La Giraldilla
On top of the western bell of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza tower, stands
a reproduction of the oldest bronze statue in Cuba, sculpted in 1632 by
the sculptor Jeronimo Martinez Pinzon. The original of the Giraldilla
can be found at the municipal museum, Museo de la Ciudad.
Plaza de Armas
In the center of old Havana, you can find the oldest square in town,
the formal political and administrative heart of the city. The Plaza de
Armas is a very pleasant place to sit down and take a rest in the shade
of the kapok trees and royal palms, to contemplate the baroque facades
and arcades of the palaces that border the square.
In the middle of the square, the central garden is home to some gorgeous
fountains and the statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, by Sergio Lopez
Mesa sculpted in 1955. During the week, booksellers set up their stands,
selling rare and first edition books to the delight of collectors and
antique dealers who come from all over the world.
Plaza de la Catedral
The architectural jewel of the colonial period, the Plaza de La Catedral
changed its name from La Plaza des Marias when the Cathedral San Cristobal
was built in 1789.
Il Capitolio
the exact copy of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC with its large
volumes of white marble, just next to the Gran Teatro.
Malecon
The gorgeous boulevard that forms a perfect arc along the 4 miles of
oceanfront in the north of Havana.
La Bodeguita del Medio
Number 207 on the Calle Empedrado, the former grocery store near the cathedral,
became in 1950 la Bodeguita del Medio,a restaurant and bar where tourists
from all over the world come to drink Mojitos (4 dollars a drink) that
are far from being the best in the country. They serve almost a thousand
of them a day. (Do the math on that one.)
El Floridita
According to the legend, this is the place where, just next to the Capitol
building, at Number 557 on the calle de Obispo, that the Daiquiri, the
emblematic cocktail of Cuba, was invented by Hemingway and Constantino
Ribalaguai, the owner of the place at the time. What is sure is that Papa
Hemingway drank it with a double shot of rum and without sugar, at the
end of the bar where his bar stool still stands, on display to the public
but protected with a guardrail.
The house cocktail is pure heaven; both refreshing and relaxing. For a
few dollars, you'll see why crushed ice is essential to making a good
daiquiri, which is essentially just a mixture of ice and rum.
Unlike the too touristy Bodeguita del Medio, this place is really a treat
and not to be missed when you visit Havana. |
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