We arrived on Saturday in time to get oriented to our resort, have dinner and relax. The internet has been sketchy in part due to the lingering impact of the storms earlier this month. Sunday was a lazy day at the beach. There is a lovely dining spot on the beach. Monday we took a tour of Havana.

The 2 hour drive to the city was worth it. Old Havana is picturesque and has fortifications dating back to 1550. Our guide gave us a short history of Cuba, explaining the eradication of the indigenous people, colonization by the Spanish, the impact of the slave trade and American oppression. He also explained the dual economy of Pesos and “hard currencies” typically USD are preferred.

The Cuban people are resilient and generally well educated. University and health care are free here. However due to the American embargo, they struggle to get all the supplies they need to care for people.

We encountered many classic cars that have been restored and maintained since the 1950’s.

Our last stop in the old city was a drink in one of Hemmingway’s haunts, a rooftop patio in the Ambis Mundos hotel.

The ride home left us sleepy and hungry. A quick supper led to an early night. Tonight is Christmas Eve so we prepped with spa treatments, lunch at the beach and a swim in the ocean. There is a banquet tonight and the pigs, turkeys and crocodiles have been roasting on open coals all afternoon. It will be a fun evening.

Following a busy fall, we did our annual trip from Edmonton to Montreal. As usual we enjoyed our time with Uncle Mark, Claude, Claire and Guy. We spent some time exploring the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Salon des Metiers d’art.

It was a fun four days. We then took the train to Toronto to prep for our flight to Cuba. It was definitely a week of planes, trains and automobiles.