Saturday we toured Old Havana and Yuri surprised us
by starting the tour with a ride for all of us in classic taxis

We had so many pictures from the tour that I put all the pictures from the day in a separate gallery, but I left the classic car ride in this gallery.

March 26, 2016

For our Saturday tour of Old Havana, Yuri surprised us with vintage taxis.
Rich, Lorraine and Marnelle
climb into a 50s vintage Cadillac
Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Carli, Bob and Patti rode in a 1956 Chevrolet

Doug, John and Renee rode in an old Dodge.

In the car behind

Steve in the back seat

The view from our back seat

John and Doug moving up on the outside

Doug, John and Renee

Mary, Yuri and Steve rode in an early 50s Chevy

Our driver and Yuri riding along the malecon,
the seawall sidewalk along the water.

Cruisin' the malecon
in Havana, Cuba
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Fishermen on the seawall
Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

John, Renee and Doug try for a pass

Looking back at 'new' Havana

We rode to the Central Square in Old Havana, disembarked
and the taxi drivers rolled off without us.

In the central square of Old Havana

Memorial Jose Marti statue in the central square, Parque Central
There are 28 Royal palms around the square because Marti was born January 28.
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

In the central square, Old Havana, Cuba
Marnelle, Renee, Carli, Bob, Yuri, Mary, John, Patti, Lou, Rich, Doug, Lorraine
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Hotel Inglaterra
Parque Central, La Habana Vieja, Cuba
March 26, 2016

One of many vintage taxis around Parque Central
Old Havana, Cuba

More vintage taxis

Hotel Parque Central

Landscape of Parque Central

Jose Marti statue

Capitolia Nacional under renovation (just like the US Capitol)
Old Havana, Cuba

National Capitol, Havana, Cuba

Gran Teatro del la Habana
Parque Central, Old Havana, Cuba

Statue atop the Grand Theatre of Havana, Cuba

Granma Pavilion, memorial park for the revolution
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016
Granma is the name of the boat Castro road from Mexico back to Cuba to start the revolution against the Batista regime.

Old building off Parque Central, Old Havana, Cuba

Old buildings just off Parque Central
Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Buildings in Old Havana, Cuba

Old Havana, Cuba, architecture

Old Havana architecture

More Old Havana architecture

This architecture is a little reminiscent of New Orleans French Quarter.

Architecture and alleyway
Old Havana, Cuba

Old Havana architecture

Brick sculptures
outside Museo Nacional de Belles Artes
across the street from Granma Pavilion
Old Havana, Cuba

Airplane exhibit at Granma Pavilion

Airplane exhibit at Granma Pavilion, Old Havana, Cuba

Granma, the boat that brought Fidel Castro from Mexico to Cuba
to start the revolution--at Granma Pavilion memorial park in Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

From the Granma Pavilion, we walked down to the Museo de la Revolucion.

The upper front of the Museum of the Revolution
Former Presidential Palace, Old Havana, Cuba

The Cuban 'crest' on the front of the building

In front of the museum was a remnant of the old wall around Old Havana.

The tower, part of the old wall, has the Spanish crest on it.

The Spanish royal crest from the old city wall

Part of the old wall around Old Havana, Cuba

Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Castle or Fort of the Royal Force
one of the oldest existing forts in the Americas
built between 1558 and 1577

Bob, Carli, Lou and Marnelle take a break
in the lobby of the Hotel Santa Isabel where Jimmy Carter stayed
March 26, 2016

Patti and Yuri relaxing in the open-air lobby of Hotel Santa Isabel
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Mary relaxing in the Hotel Santa Isabel lobby at the Plaza de Armas in Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Yuri provides our group with some context at Plaza de Armas,
so named because the Spanish army performed maneuvers there.
Marnelle, Doug, Renee, John, Rich, Yuri, Bob, Mary, Patti, Carli, Lou
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Vendors selling books and photos in Plaza de Armas
Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Hemingway meets Castro at a vendor stall in Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Catching the sights around vendors in Plaza de Armas, Old Havana, Cuba
Rich, Renee, Lorraine, Patti, Doug, Lou and Mary
March 26, 2016

Plaza de Armas, Old Havana, Cuba

Doug found a book on birds.

Plaza de Armas
Founding site and first public space of the city of Havana, Cuba

Statue of Jose Marti at Plaza de Armas, Havana, Cuba
on the site of a statue of King Ferdinand of Spain, which was removed

Portico at Plaza de Armas

Marnelle, Lorraine, Richard, Bob, Lou
at Plaza de Armas, Havana, Cuba

Library off Plaza de Armas

Building on the corner of O'Reilly Street in Havana, Cuba

On the streets of Old Havana, Cuba
John, Doug, Patti, Renee, Lorraine, Rich, Mary, Marnelle, Bob, Lou, Carli
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Avenue leading to our restaurant for lunch

Yuri, explaining to Patti, Doug, Renee, Rich, Carli, Lorraine, Marnelle, Lou and Bob
that the mural reflects the buildings across the street.

