Cuba Gardens 8-2-20
National Botanical Garden of Cuba
Our first visit this morning is to the extensive National Botanical Garden of Cuba which is about 15 miles south of Havana so easy enough to reach.
Cacti Cuba 8-2-20
The weather has hardly improved over yesterday, although it is at least dry for the visit which is nice. Amongst the other photos I seem to have a lot of pictures of cacti of all descriptions.
More Garden Cuba 8-2-20
We are rather out of season for some of the more colourful displays it seems but these places are always interesting to wander around.
Hemingway House 8-2-20
Hemingway’s House
Our next destination today is Finca Vigia where Ernest Hemmingway lived from 1939 to 1960. For the first part of this he was with Martha Gelhorn as they both had been involved in covering the Spanish Civil War and this is where his book of the war – For Whom the Bell Tolls – was written. In 1960 the revolution inevitably led to many changes in the country. Hemingway was initially close to the new government but he left the island before his property was expropriated by the new Government. He never returned before his death in 1961.
Hemingway’s writing desk 8-2-20
At the time of our visit it appeared to be responsibly maintained and was being visited by large numbers, although without a tourist industry it may well have deteriorated.
Internal Hemingway House 8-2-20
Cojimar
Our final stop today is the fishing village of Cojimar where Hemingway lived initially before buy the house we have just visited and it is where he kept his fishing boat. The sea front is dominated by a Spanish built fort (1649).
Cojimar Cuba 8-2-20
I would like to think that for most of his time in Cuba Hemingway was a happy man – obviously he was getting older but no doubt able to enjoy a few libations and a lot of fishing.
A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.
