Posts tagged Travel

Flower Time in Girona- Guest Blog by IggyMo

June 7, 2019 6 Comments Spain, Travel

I spent the winter hanging out at home, reading and absorbing some of the most important lessons about life and art. On the first day of spring I realized I’d become a bit of an art critic and there was no better place to exercise my new-found skill than Girona… when the whole city becomes an art installation called the Temps de Flors (Flower Time).

Iggymo, the little prince — *Reading my favorite book on a cool, rainy day.*

Temps de Flors sign near my house. See the plane trees of the park where I live?Every May, for the past 64 years, the City of Girona holds a party for art made from a gazillion flowers, and you know I love a party. It is a time of year when everyone has the opportunity to be an artist. From conception to realization, Sir IggyMo, Art Critic at Large, got to see how deftly the artists designed and arranged their exhibits. It had been a long time since I saw my girl so camera happy.

Temps de Flors, Girona — *Plaza (or Plaça) de la Independencia, a favorite place for sidewalk cafes and events*

We saw marvelous things, like…

… a Medieval wall of blue jeans sprouting flowers and a courtyard transformed into a fantastical underwater scene.

And then there was the tower (Torre Gironella), which My Girl says has a creepy history. She told me that in 1391 hundreds of men, women and children were starved to death in this tower, because they were Jewish. The story involves the Black Plague, which was claiming millions of lives all over Europe and no one knew what caused it. They were scared and wanted to blame something or someone. Like always, the easiest blame-targets are the ones different from us, the ones we don’t understand. In Spain at that time this was the Jews, and a major pogrom, or killing spree, spread across the country from Sevilla to Girona, killing thousands of people.

But, from my art critic perspective, during Temps de Flors the gloomy interior of Torre Gironella is transformed into a magical cave of flowers and sculptures. They do not erase the tragic story but bringing life and beauty to the space.

One room had a golden Buddha surrounded by flowers. On the wall a video played of Mahatma Gandhi’s peaceful marches for Indian independence from Britain. My Girl explained this is a model for the Catalan people’s commitment to peace and independence from Spain. I would not have known that as I was just appreciating the floral arrangements and colors.

St Feliu Girona church — *Girona church of St. Felix, St Feliu of the flies*

A My favorite installation was the forest of trees made of hemp and flowers on the 89 steps of the Girona Cathedral. (It is said the cathedral was built on the ruins of a Temple to the goddess Juno, mother of Minerva… but My Girl will have to tell you about that).

I came upon this giant fly on the wall. Flies are a strange symbol of Girona. The story involves St. Feliu (Felix) releasing a lot of flies that sent an invading French army running back across the border. The myths, legends and secrets of Girona are as thick as the Roman walls that you can still walk 2,000 years later. Imagine that!

My Critic’s Choice Award goes to the magical forest of trees on the 89 steps of the Girona Cathedral.

We ended our adventure back at Plaza de Independencia with a violet and coconut cone at La Bombonera, our favorite all-natural gelato parlor. The nice people who make it actually serve it. And if the store isn’t busy they will tell you all about the flavors and let you taste them. As the art critic I’ve become, I can declare with certainty that each flavor is a work of art. Next time, says My Girl, rose petals and raspberry… or pistachio and dark chocolate… or…

And then we headed home, with me nestled among many happy memories in my black leather bag from Rome. I look up at the plane trees that frame our camino and think, what a lucky Sir IggyMo I am!

P.S.
The Temps de Flors catalog says there are 171 floral projects by 1,100 volunteers and 80 municipal workers, seen by an estimated crowd of 250,000 people, and (I add) made with millions and millions of flowers. Maybe next Flower Time you’ll be here?

Meanwhile, wherever you are, I send smiles and hugs and hope to hear from you about your adventures! (Please leave your comments below).

IggyMo is a traveling Classic Edition Gund monkey whose mission is to spread smiles and hugs. For more about his adventures, visit his Facebook page. His “My Girl’s” website is: AyshaGriffin.com and her blog for Travelers, Writers & Entrepreneurs can be enjoyed at: InhabitYourDreams.com

#incostabrava #inpyrenees #girona #spaintravel #Catalunya #tempsdeflors #GottaGetAGund #iggyMo #visitSpain #travel #traveltuesdays

Getting To Know Gaudí: La Pedrera

August 18, 2018 15 Comments Travel

You can’t set foot in Barcelona without being bombarded by GAUDÍ!

