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The first of the five central plazas in Old Havana was the cob-
blestoned Plaza Vieja where we let our camera shut- ters doing
Happy Cubas around the Plaza de Cathedral.
most of the talking! Not far from the Plaza Vieja is the Plaza de la
Catedral, home to the Catedral de San Cristóbal, a grand symbol
of La Habana Vieja. These plazas are flanked with gorgeous 18th
century Cuban Baroque limestone mansions decorated with em-
bedded local coral and seashells.

A few steps from San Cristóbal, on Calle Empedrado is the
legendary bar, La Bodeguita del Medio. It was small and packed
with camera toting, mojito swilling tourists -- it would have surly
annoyed it’s most famous customer Ernest Hemingway. At four
Cuban bucks a pop the rum, sugar and mint drinks were very
good, indeed.

Strolling down the street from the bar is the Ambos Mun- dos
Hotel, where Hemingway started writing his novel, “For Whom the
Bell Tolls.” You can hear those church bells tolling all day in Havana.

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