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The street where our apartment was located in old Havana.
American cars are passed down in Cuban families and are a good source of income. Above, our driver Lester, in his pink Impala.
Lester’s pink Impala was passed down to him from his father and grandfather.
The only American cars you’ll see in Cuba are from the 1950s before the embargo.
The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is off limits to Americans because the U.S. government doesn't want its citizens spending money that will benefit the Cuban government. However, the Cuban government has no restrictions on Americans staying there or visiting it.
I stopped for a few seconds to take some photos of a basketball game. This young man asked me if I wanted to play basketball with him and his friends.
In recent years Cubans have been allowed to own small businesses, mostly geared to tourism. This woman sells arts and crafts in Old Havana.
Cubans will ride by on anything. It’s not unusual to see them on bikes, horse-drawn carts, and cycle rickshaws, even on the major highways.
The view from our balcony in Old Havana.
The National Capitol building in Havana is often compared to the U.S. Capitol but it is not a replica. It was built in the late 1920s.
Cubans go about their daily lives in Plaza Christo near our apartment.
Jasmine, our walking guide, points out a government fruit stand.
The shelves are often bare at government stores where Cubans get their rations.
The worn buildings are adorned with colors that look as natural as patina on bronze.
An image of Che Guevara (above) and Fidel Castro adorn buildings in Revolution Square.
The Cuban Art Factory is an art gallery and a nightclub.
The light from El Capitolio brightens a dark street in Old Havana.
The coffee was strong and sweet at most shops in Havana.
A woman strolls one of Havana’s plazas in traditional clothes.
AFTERNOON ENCOUNTER: The Cuban people are very friendly and warm.
OLD HAVANA AND BEYOND
VIÑALES PHOTO GALLERY: A farmhand looks like he’s about to draw a gun but he was just in a hurry as he walked past a tobacco field in the rural town of Viñales.
A farmer gave us a tour of the tobacco farm starting at the air-curing barn.
There was no charge for the short tour, but it’s expected you’ll buy something that’s made on the farm.
Air-curing is a natural process where tobacco leaves are hung up to dry.
You can get a mojito or a strong cup of coffee with a shot of Guavabita del Pinar rum while watching the farmer demonstrate how to roll a cigar.
(The rum is made with dwarf guava fruit.)
And with a quick flick of the wrist he finished rolling a cigar.
The farmer told us to dip the end of the cigar in honey, explaining that that’s how Che Guevara liked to smoke because the honey was good for his asthma.
The Viñales Valley, north of town, has a beautiful prehistoric vibe to it.
Behind us is the Viñales Mural de la Prehistoria. It depicts world history up until the age of humans and was painted in 1961 by Leovigildo González Morillo, from the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
In Viñales you’ll see many people riding horses.
U.S. citizens would probably have no trouble checking into this government-run hotel in the Viñales Valley but they’d be breaking U.S. regulations.
VIÑALES AND A PREHISTORIC VALLEY
FUSTERLANDIA PHOTO GALLERY: Mosaic artist Jose Fuster painted the gate in front of his home in Jaimanitas, about a 30-minute drive southwest of Havana.
Fuster transformed his neighborhood by adorning about 80 homes with his mosaics. Above, a view of the street in front of Fuster’s home.
The view of the front yard from Fuster’s studio/home. His style is often compared to Picasso’s.
Residents seem used to their colorful neighborhood and the tourists it attracts.
Tourists arrive by bus and taxi.
Fuster spent 10 years transforming his neighborhood and the work continues today.
Visitors are free to roam around Fuster’s yard and get up close to the artwork.
Even the swimming pool at Fuster’s home is covered with his art.
Fuster spent time in Europe working on his art before taking his creative ambitions back to his homeland of Cuba.
In 1975 he purchased an unassuming wood house in Jaimanitas. This is the front yard of the house today.
There is no charge to visit Fuster’s home and studio but you can buy sculptures, like this one, to take home.
FUSTERLANDIA: A NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMED BY ART
BAY OF PIGS PHOTO GALLERY: Americans hear Bay of Pigs and they think of the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles backed by the U.S.
And that’s why it’s so strange to visit the area and see it for what it was and what it still is: a quiet beach resort.