Sometimes referred to as “God’s architect,” Gaudí is big business for the tourist industry… but don’t let that deter you from experiencing his outrageous, mind-blowing creations. And even though Barcelona offers a multitude of compelling reasons to visit this beautiful progressive world-class city, Gaudí is reason enough.

The name Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) may mean little outside architectural circles or his native region of Catalonia in northeast Spain, but to discover the imagination and prolific works of this extraordinary artist is to forever change your understanding of art, architecture, nature, and the meaning of “visionary.”

I first encountered Gaudí in the 1980s when exploring mosaics, and it did not take long to become obsessed with the “modernista” movement of the art nouveau era of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, of which he was a prime influence. Decades before the ease of online research, I sought and devoured numerous books on his work, but it was not until 2006 I made my first pilgrimage to Barcelona to see them with my own eyes.

gaudi-casa mila — The strange shapes on the rooftop of Casa Mila/La Pedrera serve as ventilation shafts, skylights, stairwells and chimneys. Some are finished in the trencadis technique – mosaics using broken tiles, stones, marble and glass.

I’ve returned numerous times and most recently to meet an American friend who’d never visited Barcelona nor knew of Gaudí. I love to share what I know and love with the curious, so revisiting Gaudi’s work with Jina was a great pleasure.

Seven of his works in and around Barcelona have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are essential stops on the Gaudí trail: Parque Güell; Palacio (Palau) Güell; Casa Mila (La Pedrera); Casa Vicens; Gaudí’s work on the Nativity façade and Crypt of La Sagrada Familia; Casa Batlló; Crypt in Colonia Güell.

You can read about, see photos and videos online, plan your trip and buy advance tickets to skip the lines (!) at the links above. If you want to dive deeper, travel bloggers, The Independent Travel Cats, provide a more extensive list of 20 Gaudí sites and details on visiting them all.

La Pedrera / Casa Mila:
The Best Place To Begin Exploring Gaudí

Our first stop was Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera. It’s located at Passeig de Gràcia, 92, just a short stroll north of Plaza Catalunya and diagonally across the street from Casa Batló. This makes it easy to visit both in one day, but you may want to savor each experience if you have the time, as there’s a lot of sensory stimuli to absorb.

Having visited most Gaudí sites – and been wowed by each – La Pedrera offers the most comprehensive foundation for understanding and experiencing Gaudí the man, his work and the times in which he created. You don’t have to be a student or aficionado of architecture or art to appreciate the original, sometimes wacky, amazing designs and use of materials that sprang from his imagination and implemented with an innovative and highly technical understanding of his mediums .

La Pedrera was commissioned by Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimon who had bought the corner lot on this posh avenue in 1905 and wanted Gaudí to build a private home with apartments above to rent. With spectacular undulating organic design both inside and out, it still serves as apartments for some lucky inhabitants. The rest of us get to stroll through several floors of unique, marvelous, mind-bending architectural details while informed by an intelligent and insightful audio guide in the language of your choice (part of admission).

The rooftop terrace overlooking the entire city is its own fantasy world with walkways like gentle waves and sentinel-like towers, some actually functioning as vents, provoking the imagination with whimsy and awe.

On this sunny spring day, Jina and I made several passes and didn’t want to leave this magical (some say ‘divine’) playground. But there was yet the attic to explore with its fascinating exhibitions of Gaudí’s models, methods and inspirations from nature, constructed with 270 catenary arches made from brick and arranged to resemble the inside of the Biblical whale. Really, and this was the laundry room!

Although by now I was sated with Gaudí’s out-of-this-world ideas-made-real, the self-guided tour took us through a spacious multi-roomed apartment to reveal the building’s internal layout around the spectacular inner atrium/courtyard. It is completely furnished from the early 20^th century, down to clothing and toys, with ornamental elements all designed by Gaudí.

An audiovisual explains the rapid transformation and modernization of Barcelona in the first quarter of the 20^th century, putting in context the foundation of this exceptionally creative modern city where art and nature are nurtured, valued and accessible.

Finally – myself ready for a tapa and wine but Jina soldiering on – there is the Milá family apartment converted into a temporary exhibition space, with Gaudi’s stone pillars carved with ornamental motifs and inscriptions. And, of course, there is a gift shop with many unusual high-quality items that reflect the elegance of the “work of art” building and top-notch museum quality of its exhibitions.

According to a publication at the time of construction of La Pedrera (1906-1912), Gaudi was determined to meet the needs of modern life “without the nature of the materials or their resistance being an obstacle that limits his freedom of action”. Unsurprising is that the project was controversial, well over budget and violated city codes. Surprising is that it was built at all and remains one of the most imaginative and iconic residential structures in the world.

