Here’s to a great AtoZ!
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This year I traveled to Cuba. You know, it’s that little island that’s spitting distance from Florida and should not be visited without special dispensation. I wanted to see it before MacDonald’s arrived. I’m so glad I did. I learned a lot and I met some wonderful people. It seems they like us. Now there’s a change!
I’ll add a short T/F quiz to each post the same as I did last year about Burma, and I’ll post the answers to the questions the following day.
Anyone needing food can pick up a two week supply with their coupons. |
These nifty fifty cars are everywhere. It was like stepping back five decades. |
N is for National Hotel
The Lobby’s not too shabby. |
This is behind the hotel at dusk. Sorry bad picture. |
The National Hotel is where anybody who’s important stays. I didn’t stay there. Draw your own conclusions. But it is a beautiful place to wander the grounds and roam the areas the rich and famous have frequented. Here are some of the pictures I took that day while pretending to be among the elite group. Just kidding.
There is one room with walls of posters. Each one has images of celebrities who stayed or performed here, and each poster covers a decade. |
These were notable guests at the National Hotel in sixties: Johnny Weismuller, Edward VIII, Jack Dempsey, Tom Mix, José Mujica, Buster Keaton, Errol Flynn, and the mobsters Santos Traficante and Meyer Lansky.
Answer tomorrow.
Natasha Duncan-Drake says
Looks very fancy. That is some chandelier!
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Hilary Melton-Butcher says
Hi Lee – I'd say true to your question. But I'd hate to be restricted to having to buy a fortnight's goods by coupons – how restrictive is that …
Your trip must have been amazing – I can imagine the National Hotel was kept for the celebrity visitors … and acceptable Cubans and political foreigners … cheers Hilary
Melissa Sugar says
Hi, I don't know what's wrong, but I haven't been able to leave a comment on your blog for the past week. I almost gave up again today, then I had an idea to just leave my comment as a reply under someone else's comment and then all of a sudden it allowed me to leave a comment. It's probably something on my end. I did a complete blog makeover but didn't update it on my blog because it wasn't ready until a few days after the the challenge began. I didn't find out until a week into the challenge that i sill have the horrible Disqus comment platform that I hate, but if you view my blog from a phone you see blogger comments, but the two platforms are not linked. Oh well it is too far into the challenge to mess with it now. I just want to apologize for not commenting. It has not been for lack of trying. I just can't wait to finally get this blog and comment mess fixed and I feel certain the reason I couldn't comment had to be a problem on my end.
I've loved all of your blog posts and my tour of Cuba. Sadly, I'm afraid it's probably the closest I will ever get to Cuba and I truly want to visit. I'm going with True, because even after the 50's I believe some of those important people, movie stars and some gangsters still visited Cuba, just under the radar. The hotel looks lovely. I would love to see the amenities inside the rooms.
Tamara Narayan says
I'll go with true. It does look like a fine hotel. And fifties cars? That is pretty cool.
Juneta Key says
Beautiful hotel.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Michelle Wallace says
Quite a fancy shmancy hotel with the lobby all lit up like that.
Who owns and maintains these nifty fifty cars?
Love the poster with the celebs.
Writer In Transit
Heather R. Holden says
Wonderful photos! I especially like the one of the cars. (I'm such a sucker for '50s aesthetic…)
Birgit says
I know the answer is false since Tom Mix died in 1942 I believe in a car accident. Errol Flynn died in 1957 and by this time Cuba was off limits to the Americans. I love the cars and hope they don't go away now that the Americans can go there. This does look like a nice hotel with a lot of history
Yvonne Ventresca says
Love the lobby!
Yvonne V
Patricia Lynne says
Maybe you were TOO important to stay there. 😉
~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
J Lenni Dorner says
I'll guess true.
Looks like a great place! That must have been one heck of a trip. Sorry you didn't get to stay at that hotel. Just a few million short of it, hmm? Yeah, me too. LOL
Pat Hatt says
True indeed. Looks like a place that would be rather steep indeed.
Susan Gourley/Kelley says
The hotel looks beautiful. I'm saying true.
Susan Says
Yolanda Renee says
Love the cars, and I bet they are easier to fix when the break too. Lovely pics.
I'll say true this time!
Happy Weekend!
Pat Garcia says
I have no idea what the answer is, but I did examine the picture and could swear that one of the people is Fred Astaire, another is Nat King Cole and one of the faces of one of the women seem familiar but I am not sure.
As for standing in line to get food for two weeks with coupons, I visited the former DDR, (East Germany) and witnessed them standing in line to go into the grocery store. it was sad.
Visiting from the A to Z Blog Challenge.
Shalom,
Patricia @ EverythingMustChange
Roland D. Yeomans says
Maintaining those cars of the 50's must be a chore! And Kathleen is right: that lobby must have been some sight back in the day!
Kathleen Valentine says
What a stunning lobby! I can only imagine what it must have been like to visit there back in the day. It all seems so glamorous.
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Bish Denham says
I wonder how much boundo is in those cars. Salt air plays havoc on metal. None the less, they're beautiful! I'm going to go with False on your question. The 60s? I'm not so sure. The 50s yes, the 60s… no.
Lexa Cain says
I'm wondering who the VIPs in the hotel are in a country were everyone's supposed to be equal. I really like the posters of the stars though. I'll guess the quiz answer is True. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Beverly Stowe McClure says
Cuba looks like an interesting country. I never thought much about it. Love the car. Gorgeous pictures. You're doing a great job of making people want to visit Cuba, at least this person. Have a great weekend.
Cathrina Constantine says
Very Nice. I'm a fan of the old movie stars and recognized many of them in the picture.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Fancy place.
Sixties seems a little late for those dudes. I'd say false.