first impression of Havana while walking along El Malecon, a lovely waterfront boulevard lined with blocks of handsome mansions in various states of decay or repair. Cuba's haunting architecture is like a ghost from the past -- beautiful facades and shells of old buildings -- gems of another era. The palatial old homes stand in eerie silence hiding fascinating stories from the past. If only they could talk! The elegant Hotel National de Cuba, resting on a bluff high above the sea, overlooking the Malecon, has a superb water view and is a perfect stop on a city walking tour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
Chronological
1 to 5 of 169 
|
Woman collects water from a pipe along El Malecon
El Malecon is a seaside boulevard along Havana’s deep blue waterfront
|
|
The Old Havana, Cuba
Habana Vieja
Story and photos by Frederica Dunn
I gleaned my first impression of Havana while walking along El Malecon, a lovely waterfront boulevard lined with blocks of handsome mansions in various states of decay or repair. Cuba's haunting architecture is like a ghost from the past -- beautiful facades and shells of old buildings -- gems of another era. The palatial old homes stand in eerie silence hiding fascinating stories from the past. If only they could talk! The elegant Hotel National de Cuba, resting on a bluff high above the sea, overlooking the Malecon, has a superb water view and is a perfect stop on a city walking tour.
Laundry hangs off the balcony of a former Spanish colonial mansion in Old Havana
Located only 90 miles from the United States, Cuba is one of the few communist countries left in the world, and it has created a radically different economic, social and cultural life for its citizens. Havana is in the throes of an historical revolution. Everywhere you turn, you see either buildings that are falling down or something being restored. Virtually no new construction has taken place since 1959. Walking along the streets can be hazardous, with the falling debris of decaying buildings or from the restorations. Architectural styles include the classicism of aristocratic homes, rococo residential exteriors, Moorish interiors, art deco and art nouveau public buildings.
Traffic is not a major problem. Bicycles and cyclos are in direct proportion to the wonderful vintage cars of the 1940s and 1950s from countries including the United States. Some appear in good condition; some operate in poor condition; yet all run on a wing and a prayer -- no small feat considering the lack of spare parts, materials and petrol. Fascinating old camelback buses, the main form of public transportation, are prevalent throughout the city.
Habana Vieja (Old Havana) has been called the finest urban ensemble in the Americas by preservation experts. In 1977 the Cuban government named HabanaVieja a national monument and formalized a plan under the guidance of Eusebio Leal Spengler, the charismatic city historian of Havana, to rescue the city from years of neglect. As a credit to Spengler's efforts, Havana was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982.
Since then many buildings have received major renovations while others have been given facelifts -- always despite horrendous shortages of materials and money. Of Habana Vieja's 3,157 structures, more than 900 are of historic importance, and only 101 were built in the 20th century.
Four main plazas are part of Habana Vieja, all within a five minute walk of each other. The oldest, dating back to 1519, is the Plaza de las Armas, with an excellent second-hand outdoor book fair by day and musical concerts by night. A charming Doric temple, El Templete, faces the square where, in 1519, under a massive ceiba tree, the first mass was held. This temple has a black and white marble floor with wall to ceiling paintings depicting that first mass.
The second square is Plaza Vieja, surrounded by mansions such as the Casa del Conde de San Esteban, which houses an intriguing artisans' factory. The stately old national theater nearby is home to the Cuban national ballet, where I attended a wonderful performance of Don Quixote cheered by highly enthusiastic Cubans.
Next is Plaza de San Francisco. At the center is the delightful Fuente de los Leones or “Fountain of Lions” dating back to 1836. Across the way, facing the plaza, is the Sierra Maestra Cruise Terminal. No other cruise terminal in the world opens immediately into the heart of such an incredible colonial city.
The last and finest square is Plaza de la Cathedral, dominated by the baroque 18th century Columbus Cathedral, surrounded by aristocratic palacios. The Casa de los Marqueses Agus Claras, built in the 16th century by Governor General Gonzalo Perez de Angulo, now houses El Patio Restaurant and Bar -- a restful setting for a drink or coffee. Nearby is Ernest Hemingway's old watering hole, La Bodequita del Medio, built in the 1820s, at the peak of the baroque era. Its rustic wooden bar bears the carved names of many famous visitors.
Another beautiful building is the Capitolio, built in 1928, and a dead ringer for our American capitol. It's very ornate inside with a massive stairway flanked by neoclassical figures in bronze that represent virtue and labor. This newly restored building is created of local limestone, and the stunning great hall is composed entirely of marble, with a massive bronze statue of an Indian maiden resembling liberty. She is the world's largest indoor statue.
The Convento de Santa Clara, built in 1638, is one of the most delightful structures in Habana Vieja. A massive nunnery until 1920, it now houses the team in charge of the restoration of colonial Cuba. This building has a beautiful inner and outer cloistered courtyard and a breathtaking roof carved with geometric designs. The lobby is full of fine period pieces, and the whole complex has been restored to pristine condition. Future plans include a restaurant in the spacious courtyard.
No mention of Cuba would be complete without mention of “Papa” Ernest Hemingway, who lived there almost 20 years. The city fathers have leased his spirit to a number of favorite haunts such as El Floridita, a bar and restaurant claiming to be haunted by his ghost. His seat at the dark mahogany bar is preserved along with a bronze bust of him over the bar. This establishment, spruced up with a 1930s art-deco polish, has been serving food since 1819.
An elegant old bank building in Havana
The name Gregorio Fuentes, is synonymous with that of Hemingway. At the ripe old age of 103 years, Fuentes still lived in the quaint little fishing village of Cojimar, outside Havana. He was a constant companion of Hemingway for years and is considered to be the model for the fisherman in The Old Man and the Sea, the novel that won Hemingway the Nobel Prize for literature. Fuentes looked the part, with a weather- beaten face and twinkling blue eyes that belied his age. Every year the two would celebrate their birthdays with a bottle of whiskey -- and until the year Fuentes died, in the early 2000s, he poured whiskey on Hemingway's statue by the harbor in remembrance. He could often be found at La Terraza, the restaurant and bar by the water where these two men spent many a night together. Until his death, Fuentes would pose for photographs for a fee.
Driving from Cojimar to the Varadero Beach area takes you through the historic old town of Matanzas where large sugar mills and coffee plantations flourished in the 1800s. Matanzas came to be known as the Athens of Cuba because of the large numbers of writers, musicians, artists and intellectuals living there at that time. One of the most intriguing attractions in town is the Ediciones Vigia, which produces handmade first-edition books on a variety of topics. You can see the books being made in workshops and purchase signed copies. These collectors' items have been ordered by many famous libraries.
Another exquisite home in the Abrader Beach area is the colonial Spanish-style Du Pont mansion, Xanadu, built by United States millionaire Irenee Du Pont. Constructed in 1926 as a lavish winter hideaway, complete with nine-hole golf course, Du Pont fitted the home with Carrara marble floors, precious dark mahogany, and a massive underground wine cellar and bar. Du Pont died December 12, 1963, the same day the mansion opened as the restaurant named Las Americas. On the top floor, the once-upon-a-time ballroom now houses a bar decorated in Italian rococo, with a splendid view of the water.
Old Havana, with its extensive architecture and thriving cultural center, is truly a unique city. There is simply nothing like it in all of the Americas.
© Story and photos by Frederica Dunn, 2010
|
|
Chronological
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 to 5 of 169 |
|
|
|
| | | | | | |  |