After four hours, as we exited the massive sculpted wooden doors with their modernista stained glass, I asked Jina what she thought. “Wow. All I can say is wow.”

So go online, book your ticket, and prepare to meet one of the greatest architectural geniuses of all time.

If you have any questions or comments about Gaudi’s work, visiting his sites, or Barcelona and Catalunya in general, I’d love to hear from you below.

Notes: As at many sites, your bags will be scanned upon entry. Backpacks, shopping bags, etc. can be checked in a self-service locker room. If you can travel light, all the better. Cameras without flash are permitted. There is not a cafeteria, although I think there are vending machines for bottled water; you can also carry your own. However, there is an adjacent upscale restaurant that looks to have a wonderful ambiance.

#incostabrava #inpyrenees #barcelona #gaudi #lapedrera #casamila #spaintourism

Vatican Museum

March 26, 2017 4 Comments Italy, Travel

Vatican Museum entry sculpture — *Sculpture above the entry to the Vatican Museum; although a new, slick pavilion to the north has been added for processing the hoards of visitors.*

It’s too big and too crowded… and you must go. Of course, this is The Vatican, the seat of the predominant religion and government of the western world for centuries, Michelangelo’s dome of St. Peter’s Basilica dominates the skyline and, well, it houses some of the greatest art ever created.

St. Peters domeby Michelangelo — *St. Peters dome designed by Michelangelo, taking clues from the Pantheon built 1,500 years before.*

To skip the lines that wind for at least half a mile around the massive western and northern walls (and this is in mid-March… imagine summer!), your best bet is to sign up for a small tour. With some 5,000 official guides registered with the Vatican Museums, we felt fortunate to have randomly chosen Christiana Tittarelli, a charming Italian art historian with a good command of English and years of experience. Her insightful narrative was transmitted into our earbuds wirelessly, so even when slightly separated from the group of seven, we could hear her clearly.

Vatican Museum entry — *We were told 20,000 people a day visit the Vatican Museum. Book a tour in advance!*

Once fitted with headphones and tickets, the tour begins in the lemon garden and winds through room after room of magnificent architecture and art – collected, donated or stolen – to its end in the Sistine Chapel, where photos are not allowed and “Silencio!” is repeated to the crowd who cannot help whispering and talking about what they’re noticing in the 12 wall frescoes (by Botticelli, Ghirlandalo, etc., including Michelangelo’s creepy “Last Judgment”) and the 33 ceiling panels.

Even three exhausting hours of moving through the galleries (with throngs of others) does not begin to scratch the surface of the buildings and treasures of Vatican City.

Classical sculptures in Vatican Museum — *Classical sculptures informed much of later work, specifically the Renaissance masters.*

This ancient Greek torso is said to be Michelangelo’s inspiration for God’s body as he reaches out to Adam in the Sistine Chapel’s center ceiling panel. God also has his entourage and arm around a young girl, while Adam reclines seemingly indifferent to God’s extended reach.

Gold and more gold, this in the ceiling of the Gallery of the Candelabras… I think, but there were so many rooms, so much to take in.

And then there was a long hall of enormous and stunning tapestries.

Vatican tapestry of the resurrection — A small segment of a tapestry I estimate to be 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Notice the almost whimsical presentation by the angel; a “ta-dah! He is risen!” and the bewildered look on the face of Christ.

There were the Rafael rooms, with his prolific big-scale paintings of life as he imagined it in the time of Christ; himself only living to age 39. The story goes that his funeral was attended by more women than men and most were presumed to have known him in the “Biblical sense.” We passed through the Borges’ opulent apartment; a pope so depraved that no future pope would inhabit his chambers. And finally, (although I am skipping many amazing bits), an area of a modern art collection that was started in the 1990s and seems like filler for empty rooms before heading through passageways to the grand finale of the Sistine Chapel.

The tour ended at St. Peter’s Square. The Basilica, open to the public, proved too much for aching feet and minds reeling with art and history overload, so I peeked inside and vowed, “Another day.”

Wandering Trastevere

March 25, 2017 8 Comments Italy, Travel

*Piazza Santa Maria Trastevere where strolling crowds are entertained by musicians and street performers.*

Pedestrian alleyways lined with trattorias, osterias, ristorantes, enotecas (wine bars), gelaterias and shops of all kinds intersect at odd angles, punctuated by piazzas offering a few tables and chairs in front of a small bar, great for people watching. This is Trastevere, across the Tiber and south of Vatican City, considered one of the oldest and most-colorful neighborhoods in Rome.

