Hemingway spent most of the 1940s and 1950s in Cuba and his
favorite bars provided the inspiration and local color for The Old Man and the Sea and Islands
in the Stream.
La Bodeguita del Medio (The Little Bar in the Middle) is
famous for its mojito. This bar is
little and in the middle. It was also so crowded that we actually had to drink
in the street.
La Floridita is famous for its frozen daiquiri which “Papa”
is said to have helped to perfect. There
is also a statue of him in where he normally sat, and again, this bar is
crowded! (So crowded that I did not take a photo of the statue.)
Hemingway’s home, La Vigia is about 10 miles outside of
Havana. His wife donated it as a museum
and it is preserved the way he left it. He lived there until 1960 when he moved
to Idaho – dying by suicide just a year later.
View from the back porch:
They built this tower for Hemingway to use as an office, but he didn't like it and it ended up basically being a house for their cats.
The pool was undergoing deep cleaning while I was there:
His boat, The Pilar:
The Pilar was docked in Cojimar while Hemingway lived on the island. We also visited his favorite bar in Cojimar (because, of course, he had a favorite bar there.)
Hemingway's table is roped off:
View from the back porch:
They built this tower for Hemingway to use as an office, but he didn't like it and it ended up basically being a house for their cats.
The pool was undergoing deep cleaning while I was there:
His boat, The Pilar:
The Pilar was docked in Cojimar while Hemingway lived on the island. We also visited his favorite bar in Cojimar (because, of course, he had a favorite bar there.)
Hemingway's table is roped off:
