On February 19, 2015, after a morning visit to joyous Fusterlandia (see our video), we head back into Havana, destination Revolutionary Square. Though a cool and windy day we are in high spirits. Waves are splashing against the sea wall and on to the Malecón. When completed, during the Batista era, the enormous square was called Civic square. Castro renamed it. Here on occasion more than a million people (nearly 10% of the island’s population would listen to his speeches. There are tall buildings and monuments to the heroes Che Guevara, José Marti, and Camilo Cienfuegos (Fidel Castro’s confidante during the revolution). The tallest is a 358 ft. tower in the center.
Next we are serenaded at lunch while enjoying a lobster tail lunch.
After lunch, we go the cavernous San José Art Market looking for last minute gifts and souvenirs.
Then we drop in on an after school program at a “Boys and Girls Club”in an poor looking neighborhood. We meet the upbeat Director, 6 very amazing and friendly girls and one boy, and their roaming cat.
It’s a short drive past some sad looking streets, the buildings, definitely not the people, and to El Capitolio which sits dominates one end of Paseo Prado. El Capitolio, completed ~1930, was inspired by the US Capitol. It housed Batista’s Parliament. Under the Communists El Capitolio was underutilized an allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. However, in January 2015, an effort at major renovation began, and we heard talk of the El Capitolio once again becoming Cuba’s Parliament building. We strolled along the Prado and it’s “Central Park.” Boasting landmark hotels, embassies, theaters and mansions, it retains a measure of its former grandeur.
On the way back to our hotel, our guides drove us over what is left of a once thriving Jewish neighborhood. Our bus stopped briefly at the Bet Shalom, a conservative, Ashkenaski synagogue were we had a look around and a good conversation with a congregation elder.
That evening, the last item on our itinerary before flying home the next day, was dinner at an excellent government run in the Old Town.

All video was shot on location in 1080HD with stero sound. Unless otherwise noted they were taken on location by Hessie and Tony Guida.

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