Tiber at night — *Crossing the Tiber River at night (St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance) from Centro Historico to Trastevere, the oldest settlement on the west bank and accessed by 7 bridges over the Tiber.*

In the evening, Romans, used to standing for coffee, (it’s cheaper than if you sit down), gather in front of establishments with drinks in hand. There seem to be no laws against drinking in public. The conversation and friendships among groups of men are markedly more affectionate and animated than I’ve witnessed elsewhere.

The mealtime and drink rituals here go something like this: morning coffee and a croissant, mid-morning coffee, lunch followed by coffee, mid-afternoon coffee, aperitivo (happy hour after work that can be a good deal, including a buffet of tapas and a drink for 8-10€), followed by dinner (3 to 4 courses), wine and a coffee.

Coffee means a shot of espresso, with cappuccino acceptable for the first cup of the day but considered déclassé after 10 a.m. as the belief is that coffee aids in digestion and milk obstructs digestion. As a tourist, your request for an afternoon latté will be tolerated, albeit with a rolling of the eyes or a snicker.

*Some Trastevere restaurants display food to entice diners*.

*Fun servers at Trastevere sidewalk cafe.*

Like all wonderful places that get “discovered” and popularized, many locals lament the gentrification, hip nightclubs, high-end restaurants and hoards of ambling tourists that have supplanted the daily life of this once more-earthy and working-class neighborhood. Of course, not knowing it in the past, I find its Medieval cobblestone streets and piazzas lined with sidewalk cafes and filled with friendly crowds and polished performers to be charming. And, for a step back in time you can always duck in to one of the many churches, the most famous being Santa Maria in Trastevere, the first official Christian place of worship, founded in the third century, and devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary. There is much that could be said – and no doubt has been – about the roles and perception of women by the Roman Catholic Church, but I’ll leave that for another time and instead share some photos from my strolls in Trastevere.

Tabaccheria Trastevere — *Tabaccheria, or tobacco shop, is the place to buy transportation tickets, candies, office supplies, postcards and, of course, tobacco… even selling American Spirit.*

*Local Deli Trastevere. Cheeses, meats, pastas, olives and wine… what else do you need?*

Cafe Fantini, Rome — Cafe Fantini is just across the river from Trastevere in the Campo de Fiori area and serves up an excellent and typical “happy hour” or aperitivo buffet plus a glass of wine (several choices) for 8€. Popular with the afterwork professional crowd, its inside and street side tables are full but if you can find a spare stool you’re welcome to join others at their tables. Great, friendly, yummy, inexpensive community experience.

street in Trastevere, chalk art — *Our street in Trastevere with fabulous chalk art on a stairway leading to a small park.*

The Worst Part of Travel

March 19, 2017 11 Comments Italy, Travel

… and why going to Rome is worth it even if Cancun Airport sucks

“The worst part about travel is the travel part.” So said my dear friend and travel writer, Judith Fein, as I blithely assumed that my extensive preparations for this trip from Mexico to Rome would be seamless. I insist my travels always are.

Spanish Steps, Rome — *Spanish Steps on a rare, gloriously warm and sunny day in mid-March. See more Rome photos below.*

I can report that I left San Miguel de Allende by BajioGoshuttle.com on time and arrived two days later precisely on time at Fiumicino (Leonardo Da Vinci) Airport to be met my Santa Fe pal, Richard Seager, whose dream it was to rent an apartment in Rome for a month and had invited me to accompany him. But, in between San Miguel and Rome, I was not spared aggravation.

Cancun. Can you say, “tourist trap?”

Cancun is this traveler’s nightmare. It is tourism run amok, exuding an arrogance that often accompanies success. While international tourists flock to high-rise all-inclusive resorts – which I consider “gulags,” safe from interaction with Mexicans and their deep cultural heritage; albeit sometimes accompanied with real poverty – those using the airport for any other purpose are left with no seating, no wi-fi and absurdly expensive taxis for transportation through a hideous commercial district to get to and from what is absurdly called an “airport hotel.”

A few miles and $15 later, I was deposited at the (Dis)Comfort Inn, the closest and cheapest hotel to the airport ($89 USD including tax) that I’d booked months before, thinking I’d spend my next day, before the overnight flight to Frankfurt and on to Rome, doing client work and relaxing in the sun.

The restaurant was closed at 9:30 p.m. as I stood in line to check-in with the single agent. Half an hour later I was in my room. Nice and clean like the chain hotel it is, but no wi-fi in the rooms, no pool, and no services. Stranded between a gas station and truck repair facility, the only food option was a Subway sandwich or Burger King, but at least a mini mart sold wine and I drank half a bottle and slept well.

