Hemingway’s Havana House – Finca la Vigia
Wednesday, 20 April 2016When I visited Cuba in 2014 Ernest Hemingway’s hideaway, Finca la Vigia, the Museo Hemingway wasn’t open. Somebody was making a film.
▲ Hemingway’s study
It was certainly open this trip and this major Havana attraction was very popular. The house is a delight and the fact that you can’t actually get inside – you have to look in through the doors and windows – makes little difference. You certainly get a good view and there’s a real feeling that ‘Ernest walked out 10 minutes ago.’
▲ There’s his portable typewriter on the bookshelf beside the bed.
▲ And another well-stocked bookshelf if you needed some reading while you sat on the toilet. Then there’s his war correspondent military uniform hanging in the closet and any number of souvenirs, tchotchke, hunting trophies, books and magazines.
▲ At the bottom of the garden is his boat El Pilar and it’s an excellent make: a Wheeler. That’s just down beyond the (empty) swimming pool, now if I was developing the house I’d fill the pool and install an Ava Gardner image in the pool, doing nude lengths of course.
▲ Before I left Havana I did the real touristy thing, dropped into La Floridita, Hemingway’s bar for a daiquiri and buddied up next to the author, or his statue at least, with my mango daiquiri.
