Recreating the Life of the Condesa de Merlin - Havana, Madrid, Paris
This post is inspired by the possibility that many more people will be able to visit Cuba given the numerous discussions currently taking place. Ever wonder about the people who lived in the old palaces and houses of Old Havana? Before the graceful buildings collapsed into multifamily dwellings called casas de vecindad, before some were […]
While walking the streets of La Vieja Habana in my quest to retrace the steps of Mercedes Santa Cruz, the Condesa de Merlin, my friend Gerry and I found ourselves caught more than once in a tropical downpour. One day, we were repeatedly drenched. In the former Casa of […]
So much of Havana’s history is linked with its old churches – it is sometimes astounding. After seeing the Santa Clara convent, my cousin Luly, an architect from Matanzas and Jorge, a Habanero with a passion for his city’s history, helped me continue my little quest along calle Cuba – seeking out two more churches: Espiritu Santo and Nuestra Senora de La Merced (La Merced). […]
The center of Old Havana is a microcosm of old restored palaces and houses now converted into hotels, museums and shops as well as oddly perfect cobbled streets. Walking away from the tourist bustle, along calle Cuba one slowly begins to see less shiny streets and refurbished palaces while stumbling […]
This past January 2011 I went back to Cuba for the first time in 27 years. Everywhere I went, Cubans I met were amazed that I hadn’t been back in so long. But along with seeing my aunt and various cousins, this was also a voyage of discovery to walk in Mercedes’ footsteps. La Habana […]