The next day, having to check out of my room by 1:00 p.m., I was directed to an airless glassed-in cubicle where I could access wi-fi and do some work. I had until 8 p.m. before check-in for the Condor flight to Germany. The weather, windy and gray, at least did not taunt me with my fantasy of poolside tanning.

The Cancun Airport challenge: Could I ignore the crass tourism, the airport hawkers, the posh shopping mall through which travelers were force-herded before finding their boarding gates? Could I curb my judgments of the overly-tattooed and shabbily dressed sporting gaudy mariachi sombreros, the loud and obnoxious, the expensive nutrition-less slop called food, and my embarrassment of being part of this species? Could I remember I was on my way, my first visit, to the Eternal City?

Finally seated in the last row of a packed plane, grateful for an empty seat between myself and a dour fellow who ignored my greeting, I settled in to pass the 10 hours dosing and watching “From Rome With Love,” which I’d downloaded on my laptop, a new super-light MacBook that the brilliant Pinterest queen, Louise Cottrell, helped me set up before leaving Mexico.

Frankfurt Airport was a breeze – fast pass through EU immigration, good food and free wi-fi – and soon I arrived in Rome, was greeted by my friend, picked up my bag, walked through customs, met our driver and arrived at our apartment in Trastevere that was even better than the Airbnb description and photos.

The worst part of travel was over and, as is often said about childbirth, women forget the pain. I put mine behind me. It was another seamless joourney and the experience of Rome could begin.

Here are a few photos from our first marvelous day. Stay tuned for how I was frozen at the entrance to the Pantheon, the incredible 3-D trompe l’oile in Chiesa del Gesú, hanging out with Couchsurfers on a Friday night in Trastevere, my local vendors, new friends, Sunday at Porto Potense market and much more.

Have you been to Rome? Do you have recommendations or stories? Please share in the comments below.

*Trevi Fountain, Rome. Recently renovated and glorious.*

gold mosaic, Rome — *The gold! The exquisite light of the Divine. The magic of mosaic… heaven on earth.*

*Iggymo and me at our first of many Egyptian obelisks.*

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm: Part II

December 16, 2016 2 Comments Cuba, Travel

Continued from previous post on Finca Marta, Part I

Finca marta havana cuba — We’re introduced to Juan Machado, an 80-year-old local farmer who has been part of the project since its inception in 2011. Known as “Pozo,” which means “spring” in Spanish, Juan is also a dowser and responsible for locating the sites of wells for the farm, which were then dug by hand the extremely rocky soil, as no well-drilling machinery is available. The rocks are utilized in the terraced walls. All water is moved in canals that connect rainwater to wells and held in cisterns with a capacity of 200,000 liters. Solar panels provide electricity and worms thrive in cow manure creating rich hummus for fertilizing the soil.

Finca Marta, Armesia, havana, Cuba, organic farm — Cows are herded into this barn at night, their dung hosed out each morning into a tank from which methane is extracted and provides all the gas (biogas) for cooking in the farm’s kitchens.

Fernando’s vision is broad, sincere and actually working: “I want to demonstrate that’s it’s possible to improve rural life and expand opportunities for the workers. There are lots of farms; many led by professionals – academic agricology projects, organic farms on a bigger scale – but we need the involvement of many more people in the process and the social commitment to invest and put in place new models and systems that have an impact in the market to activate rural economy. We cannot count on governments, institutions and philanthropy… we must build systems on logic of the systems and markets.”

While his ideas of capacity building among farmers as stakeholders, job creation and well-paid workers, diversification and wise land use are modeled at Finca Marta, he acknowledges that all this requires money. And therein lies the rub… or, in this case, the honey.

finca marta — In the first years, 100 beehives (of this particular type of stingless bee with more than one queen per hive) produced 700-800 liter bottles of honey a year and at $2 each, yielded $1,500 in profit. This may sound like a paltry sum but you must keep in mind that a doctor or engineer’s annual salary is about $360. Honey continues to provide some steady income.

finca marta, havana organic farm cuba — And then there is the honey of tourism. Crops like white arugula, cherry tomatoes, radish, endive, cilantro and some 50 others have found demand and top dollar in Havana’s swank privatized restaurants (Paladars) where foreigners think nothing of New York prices and probably not ever considering that the vast majority of Cuban people have never seen – nor likely imagined – the quality, diversity and fresh flavor of such consciously tended and organically grown vegetables. Hosting visitors to Finca Marta for a snack, an informative talk, tour and lunch provides additional income.

