Anyone with a serious desire for an intimate look at Cuba would do well to sign up for a tour sponsored by the intrepid Finca Vigia Foundation in early December.
It’s the first-ever such expedition for the group, and it’s designed to raise money to preserve Ernest Hemingway’s legacy there.
So, yes, that means his home, his 12-acre estate and even his beloved Wheeler fishing boat, Pilar, will be an integral part of the adventure.
The tour’s itinerary has been organized in collaboration with the travel service provider Cubapuentes, which holds a People to People license from the United States Treasury. The organization’s president, Silvia Wilhelm, will serve as tour leader.
Indeed. The tour includes the colonial city of Trinidad and the French-settled city of Cienfuegos, with talks by local architects and historians. Also planned is a walking tour of Havana’s plazas, led by architect Ayleen Robaina, from the city historian’s office.
And most meals will be in paladars, or small restaurants in private homes, some of them big and quite ornate, with fine chefs.
All in all, it’s an experience designed to expose the Cuban people to their American counterparts on an intimate level, and vice versa.
Which is precisely why, it would seem, that Hemingway and the natives of the island got along so well for two decades, some 60 years ago.
Limited to just 18-20 people, the tour is scheduled for Dec. 5-12. For more information, email Adams at [email protected]
J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art and design for national and international publications. He also edits and publishes an online design magazine at www.architectsandartisans.com.