It's Hip To Be Square, Part Deux

We wandered a few blocks more, peeking into open doors, taking pictures of courtyards, and enjoy the flow of the people.  Obviously, many were tourists like us. . .off cruise ships, in town for the jazz or movie festivals, but others were Havanaites, off to their work or (well, I’m not sure exactly!).

There were police every few blocks, but they were generally just standing around, talking to fellow police or security.  They certainly took no notice of us, and not once while we were in country did we have anyone official come to us at all.

Next we came to Plaza de Armas, and then went to the Castillo de la Fuerza.  We didn’t go in the fort, but wandered around the outside, looking at the cannons and mortar.  Each cannon was marked with where it was made in Spain, and when in the 1500s it was made.  Each cannon also had its own name.

Plaza de Armas is perhaps the most beautiful of the four squares – grass and palm trees, with a striking sculpture of someone (probably Jose Marti, but I don’t remember specifically!).  There were booksellers and posters for sale, including the famed picture of Fidel Castro and Ernest Hemingway.  The English language books for sale in the square are primarily Hemingway books, but there was an English guidebook to Cuba that we probably should have bought for  planning future trips.

From there, as the temperature rose, we wandered down streets, including Obispo (Bishop’s street), past historical buildings to Plaza Vieja.  All of the squares are quite beautiful, and nothing was overcrowded.

The final square we went to is the Plaza de San Francisco de Asis – which has an amazing fountain of lions, as well as the modern sculpture called “the Conversation” (see picture in post below).  It looks like there is a man talking to a woman, so I told Carol that in the States the sculpture would now be called “mansplaining.”  That got a laugh from her.

And then it was noon and time for lunch.  Yes, we covered that much ground before lunch.  The Iron Tourist was back, baby!