When asked how sales of Finca Marta’s products jive with socialist ones, Fernando replied thar the difference between Finca Marta’s philosophies and capitalism is “social awareness, more consciousness about nature and a balance of imports and exports that supports local enterprises and their workers.” He summed up with, “I adhere to spiritual and capitalist values, with a socialist heart.”

finca marta, anitas feast — Portugal-based travel food writer, Anita Breland (AnitasFeast.com), with Claudia and Fernando Funes Monzote at Finca Marta.
Few groups except academics, foundations and agricultural interests get to visit Finca Marta, so it was a great honor and pleasure for my group to spend four hours with Fernando, learning about Finca Marta and being treated to a fabulous farm-to-table lunch prepared by his partner and wonderful chef, Claudia.

Organic Farming in Cuba: It’s Not What You Think

December 16, 2016 2 Comments Cuba, Travel

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm:
Part I

West of Havana, 45-minutes’ drive, past the billboard announcing the province of Artemisa, an unmarked dirt road leads to Finca Marta, an impressive model of organic practices, integrated systems and respectful human relationships.

But please, do not get too excited that this is the future of Cuba agriculture. Despite the impression given by several documentaries and permaculture enthusiasts, organic farming in Cuba is very limited, uncommon and its produce not available to the general population.

I will let Fernando R. Funes Monzote, Ph.D. agroecologist explain, as he did to a group of a dozen of us one recent and glorious afternoon spent at the paradisical Finca Marta.

Fernando R. Funes Monzote, Ph.D. agroecologist, shares his organic farming methods and philosophies at Finca Marta, his model organic farm west of Havana, Cuba — Fernando R. Funes Monzote is a man who whose credentials, international experience, vision, dedication and genuine warmth of spirit are extraordinary. Here, he explains the terracing of types of lettuce, arugula and other greens mostly unknown in Cuba. A drip system will soon replace hand watering.

This is Fernando and Finca Marta is his brainchild and labor of love. His father was a scientist and his mother, Marta – for whom the Finca (farm) is named – was a biologist. Fernando and Marta worked together for 15 years, and between 1996 and 2000 they visited 93 farms and documented the work of the Cuban organic farming organization to help develop in Cuba sustainable systems in what was – and largely still is – a monoculture model for industrial production: deforestation, sugar cane, coffee and tobacco.

But before that and after, Fernando spent years abroad; a rather unique situation for any Cuban. How did Fernando leave Cuba and learn from farmers around the world? As president of the student’s league at the University of Havana, he was invited to Italy in 1984-1992 and visited more than 20 countries. In 1996 he received a master in science in agrocology in Spain and returned to Cuba. After repeatedly being denied permission to go to the Netherlands, despite valid invitations, Fernando finally was able to leave Cuba again in 2000 and spent much of the next decade traveling and collaborating with agronomist colleagues in Europe, Africa and Latin America, while earning his Ph.D in 2008.

In 2011, he started Finca Marta, 8 hectres (16 acres) of land owned by a 97-year-old-man who granted Funes-Monzote the right to farm. (Remarkably, given their limited diet and the stresses of daily life in sourcing basic goods, Cuban’s lifespans are among the longest in the world, but that’s another story). But these rights are, like most things in Cuba, complicado, and Fernando may have to fight for succession and user rights. He hopes they will be granted, given all the work he and his workers have done to create this innovative operation. But he knows nothing in Cuba is certain.

Some history of Agriculture in Cuba

Finca Marta Cuba, — Fernando generously shares his philosophy and vision of organic farming in Cuba with a group of creative journeyers to Havana.

Fernando explained that from the end of the19th century (when the U.S. helped Cuba win independence from Spain and was then able to claim commercial rights) until the revolution in 1959, U.S. companies used pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Part of the reason for the revolution was “agrarian reform.” Lots of money was in the hands of a few and the issues of inequity were obvious – social, economic, environmental, and oppressed rural populations. The revolution promised reorganization and redistribution of lands into the hands of the farmers.

After 1963, and the U.S. embargo, Cuba had to look for new allies and reorient to Eastern European imports and exports. The 80/20 population distribution flipped from rural to urban. Cuba became a laboratory for modern Soviet-funded technologies, built on productivity and competition.

This was embodied in “Fidel’s Cow” recorded in the Guinness World Book of Records as producing 27,000 liters of milk in its productive life, up to 11 liters in one day. This was evidence of Cuban prowess. There were also developments of new water systems – lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and scientists assigned to these projects. But, the industrial agricultural production of the 1970s and 80s came to an abrupt and devastating halt after the fall of Cuba’s main trading partner.

