12/11 Dinner and drinks

Back at the hotel, we of course have to run out for a walk around town! We are looking for photo ops for Ed and his Hosteria Antica  Roma shirt from Paolo in Rome.  We manage to find a couple of cars that are willing to participate in our shots!

Now up to the room to freshen up – and what do we find?  Towel Animals!  Wow!

And the sweetest note telling us to have good travels tomorrow (heading to Trinidad) and to be safe.  Amazing really!

Showered, changed, we meet Maggi and Richard for our pre-dinner drinks in our cute little bar.  Then off we go – a couple of blocks away to our Association restaurant dinner.  Now, interestingly enough, Julie and Osmel cannot accompany us here – because it is not a State run restaurant!  Steve, being the Friendly Planet tour guide is our only host for the evening.  And he guides us to the restaurant flawlessly – getting us all across that darn big plaza intersection is no small feat!

The restaurant – La Xana – is amazing. The décor is totally modern with incredible hanging light fixtures, huge decorative wall hangings and lots of really cool tables and chairs.  They are in the midst of remodeling (I found on the web, after coming home, that they had changed the name as well, so we are experiencing the new and improved restaurant!). 

We all enjoy our welcome Mojito –

then it is right into the amazing food. This place was fabulous! First we start with shared plates of octopus and ceviche (you know Ed is in heaven!).  Then these little cheese and ham filled pastry cups. Then the main meals! Oh my gosh…the presentation!  And they tasted as good as they looked!  Beef medallions for Richard and me, Sea bass stacked in between crunchy tortillas for Ed and Caribbean lobster for Maggi.  Outstanding!  Then – something different!!!  Crème Brule tart for dessert.

		La Xana dinner VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

So – now – we are off to do our touristy thing!  While a bunch of the others are going to the Buenavista Social Club for Cuban music – we are heading to the Floridita – Hemingway’s favorite haunt and the place where the Daiquiri was born!

Ok – so – you know – when in Rome…or Habana!  It’s touristy, it’s expensive, but it’s HEMINGWAY!  And he’s actually there – well – sort of!

And we save our cigars for props – well – SOME of us used them as props!

And quite frankly, while the daiquiris were really pricey, and everyone else said they didn’t have all that much alcohol in them – I thought they were very good. Sigh. Another reason why this trip is just not good…..rum!

LOL

Back through the square, across the street and into the hotel. We of course convene in our cute little bar with our nice bartender. For some reason though tonight, he messes up the bill. It’s got a couple extra drinks on it – and we catch it and tell him – he changes it – but is so apologetic – we try to give him a tip anyway and he won’t take it.  Oh gosh – we didn’t mean to upset him – it was an honest mistake, and we’re cool! So off to bed we go – up our circular staircase – ready for the big long ride (3+ hours) to Trinidad tomorrow.