Having packed last night, Liv and I head back to the beach for another look and dip our feet in the Caribbean before heading to breakfast. Today we are off to Camagüey. Referred to as the "City of Tinajoines," because of the city's trademark of oversized jars that adorn interior courtyards — some over 6-feet tall! The city lies in the heart of cattle country. So much cattle country that I have a hard time keeping my eyes open as we drive hours across flat range and agricultural land — lots sugar cane! |
Camagüey is recognized as Cuba's ceramics capital. The city is a maze of twisting streets — many with original cobblestones — that we are told was done deliberately to foil attacking pirates. Our first stop is our hotel — Gran Hotel de Camagüey — located on a pedestrian-only street in the historic section of the city. Dating back to 1939, the hotel is of colonial style that combines beautiful woodwork with plaster decorations. Ernest Hemingway, it is said, stayed here during visits. Because the hotel is situated on a pedestrian-only street, we must wait for hotel staff to meet us and transport our bags by hand-cart. My hope is that this will ensures no traffic sounds through the night.
After checking in and settling in our room, we are off to the Plaza del Carmen at the heart of the historical City Center. Our guide Héctor tells us that not long ago the Plaza was a ruin, but is now restored to a state better than the original. The cobbled plaza has been decorated with giant tinajones (clay pots), nice lighting. At one end is Iglesia del Carmen church with its pale pink facade and twin bell towers dating from 1825. It is a gorgeous church inside though the lighting was too dim to get any good images, except for a side chapel.
In the center of the plaza are a number of life-size ceramic figures of locals depicting their daily pursuits . . . a man sitting on a bench reading a newspaper; a pair of lovers in an embrace; three women gossiping over coffee . Some of the locals like to "hang out" with their sculptural twins, which is quite wonderful to behold!
We immediately bee-line to Restaurant El Ovejito ("the lamb") for lunch. We learn the name references the restaurant's specialty. Furnished with wooden tables and leather stools, the walls of are covered with ceramic murals made by renowned artist Oscar Rodríguez Lasseria. There are ceramic vases made by Navario Jimenez Salazar, another prestigious local artist. The restaurant is managed by the office of the Camagüey City Historian. Many of us pt for the house specialty: stuffed lamb blade, prepared boned and larded with carrots and bacon, rolled and toasted, then sliced and served with mojo (garlic sauce) and tomato salsa. My apologies for being so hungry that I didn't take one photograph of the restaurant or the food. Suffice it to say lunch was yummy!
After checking in and settling in our room, we are off to the Plaza del Carmen at the heart of the historical City Center. Our guide Héctor tells us that not long ago the Plaza was a ruin, but is now restored to a state better than the original. The cobbled plaza has been decorated with giant tinajones (clay pots), nice lighting. At one end is Iglesia del Carmen church with its pale pink facade and twin bell towers dating from 1825. It is a gorgeous church inside though the lighting was too dim to get any good images, except for a side chapel.
In the center of the plaza are a number of life-size ceramic figures of locals depicting their daily pursuits . . . a man sitting on a bench reading a newspaper; a pair of lovers in an embrace; three women gossiping over coffee . Some of the locals like to "hang out" with their sculptural twins, which is quite wonderful to behold!
We immediately bee-line to Restaurant El Ovejito ("the lamb") for lunch. We learn the name references the restaurant's specialty. Furnished with wooden tables and leather stools, the walls of are covered with ceramic murals made by renowned artist Oscar Rodríguez Lasseria. There are ceramic vases made by Navario Jimenez Salazar, another prestigious local artist. The restaurant is managed by the office of the Camagüey City Historian. Many of us pt for the house specialty: stuffed lamb blade, prepared boned and larded with carrots and bacon, rolled and toasted, then sliced and served with mojo (garlic sauce) and tomato salsa. My apologies for being so hungry that I didn't take one photograph of the restaurant or the food. Suffice it to say lunch was yummy!
Satiated, our next stop on the Plaza del Carmen is a restored Baroque convent adjacent to the plaza that houses the atelier-gallery of Martha Jiménez Pérez. Martha is considered one of Cuba's greatest living artists, and her work justifies the accolade. In fact, the large-scale ceramic sculptures in the plaza across from her studio-gallery are hers. She was one of the first graduates of the Cuban Art Instructors' School (1971) and a recipient of an UNESCO Distinction for the National Culture Award (1997). Her work was recognized at the 2010 Shanghai Biennale and can be found in private collections throughout the world.
Martha's husband, artist José Jimenez was not able to be with us as he teaches at the local university.
