Jordy in Cuba
TLF Travel Consultant, Jordy Lievers Eaton, recently returned from a trip to Cuba, where she enjoyed a few mojitos, took a spin in a vintage car, and reveled in Havana’s gritty, untamed beauty. She shares her experiences in photos below.
“A winter weekend in Old Havana is about as romantic as it gets, so earlier this year I dusted off all my summer skirts and sassy earrings and flew south, with dreams of being the human version of the red-dress-dancing-lady emoji.”
I’ve lived in New York for my entire adult life, so I sometimes forget that people are into cars – but after about 10 minutes in Cuba, I was suddenly VERY into cars.
We were welcomed into the childhood home of an extremely charming and gracious 88-year old woman named Josie, whose lamp game is truly world-class.
Cuba is vivid, vibrant, sensory – smells and sounds and colors and lots and lots of life down every street and around every corner.
The view on the streets surrounding downtown Havana’s Parque Central from my balcony at the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana, aka Barbie’s dream place to shop for cars.
While there are of course strong vintage, Old-Hollywood vibes happening, the country is also thrumming with the energy of youth – young artists, designers, athletes, chefs, and business owners mean you run into unexpected vignets, like this installation that puns on laundry in the streets of downtown Havana.
So how do you talk about Cuba without resorting to cliches like, “It’s a study in contrasts?” (I’m really asking – I haven’t figured it out yet.)
Speaking of cliches, if you do want to don your best cinched-waist A-line and a bright red lip while drinking a daquiri, there are plenty of chic places to do so… like the Constante Bar at the Gran Hotel Manzana. Kempinski La Habana.