The Bay of Pigs Museum, called the Museo GirĂłn, tells the Cuban side of the 1961 invasion. After paying a nominal admission fee guests are ushered into a small theater to watch a short, black and white, propaganda-style film.
The main message throughout the museum is that the conflict resulted in the first defeat of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.
A memorial outside the museum lists the names of Cuban soldiers who died in the invasion. About 170 soldiers fighting for the Cuban government died and 500 were injured.
Tanks and aircraft used in the invasion are on display outside the museum. About 100 of the invading troops were killed, and the majority of the survivors were taken prisoner and later returned to the United States.
Cubans are very friendly and provide a warm greeting at the museum.
One of the tanks used in the conflict can be seen through window slats from inside the museum.
About 1,400 exiled Cubans landed in the bay in April, 1961 with hopes of overthrowing Fidel Castro.
Weapons used in the invasion were on display along with placards that featured photos and text in Spanish.
Photos of those who fought to defend the island are on display along with some of their personal belongings.
A few independent souvenir stands are across the street from the small museum.
The sunsets are beautiful on the Bay of Pigs.
A few of the small cafes on the beach set up tables on the sand at dinnertime.
The village of CaletĂłn is a quiet town without sidewalks.
There are several small guest houses and places for rent near the beach.
The iconic old cars from the 1950s are just one of the things that adds to the laid-back, retro vibe.
A friendly waiter at Restaurante Casa de Yeni told us he’s a professional baseball player in Cuba.
He then showed us a photo of himself sitting in the dugout. The food was fantastic at this place and in other independently-owned restaurants in Cuba. You just have to know where to go.
Cubans are very resourceful when it comes to getting around the large island. Besides old cars, you’ll also see horse-drawn carts, old buses, hitchhikers, and bicyclists.
A horse-drawn cart makes deliveries outside our Airbnb.
The village of CaletĂłn in Playa Larga is very picturesque.
You can buy the best piña colada for $3 and it comes with this view.
The water is warm and clean.
Families and couples flock to Playa Larga but it’s not crowded.
In case you forgot where you are.
There’s only a narrow path to walk along the water’s edge.
Palm trees swaying in the breeze may be cliché but it doesn’t make it less breathtaking.
If you squint at the sunset you’ll get a view that looks like an impressionist painting.
It’s quiet on the beach.
People exercise, swim, and meditate.
It’s a great place for a walk at sunset.
THE BAY OF PIGS MUSEUM AND PLAYA LARGA
The world's only Umbrella Cover Museum celebrated its 25th anniversary with a fashion show on Peaks Island, Maine.
The only requirement was that all of the outfits had to be made out of red umbrella covers.
Participants on the island had fun with the concept.
The idea for the concept came from Nancy 3. Hoffman (in red), founder of the Umbrella Cover Museum.
The Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the most umbrella covers.
The official count came in at 730 covers in 2012! Today, the museum has received over 2,000 covers from 71 countries.
Three people judged the fashion show.
Kids of all ages played in the grass before and after the show.
The audience cheered on the models as they walked the grassy runway at the Peaks Island Lions Club.
The Maine Squeeze entertained the audience.
Peaks Island Fashion Show
What's on TV? (Battery Steele WWII Bunker, Peaks Island Maine)
Battery Steele Bunker Grafitti (Peaks Island, Maine)
Centennial Beach House (Peaks Island, Maine)
Whales Tale Sunset (Peaks Island, Maine)
Walking Time (Peaks Island, Maine)
Blue By You (Peaks Island, Maine)
Night Light Church (Peaks Island, Maine)
It's Coming (Peaks Island, Maine)
This Side of the Atlantic (Peaks Island, Maine)
Battery Steele and More (Peaks Island, Maine)
Ben Tock was the head baker at Bricco Panetteria in Boston's North End.
The bakery uses old world ingredients and techniques, producing loaves reminiscent of bread found in Italy and France.
Breads include ciabatta, a French sourdough miche, which is a puffy round, a baguette stuffed with Parmigiano and prosciutto, and the best-selling olive baguette.
The bread has a crisp crust with a little char and lots of holes in the crumb, like you’d find in an Old World bakery.
At the time, Tock said he made about 1300 loaves "on a good day."
I took these photos to accompany a story I wrote for the Boston Globe. However, unbeknownst to me, the newspaper sent their own photographer who took similar photos and they published those.
North End Baker