Cuba mini, Feb. 28- March 7,
2015
Cuba has been in the news lately! And ’58 went to see it. We
held a mini there the first week of March, 2015, and 11 classmates attended,
along with two gents from the class of ’57, wives, a ’58 widow (Vultee), and
many friends for a total of 36.
The days were packed with lectures by Cubans and Americans (one
has lived there for 40 years) on aspects of Cuban life and prospects for the
future. We visited 4 museums, many historic buildings and sites (e.g., Bay of
Pigs), a botanical garden, a tobacco farm, architectural monuments, art installations
and exhibits, etc. We sampled life in Havana as well as in the country, in
Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and the Vinales valley. We saw the old U.S. cars from the
‘50s everywhere; witnessed a run-down sugar cane plantation; attended a
rehearsal of a vibrant dance company; and enjoyed the beat of Cuban music often.
And we ate well, for sure. Our Cuban guide,
Nelson, was superb, sharing with us his personal take on all things Cuban. He
left us with broad smiles on our faces and hope for a new day in Cuba.
l. to r. in photo: Brooks, Fogelberg, Scribner,
Bromley, Masters, Day, Scurria (’57), Duncan, Farrin, Davisson, Leslie, and Loeffler
(’57). (Pickard absent).