Everything fell apart. Tractors, trucks and other machinery without parts and fuel for operation and distribution of goods rusted in the fields, no more fertilizers and pesticides meant common crops no long grew or were harvested. Oxen were used as in centuries past and a dystopian period descended on the island.

Although Fernando did not go into detail, if you’ve not read about what Fidel Castro optimistically called “the Special Period in the time of peace,” I suggest you do so. Because the U.S. had no ostensible relationship with Cuba, the fact that the average Cuban lost 20% of their weight in a prolonged period of austerity, scarcity and fear – from which, questionably, it has never recovered – did not register in American media nor most of its allies.

To be Continued in Part II

How Real Was The Grief Over Fidel Castro’s Death?

December 12, 2016 3 Comments Cuba, Travel

On Nov. 30, five days into the declared nine days of mourning for the death of Fidel Castro, I arrived in Cuba – on my 9th trip in 4 years – with a group of American travelers. Like some of my Cuban friends, I conjectured (in a previous post) that Cubans would compensate for this time of imposed grieving by busting loose as soon as it ended.

Fidel Castro's death — No liquor sales, no music and no dancing for 9 days!

That proved to be not true, evidencing that there was and is, perhaps, more genuine sorrow and sense of loss than I – as an American with some understanding of the complexity and celebratory nature of Cubanos – could immediately grasp.

For many who stayed in Cuba after the revolution of 1959, it was with an investment of mind and heart in Fidel’s initial vision of equality, literacy and a world devoid of imperialism and exploitation. For more than 50 years they had a leader who inspired and sustained them with verbose and persistent rhetoric of a different world they were rightly struggling to create. For many, he instilled a sense of dignity previously unknown, and forever appreciated.

After decades of unwarranted idealism, broken promises, global isolation, oppression, severe austerity and relentless suffering, many citizens have had a difficult time facing the disappointment of a system that failed to deliver the dream for which they sacrificed so much. While millions left the country, those who remained seem to fall into two camps: those ever hopeful of an eventual redemption and those ever desperate for the opportunity to escape.

Fidel Castro books, Che Guevara — Ubiquitious images of and books by Fidel Castro (and the long-ago martyred Che Guevara) remain but markedly less than in years past.

The lack of personal freedoms and professional opportunities they’ve endured and the possibilities for change they’ve been denied are now acknowledged by a growing number, along with the desperate desire to believe there was – and still maybe could be – something worthwhile amid it all. And so, understandably, there is grief. Perhaps it is the mourning of the end of an era, a collective sadness for what might-have-been and regret that the dream to which they’ve clung never has and never can be realized.

But, we cannot talk of the show of solidarity of grief – as broadcast round the clock on Cuban TV – without acknowledging the fact that thousands of dissidents were rounded up and incarcerated as soon as Fidel died. As it has been under all of Cuba’s long history of dictatorships, there would be no other voices heard in Cuba but those in support of El Jefe.

To further understand their show of respect for Fidel – and incomprehensible disgust for Cubans-in-exile who celebrated his passing – we must take into account that Cubans in general are uncomfortable with the idea of death itself. They refuse to talk about their own or another’s inevitable demise, as if by denial they can keep death at bay.

They would not wish death on anyone – except maybe Hitler, they say – and certainly not the man whose image and words have accompanied their life and lent a sense of nobility and righteousness to the cause he purported. Many concede he may have become “misguided” in his alliance with the Soviet Union, his megalomania and selfishness, his dispersing of their resources to foreign wars and interests, but they do not see him as “an evil person.”

While all have relations of some sort abroad, and they themself may aspire to leave this land of scarcity where “nothing changes,” they still feel – as they’ve been told from earliest memory – that they are lucky and should feel proud to have free education, free health care, some form of housing, and no drugs or gun violence . . . in contrast to the nasty empire to the north and thanks to Fidel.

death of Fidel Castro, quiet in Havana — Unusual quiet blanketed the streets of Havana and all across Cuba during 5 says of mourning the death of Fidel Castro

But I must wonder, how different is this from the U.S., with its skewed history which ignores its own genocides, persecutions and corruptions; its corporate media that controls information, silences dissidents and promotes a divisive form of patriotism; its profit-driven privetization of health care, education and prisons; its enslavement of domestic and foreign work forces… all with the unspoken assumption that “might makes right” and the propaganda that it is “the greatest country on earth”?

