Dinner & A Water Show

When you’ve had five dinners in a city, and you’ve only gone to three restaurants, it’s a sign that the restaurants you’ve gone back to are fabulous.  And so it is with Restaurant Vistamar.

The Cooks and the Bolger/Farquhars were in Cuba because, once again, we were invited to speak at a conference.  The conference is Las Relaciones Cuba -- Estados Unidos: Las elecciones de Medio Termino y la Administraction de Donald Trump.  Also invited this year was the esteemed Dr. James Thurber from American University and his wife Claudia.  Dr. Thurber is one of my favorite academics (yes, Republicans are allowed to like and respect a handful of academics – Dr. Thurber is one of my allotted PILs – Professors I Like.)

Not only was Dr. Thurber a professor of mine way back in the day, but he has also invited me numerous times to guest lecture, lead a class, be on panels, and even contribute chapters to books he and Dr. Candace Nelson have published.

So, we set it up for the six of us to have dinner.  I went with 5 pm reservations, not because we are all of varying ages of 55 and above, but because we wanted to watch the spectacular sunset over the ocean to the west.  (Editor’s Note: The sun sets in the west even in Cuba?  I had NO idea!  Blogger: okay, so that was a superfluous three words!).

It was a very different ocean and sky than the last time we were there.  Apparently the weather changes just like. . .(wait for it!). . .the weather!  First, the temperature was a lot cooler.  Secondly, the outside upstairs patio was closed, because it was both chilly and very windy.  The ocean waves were dramatically slamming into the swimming pool patio, and on the terrace, you could feel the spray of the waves despite being a good 20 yards from the ocean.

The sky was dark and gray, so there wasn’t much to the sunset.  

Well, despite those disappointments (although the powerful slamming of the waves was pretty amazing to watch), dinner was a lot of fun.  It’s what happens when you put six people who all can talk, have opinions, and are curious together with great food and excellent service.

After dinner, we took separate cabs, as they were off to the Hotel Nacional and we were going to Hotel Saratoga.  Our cab driver took us along the Malencon, where we were treated to quite a show by Mother Nature.  

The angry, wind-driven high tide waves slammed repeatedly into the sea wall, and the waves crashed over it, drenching the wide sidewalk and the east bound lanes of the road.  The salty spray covered the windshield of the cab so much that, with no windshield fluid, our cabby had to pull over three times to wipe down the front windshield well enough to see.  

We were going west-bound, which is fortunate.  East-bound was so soaked by the waves that we probably would not have been safe going that direction.

From the Malencon, we took the famed Paseo del Prado (yes, there is one in Havana AND Cienfuegos) back to the hotel.  

The night was young, so we headed up to the rooftop bar, where we were treated to expansive views of the city.  Right next to the hotel is the Capitol and then de La Gran Teatro all lit up.  It was a windy, cool way to end a great day.