Today is my tenth day in Cuba. My last day. I am sitting at a restaurant called Farmacia on Callejon de Los peluqueros and Peña Pobre, where Old Havana and Modern Havana meet the harbour. I am here because the restaurant where I had planned to eat - and with whose staff I spoke as… Continue reading Is Cuba Panicking?
Category: cuba
Life Goes On…
It has been two days since I posted my last article about tourism and Covid-19 in Cuba, and things are progressing as I expected. Yesterday no fewer than three restaurants in high-traffic tourist areas told me they are closing this weekend, and the staff are worried. The same four guests who were at the Posada… Continue reading Life Goes On…
Havana is Sick…
I love Havana. I always have and I always will. So it is sad to walk around the city and see what is usually a bustling tourist destination practically silent. If the recent renewal of sanctions, along with the banning of cruise ships that came with them wasn’t bad enough, the worldwide coronaviraus quarantine has… Continue reading Havana is Sick…
18 Years in the Making
'Mitch, I have a cigar for you tonight that not even YOU have ever smoked.' (Video at the bottom) I have been smoking cigars for twenty-five years, and in that time I have had some great cigars... and some not so great ones. When people asking me about aging cigars, I am usually on the… Continue reading 18 Years in the Making
Sperlinga: Thank You Your Grace!
When I went to meet my friend and her husband in Havana recently I was really looking forward to catching up, enjoying a cigar and a drink (or two... or three), and chatting about this and that. My friend Danays Leon is one of a select few women who are full-fledged Habanos Sommeliers, and it… Continue reading Sperlinga: Thank You Your Grace!
Reynaldo the King!
One of the more difficult hotels to find in Old Havana, if you do not know exactly where to look, is the Conde de Villanueva. Located in the Calle de los Mercaderes, it is a true gem. Once you walk into the open-air foyer, you will know that it is worth the search. When some… Continue reading Reynaldo the King!
La Ultima Noche…
The last night of a vacation is usually the hardest, but this time is an exception. Liza left yesterday morning and I have been going it alone for two days... with my cigars. Because I'm a pretty personable guy, I've made some friends here... including seventy-seven year old Pete from Edmonton, who has latched onto… Continue reading La Ultima Noche…
Welcome to Turquesa!
As much as I love Havana, it seems I am always on the go there. So when Liza and I arrived at our resort in Varadero yesterday, the stress (whatever little there was) melted away completely. There was a minor mixup checking in, but that was an easily rectified problem. Welcome to a week at… Continue reading Welcome to Turquesa!
LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
My pedometer reads a hair shy of 19,000 steps as I sit down in the Salon de Fumadores in the LCDH of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and it is just about 7:00. I have had a full and excellent day, and i have several hours to kill. Because of an event I was invited… Continue reading LCDH Hotel Nacional: a fine selection of singles
Banana Leaf and other things to avoid…
I have written before of he perseverance of the Cuban people. That quality has, for the nation, served them well in times of great hardship. It does, however, have a downside... mostly for tourists. It is hard to walk through Old Havana, or really any area where tourists congregate, without being accosted by myriad taxi… Continue reading Banana Leaf and other things to avoid…
Passion For Cigars 