Just as many Americans fail to question “the truth” served to them, so it has been for many of the 11 million Cubans who remain in their homeland. Humans like to believe they are right, and that those in positions of power will act in the best interest of their people, despite history’s evidence to the contrary.

Surprisingly to me and many residents, Cubans did not take to the streets to “let loose” or celebrate after the nine days of mourning had passed with the prohibition of music, dancing, public events and the sale of alcohol (although tourist hotels and resorts were permitted to serve alcohol lest they went too far in upsetting the cash-cow of visitor dollars, which benefit very few Cubans).

Fidel was renowned for his intolerance of any disagreement to the point of incarcerating and murdering anyone who dared question his authority. He demanded absolute loyalty, and even in death his functionaries assured he received it, one way or another.

What is “the truth” of how Cubans really feel about Fidel’s passing? Like every question posed in Cuba it can only be answered with, “es complicado.” Whether it is grief for the loss of a powerful leader or for the loss of the familiar – however miserable and worthy of complaint – a more somber sense seems to now prevail in Cuba. There is no going back and no knowing the way forward. “Viva Fidel”? Not anymore.

In the Wake of Fidel Castro

December 4, 2016 4 Comments Cuba, Travel

What is a trip to Havana without music, dancing and mojitos? My group of 11 U.S. travelers and I were about to find out. The Cuban government, which controls most aspects of everyone’s life, declared that there woulld be no music, no dancing, no alcohol and all public events would be cancelled for 9 days to honor the death of Fidel Castro.

While most Cubans must at least pretend they are sad – and all government workers were “suggested” thay attend a rally in Plaza de La Revolución and sign a recommitment to the communist party – many serepitiously admit they are greatly relieved and share with their countrymen-in-exile’s a desire to celebrate “the man who passed away.”

For many months I’d planned an extensive itinerary that would include music and dancing, drinking and partying Cuban-style. At the last minute, my coordinator on the ground, Ruby Aguilar, and I scrambled to rearrange our 8 days and offer different activities amid the somber atmosphere.

Surprisingly, there was little evidence of this mourning, besides the unusual quiet in the streets. Thinking we’d have no access to alcohol, some of bought bottles in our ship-though luggage. But tourist hotels like Ambos Mundos (of Hemingway fame), the Nacional Hotel and others were not about to miss out on additional revenue or bad vibes by denying tourists their mojitos, cerveza and wine. We’ve been drinking. Perhaps more than normal to compensate for this time of austerity and false mourning.

American cars in Cuba — some of my wonderful American ‘journeyers’ in a 1950’s classic American car, one of our taxis.

As of tomorrow, December 5th, 2016, many conjecture there will be a giant party to ‘let loose’ all this pent-up nergy. We shall see. But one thing we’ve already seen is a huge increase in the number of tourists. Airport lines for immigration and customes (Aduana) were absurd and the streets of Habana Vieja are more crowded than ever with foreign wanderers… us among them.

Stay tuned for more.

Cuban profiles

August 20, 2016 0 Comments Cuba, Travel

It’s the people, the encounters, the relationships, that make any travels special… or, for that matter, our lives, wherever we find ourselves. And this is especially true in Cuba. Here are a few special souls I’ve encountered.

Cuban mother and child — Kariber and Enzo, my comadre and godson, and among the best reasons I feel so connected to this complex, and often frustrating country.

Cuban father and daughter — Omar, my favorite Cuban Buddhist astrologer, and his new baby, at their apartment where I am welcome with tazitas de cafe, hugs and philosophical conversations about the nature of joy and suffering and the power of conscious awareness.

Cuban pianist — Pablo Marzol, classical pianist, masseuse and student of the Kabbala… his cell phone screen saver is the tree of life and we spoke at length about the sephira and the power of vibratory sounds.

Cuban woman and her cat. — Maria Julia was sitting in front of a crumbling mansion in Vedado with an exceptionally affectionate cat. The house, she told me, was once the German Embassy. After the revolution, a woman converted it to a guesthouse. It is due for renovation this winter. Maybe. Maria, 78, has been living there for 37 years, with 2 sisters, 5 grown kids, 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. The cat has become her special companion.

La Pedrera / Casa Mila: The Best Place To Begin Exploring Gaudí

… and why going to Rome is worth it even if Cancun Airport sucks

Continued from previous post on Finca Marta, Part I

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm: Part I

Some history of Agriculture in Cuba

La Pedrera / Casa Mila:
The Best Place To Begin Exploring Gaudí

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm:
Part I