In a country where most employment is through state-sanctioned enterprises, artists are more free to open their studios for visits and sales. In addition to free education, there are multiple government programs assisting the arts. Slowly, we are discovering that various cities we will be visiting in Cuba are centers for specific art forms. How refreshing . . .
Martha's husband, artist José Jimenez was not able to be with us as he teaches at the local university.
In a country where most employment is through state-sanctioned enterprises, artists are more free to open their studios for visits and sales. In addition to free education, there are multiple government programs assisting the arts. Slowly, we are discovering that various cities we will be visiting in Cuba are centers for specific art forms. How refreshing . . .
Boarding our bus, we head back to our hotel to freshen up. Enroute, we encounter a typical scene from stays in Peru — a large American-sized tour bus trying to inch its way down a narrow (one llama) -street with a parked car. Funny how such similar scenes play out throughout the world!
Refreshed, we walk to the old theater that now houses the Contemporary Ballet of Camagüey for a cultural exchange. Housed in an old theater, the dancers practice on an uneven wooden floor with only natural light — the cost of electricity being too dear to use daily. The seats in the theater are long since gone, so instead we sit on the floor risers. While their "home" is spartan, their dancing is magnificent. How they don't injure themselves is a miracle. The company was founded in 2002 and is under the direction of artistic director and choreographer Tania Vergara Perez.
The technical base of the dancers training, we learn, is classical and supplemented with modern dance training and experimental and improvisational exercises. The company performs throughout Cuba and internationally in competitions. The company's aesthetic is to transmit through dance symbolic visual messages that express the spirituality that drives all humans to find themselves. From time to time, the company has invited international choreographers to enrich the company's repertoire and their artistic and aesthetic sensibilities.
During a question/answer period with Tania Vergara Perez and company, I am astounded by some in our group who are unable to appreciate and experience this company without bringing up US comparisons, as if everything in America is superior. This dance company is phenomenal! Besides, Cuba and its government, quite unlike the US, actually fund the arts, provides space and financial support to its artists with education and wages. In its support of the arts, Cuba has thus far demonstrated its superiority to the US.
The technical base of the dancers training, we learn, is classical and supplemented with modern dance training and experimental and improvisational exercises. The company performs throughout Cuba and internationally in competitions. The company's aesthetic is to transmit through dance symbolic visual messages that express the spirituality that drives all humans to find themselves. From time to time, the company has invited international choreographers to enrich the company's repertoire and their artistic and aesthetic sensibilities.
During a question/answer period with Tania Vergara Perez and company, I am astounded by some in our group who are unable to appreciate and experience this company without bringing up US comparisons, as if everything in America is superior. This dance company is phenomenal! Besides, Cuba and its government, quite unlike the US, actually fund the arts, provides space and financial support to its artists with education and wages. In its support of the arts, Cuba has thus far demonstrated its superiority to the US.
Our next stop is to view the urban planning that is occurring in Camagüey. There is considerable pride in the vision and strategic execution they city has developed for itself. Being from a small town that began such an undertaking, but has thus far been unsuccessful in prioritizing and marshaling resources to accomplish the community's vision, I am much impressed. Their model of Camagüey with attention to its historic core/business district and green spaces is also extremely impressive.
After returning to our hotel and freshening up, we head to Restaurant 1800, a paladar on the corner of Camagüey's cobbled Plaza San Juan del Dios surrounded by other ventures old buildings. Outside of Havana, paladares highlight the best of Cuban cuisine and local fresh ingredients, rather than chase global ambitions.
Restaurant 1800 is located in a circa 1800s building (as are the furnishings) and the food is by far the best we've had thus far on this trip — locally sourced! Besides its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which provides it excellent lobster, shrimp and fish, we learn that Camagëy is known for its dairy production and the churned butter and homemade cheeses don't disappoint. In fact, their thick natural yogurt is served along side a bowl of sugar so you can decide for yourself how sweet you want it!
After selecting our rum cocktails and entree, we are directed to a buffet for our starters, side dishes, and eventually, dessert. After dinner, we tour their impressive wine cellar before saying good-night to the chef and heading back to the Gran Hotel for a much anticipated night sleep!
Restaurant 1800 is located in a circa 1800s building (as are the furnishings) and the food is by far the best we've had thus far on this trip — locally sourced! Besides its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which provides it excellent lobster, shrimp and fish, we learn that Camagëy is known for its dairy production and the churned butter and homemade cheeses don't disappoint. In fact, their thick natural yogurt is served along side a bowl of sugar so you can decide for yourself how sweet you want it!
After selecting our rum cocktails and entree, we are directed to a buffet for our starters, side dishes, and eventually, dessert. After dinner, we tour their impressive wine cellar before saying good-night to the chef and heading back to the Gran Hotel for a much anticipated night sleep!