Tag Archives: Fidel Castro

Monday Morning Blues – Cuban Revolutionaries, Santa Clara, Cuba

The picture shows a giant statue of Che Guevara at his mausoleum in Santa Clara and a billboard showing Fidel Castro and part of Guevara’s well known saying “¡Hasta la victoria siempre!” (“Until victory, always!”).

A-Z April Challenge – F is for Fidel Castro’s Tomb in Cuba

Fidel Castro Everybody in Cuba proudly knows the story of how lawyer turned general Fidel Castro swept to power in 1959 following the revolution that ousted the corrupt dictator and U.S. ally President Batista. The revolution’s success was pronounced during a two-hour long speech by the new leader from the balcony of a municipal building […]

Che Guevara Statue, Santa Clara, Cuba

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, from Asthmatic Doctor to World Icon

Before I visited Cuba I had of course heard of Che Guevara. Now I feel I know him. Che was born in Rosario in 1928, Argentinian but part Irish through his paternal grandparents. All his life he struggled with asthma, but this did not stop him loving and playing rugby and qualifying as a doctor. Ernesto […]

Cuba Revisited – My January 2017 Tour

It is now unbelievably four years since a wonderful tour of Cuba that I did with Mrs Wilbur (she had a milestone birthday whilst there) and our good friend and my regular travel buddy Hamish. 2017 Things seemed to be changing in 2017. Barack Obama had forged new relations between the traditional adversaries. Cruise ships […]

My Iconic Travel Moments Part 2 – 2011 to 2019 (10 to 6)

Number 10 – Train Trip from Sevastopol to Lviv, Ukraine 2011 This remains as my longest train ride to date. 27-hours with one change of trains at Simferopol. The journey started in the Crimea, the disputed region that has now been annexed to Russia. It was a wonderful trip from south to north travelling in […]

Sunset, Havana, Cuba

My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #2 – Havana

Havana – Population 2.2 Million Havana is like all the best Spanish cities moulded into one – the edgy old town of Cadiz, the oceanside promenade and Art Deco of Barcelona, the majestic buildings of Madrid, the music & dance of Seville, the cuisine of Valencia, the bars of Bilbao, the fortifications of Malaga, the […]

The Malecon, Havana, Cuba

My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #2 – Havana

Havana – Population 2.2 Million Havana is like all the best Spanish cities moulded into one – the edgy old town of Cadiz, the oceanside promenade and Art Deco of Barcelona, the majestic buildings of Madrid, the music & dance of Seville, the cuisine of Valencia, the bars of Bilbao, the fortifications of Malaga, the […]

The Malecon, Havana, Cuba

My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #2 – Havana

Havana – Population 2.2 Million Havana is like all the best Spanish cities moulded into one – the edgy old town of Cadiz, the oceanside promenade and Art Deco of Barcelona, the majestic buildings of Madrid, the music & dance of Seville, the cuisine of Valencia, the bars of Bilbao, the fortifications of Malaga, the […]

Santiago de Cuba Cathedral at night

Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s Second City? Santiago is Cuba’s second city, but refuses to take little brother syndrome in its rivalry with Havana. Indeed Santiago claims that it is rightfully the capital of the ‘new’ post Revolution Cuba. After all it was here that the first skirmishes of revolution took place in 1956 on that fateful […]

Havana Opera House

Hasta La Vista Havana – Part Two

From the moment we received an unexpected mojito welcome at the ace Casavana, our time in Havana had been brilliant. Would day two keep up the enjoyment? You bet.  First port of call was the iconic Hotel Nacional, where we would be staying that evening as the first part of out organised tour with G […]