Page 105 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

VED ADO AND PLAZA  103

Itinerary VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
1 Hotel Nacional
2 Edificio Focsa Practical Information
Departure: Hotel Nacional.
3 Coppelia Arrival: corner of 23 y 12.
4 Parque El Quijote Length: 3.5 km (2 miles).
5 Museo de la Danza Where to eat: Coppelia ice-
6 Casa de la Amistad cream parlour, Casa de la
7 ICAIC The long queue for the Coppelia ice- Amistad, one of the bars at the
cream parlour corner of 23 y 12. Plan stops and
museum visits for the (hot)
middle of the day. Museo de la
Danza: Tel 7831 2198. Open
C A L L E L I N E A L Í N E A 10am–5pm Tue–Sat. Closed 1 Jan,
1 May, 26 Jul, 25 Dec. & 8
C A L L E 1 3 C A L L E 1 3
C A L L E 1 1 L Í N E A
C A L L E 1 5
C A L L E 1 7 C A L L E 1 7 I J K M A L E C O N
C A L L E 1 5 C A L L E L C A L L E N
C A L L E 1 9
F
E
P A S E O
D
H
B
C A L L E 1 9 C C A L L E 2 1
A
C A L L E 2 3 ( R A M P A )
C A L L E 2 1 C A L L E 2 1
A V E N I D A D E L O S P R E S I D E N T E S ( G )
C A L L E 2 3
America, it has mementos of 23 y 12
C A L L E 2
C A L L E 4
famous dancers who have Continue on Calle Paseo back to
C A L L E 6
C A L L E 8
Avenida de los Presidentes visited Cuba, drawings of stage Calle 23, six blocks away from the
C A L L E 1 0
CALLE 12
The tour continues by turning sets, historic photos and works busy central intersection where
right at Calle G (Avenida de by contemporary artists. this walk ends. A sculpture of
los Presidentes), a wide, tree- Fidel with the Granma revolution-
lined avenue with luxurious Paseo aries has an inscription declaring
19th- and 20th-century French- Continue along Calle Línea that on 16 April 1961, on the eve
style buildings. In the middle of to the junction with one of of the American invasion at the
the street are benches and the loveliest streets in Havana: Bay of Pigs (see p171), Fidel Castro
flower beds. Behind the Calle Paseo, which is like a announced that the Cuban
statue of Simón Bolívar long, thin park running Revolution was Socialist.
is the junction with up to the Plaza de la At Calle 23 y 12 there are res-
Calle Línea. Revolución (see p106). tau rants, bars, shops and cin emas
It is lined with elegant like the Chaplin Cinematheque
Calle Línea buildings with and the Cuban Institute of Cine-
The first street to splendid gardens: matographic Arts and Industry
be laid out in the Alicia Alonso’s shoes, mostly ministries and (ICAIC) 7 (see p33), which has
Vedado quarter Museo de la Danza public admin istration a contemporary art gallery.
owes its name to offices. The Casa de la
the tramline (línea) that once Amistad 6, at No. 406 between
ran from here to the historic Calle 17 and 19, is a cultural
centre. Calle Línea also has centre with a bar and restaurant,
many French-style buildings and part of a lavish Art Deco
as well as colonial houses with building given by the wealthy
stained-glass windows. Pedro Baró to his mistress
The restored building at the Catelina Lasa, grande dame of
corner of Calle G is the Museo Havana high society. They were
de la Danza 5, run by the forced to flee to Europe by the
legendary ballerina Alicia scandal caused by their affair,
Alonso, founder of the Ballet but returned in 1917, when Lasa
Nacional (see p87). The only managed to get a divorce from The permanent poster exhibition in the
dance museum in Latin her first husband. ICAIC building
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