Walking through the streets of Old Havana is always enchanting. There Plaza Vieja (Old Square) is one of those emblematic places to admire the many architectural styles and learn a little more about Cuba’s colonial past. You can stroll there, stop in front of each location, admire the shapes of the arches, the colors of the exterior walls, and appreciate the flavors of the products offered. Total change of scenery.
Note: in the middle of all this tourist surge, where buses constantly pour out their streams of visitors, cameras or cell phones in hand, a local primary school, also nicely renovated, maintains its normal activities, as if nothing had happened. was, without being impressed by the pack of tourists eager for exotic experiences or simply eager to know the habits and customs of these friendly people. A great example where restoration can be combined with respect for local populations. Which is not the case in Quebec where real estate developers call the shots.
Thus the former Escorial roaster, which is on the corner of Mercaderes Street, was purchased by the Italian coffee producer Lavazza. Under agreements with the Cuban government, this firm from Turin, Italy, was able to purchase some coffee plantations in the eastern region with a view to boosting coffee production in the socialist island, according to Italian tradition, and the make it competitive with major Colombian, Brazilian and Honduran brands. With more than a century of experience, Lavazza can help some 170 small coffee producers in the Santiago and Granma region, both in production and roasting as well as distribution. All this with a view to sustainable development, protecting forests and promoting the contribution of women and young people.
This organic coffee, Robusta type, is grown in the forest, thus benefiting from the shade necessary to ensure its slow ripening, according to organic standards, with natural fertilizers. It is marketed under the name La ¡Reserva! of tierra Cuba. It can be consumed on site, in its multiple versions, including “mojicafé” or “daiquiricafé”. For my part, I prefer the “cortado”, a short espresso served with a splash of milk (in France, I think they call it a hazelnut). In the afternoon, I add a drop or two of a brown Havana Club. Simply delicious!
You can find everything in Plaza Vieja: a photo library, which has the oldest collections of Cuban photos, a spa for private relaxation, an observatory, the Camera darknessa sort of dark room which, thanks to a set of lenses and mirrors, allows you to see Havana in 360 degrees, several restaurants with terraces overlooking the square, including a vegetarian restaurant.
Photo Jacques Lanctôt
San Francisco Square
If you like pigeons and you walk with young children, I recommend San Francisco Square, located opposite the ferry terminal and called the Plaza de las palomas, that is to say, the place for pigeons. There are a lot of them because there is always someone to feed them. Children, as you probably know, love chasing pigeons to try to catch one, which never happens (fortunately). But seeing them running and exhausting themselves under the hot Caribbean sun (this morning, my cell phone indicated that it was one degree in Montreal on April 25) certainly guarantees you a good night’s sleep (for the children). ). Its old basilica is often the venue for medieval concerts. The sound is exceptional.
Primero de Mayo
Next Wednesday, May 1, Workers’ Day, is a day off in Cuba. Due to fuel shortages, there will be no large gatherings, which normally relied on hundreds or even thousands of buses to move the population to the Plaza de la Revolution then bring them back to their neighborhoods. Instead, there will be a large gathering on the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, facing the US embassy and facing the sea, and people will go there on foot. The theme of the gathering: Ending the criminal blockade. This slogan will be chanted thousands of times by thousands of voices, in front of the American embassy. When will we listen, at the White House, to the international clamor, echoed by the majority of nations sitting in the United States?
