No plans, nothing in mind. Everything seemed to indicate that the first weekend of the year would be a well-deserved rest.
After a hectic December and a tumultuous start in Surgery, I desperately needed a weekend at home.
But no!, life doesn’t want me at home.
While I was still tuning into planet Earth (I was just getting up), my sister burst in like a hurricane proposing a weekend of pure art.
It was impossible to say no.
-Not because I wanted to, but because she is my younger sister-So we went.
Saturday
My partner in crime (my sister) told me we were going to visit a house that I would love. That woke me up very quickly. We were in search of the vertical mansion.
📍Located on 23rd Street between B and C in Vedado.
A capitalist building from the 1940s where each apartment occupies a floor, housing several apartments worthy of the richest in the world.
I had no idea what I was going to find. We walked down a not very wide hallway to a small door, which looked like it was made for Hobbits. My curiosity kept growing.
Behind the little door, we had to take an elevator. Stepping out of the modern elevator felt like traveling back in time; we entered a very colonial-style reception. Like the entrances of pubs in period English films.
There awaited us an elderly lady who greeted us warmly (she was my sister’s patient). She would give us a detailed tour of her "humble" abode. Room by room. Story after story.
The lady was the owner of the house, which she claimed to have inherited from her grandmother. Her grandmother, in turn, worked for a very wealthy family that had to emigrate after the "Revolution", leaving her the house (not that they could take it with them)
The house retains about 70% of the original owners' furniture (a fact the lady shared with us). My field is medicine, but if I were a collector or ran an antique shop, this would be an invaluable treasure.
Inside the house, there was even a greenhouse at 3rd floor , which they asked us not to photograph because it was disorganized.
Honestly, it’s a marvelous house. The rooms are enormous, the walls are painted with frescoes from many years ago, or covered with fine painted tiles. We were in another century without realizing it.
What surprised me the most was finding a drinking fountain (which in its heyday provided drinking water so you wouldn’t have to go to the kitchen). The fountain was guarded by these two characters; do you know them?
The lady prepared lunch for us, and in exchange, we gave her a little consultation and helped her with some things around the house as a sign of gratitude.
Neither my sister nor I could believe what we had experienced. How is it possible that houses like this exist in Cuba?
It’s such a pity that the lady and her family cannot afford the repairs because they have a marvelous house, well, a mansion.
That day we entertained ourselves with snacks, and then transportation played a trick on us; we arrived home very late, but the weekend had to continue.
Sunday
This time I knew where we were going: On our way to the Malecón.
Months ago, the 15th Havana Art Biennial was inaugurated, and we were going to meet one of the guys running the "Behind the Wall" project (I’ll tell you more about it in upcoming posts)
Reaching the Malecón was just the beginning. We had to walk from the middle to the end in search of the artworks being exhibited.
The challenge was to find them all and see what might be lacking in the project; this year, the participants had declined, as had the audience enjoying it.
-The detective brothers in action-
But as it couldn’t be perfect, we were caught by the coastal winter weather that had arrived in Cuba. Between the waves and the cold, we just wanted to run away.
We found many missing details. My sister used me as her photographer as much as she wanted, but I managed to capture material to spark your curiosity, so it was a win-win.
After finishing and enjoying the moment, we called my sister’s friend and shared the results (a lot to improve, to be honest).
We enjoyed the peculiar winter day by the sea. The waves, the cold, but above all, the outdoor art in that particular environment was a plan that turned out perfectly without being planned.
I’ll bring you more details about the artworks later on.
If you wish, let me know your opinion in the comments about this pieces
I’ll just say we found a description made by Chat GPT, so draw your own conclusions.
I didn’t start the weekend very optimistically, but I enjoyed it a lot. I hadn’t had these “getaways” with my sister in a long time, and it reminded me a lot of when we were kids, curious here and curious there, without worries, just discovering.
Thanks, Sis
A weekend full of art, with historical and architectural discoveries that left me speechless, that made me feel cold, but I enjoyed every moment.
This weekend has been quieter, which I really needed. Before I say goodbye, it’s your turn to tell me how your weekend went?
In Cuba, the little winter we have has made itself felt, making every plan compete with staying curled up in bed watching movies. That said, there’s nothing like going outside and living life.
As Galen said:tomorrow isn´t promised
If you wish, remember to tell me how your weekend is going, no matter if it’s not special; those are the best.
Read you soon!
[dahpilot]
All images are mine
I liked the mansion, of course? Around here I think we have similar mansions in the Sslamanca neighborhood and other neighborhoods in the center of Madrid. But, what most caught my attention is to see the amount of period objects preserved.
A hug @dahpilot and thanks for the tour.
It's incredible the number of antique objects that family has, a delight for those who love antiques. The house is a marvel; I will soon visit again to see if I can bring a more detailed update to enjoy even more
A pleasure to read you
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A luxury weekend with your sister. Although I wanted to see more photos of the house, your description of what you saw and felt there was very well done. Thanks my friend for this great tour you give us all.
I also wanted more, so I'm sure I'll bring an update soon—there's too much for such a short post.
It's always a pleasure to read you 💚
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