Admiring a street mural
Mary, Patti, Doug, John, Yuri, Rich, Lou, Renee, Marnelle, Lorraine, Bob, Carli

John, Doug, Marnelle, Carli and Bob
striking a pose inspired by the mural behind them
that reflects the opposite side of the street
Old Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 26, 2016

'Town cryer' in a hot costume inviting people into the restaurant where we ate lunch

A poster commemorating the historic meeting of Raul Castro and Barak Obama.

Steve and the cryer bracketing the poster of Castro and Obama

La Moneda Cubana Restaurante
founded in 1924--our lunch location
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Marnelle, Carli, Bob, Renee, Yuri and Lou
upstairs at La Moneda Cubana Restaurante
Old Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 26, 2016

Mary, Steve, Doug and Bob at La Moneda Cubana
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

John, Rich, Mary, Doug, Steve
at La Moneda Cubana Restaurant, Old Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Lunch at La Moneda Cubana Restaurant
Rich, Mary, Bob, Renee (in back), John, Doug, Carli (behind Doug), Yuri, Marnelle, Lou
Old Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 26, 2016

Upstairs in La Moneda Cubana Restaurant
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Lunching at La Moneda Cubana, Old Havana, Cuba
John, Doug, Rich, Mary, Marnelle, Carli, Bob, Lou, Renee and Patti
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Mary and Steve at lunch at La Moneda Cubana Restaurante
Old Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 26, 2016

Our group on the streets of Old Havana, Cuba, after lunch
Rich, Marnelle, John, Renee, Lorraine, Yuri (in back), Carli, Lou, Patti, Doug, Bob & Mary
March 26, 2016

Hotel Ambos Mundos was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway.
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

Photos of Ernest Hemingway and his signature hung on the walls.
Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana, Cuba

Bob and Carli inside Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana

Artwork inside Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana, Cuba

We took respite in the lounge of Hotel Ambos Mundos
Old Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

The facades of the buildings in Plaza de la Catedral, Cathedral Square, had been renovated
and before-and-after photos were posted in front of each one.
In the center of the square, they had colorfully painted cats like our OKC bison.

Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana
Plaza de la Catedral, Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

Touring Plaza de la Catedral

Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana
Plaza de Catedral, Havana, Cuba

Cats in the Plaza Vieja

Yuri explains Zanja Real, the Havana aqueduct built between 1565 and 1592

Carli listens as Yuri describes the old aqueduct

Cathedral at Plaza de San Francisco

Bob, Patti, John, Steve

Remnants of sea life in the stones of the cathedral

Interesting courtyard wall

Terminal Sierra Maestra San Francisco

Copy of a statue in Mallorca, Spain

Cigar and rum shop

Sign inside the shop

Romeo and Juliet

Patti, Renee and Doug investigating the cigar selections

A Cuban rum and cigar store
Havana, Cuba, March 26, 2016

I saw several railroad warning signs like this while we were bussing around Cuba.
I thought it was interesting that the symbol used is an old steam locomotive.
This one is in front of a display of old locomotives outside the public market.

Inside the large San Jose Central Market

The harbor outside the public market

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped along the Malecon to look at Castillo del Moro, Moro Castle, and fortress across the harbor.

Moro Castle and lighthouse, Havana Harbor, Havana, Cuba

Mary and Steve along the Malecon at Havana Harbor

Moro Castle, Havana, Cuba

As we returned from our tour of Old Havana
we passed the newly re-opened US Embassy
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Lou, Marnelle and Renee at Restaurant Rio Mar, our last dinner in Cuba
with the Almendares River (Rio) and the Atlantic Ocean (Mar) in the background
Havana, March 26, 2016

Yuri, John and Doug at our last dinner in Cuba
overlooking the Almendares River, Havana
Saturday, March 26, 2016

Havana at dusk across the Almendares River
March 26, 2016

Patti, Mary and Steve enjoying our last supper in Cuba
overlooking the Almendares River, Havana
Saturday evening, March 26, 2016

An old fort on the edge of the Almendares River in Havana, Cuba
March 26, 2016

When we returned to our room, the bedspread had been shaped into a heart.

Note from our housekeeper

Sunday morning, March 27, 2016
Heading home--the crowd at the airport was bigger than expected.
Renee, Mary, Bob, Doug, Carli, Richard, Lorraine, John

Carli, Doug, Yuri (waiting to make sure we got off OK), Marnelle, Lou, Mary, Lorraine
at Jose Marti Airport, Havana, Cuba
Sunday, March 27, 2016

Mary, Lou, Lorraine, Richard, Patti, John
at Jose Marti Airport, Havana--going home

This group photo was taken on the steps of the Museo de Revolucion in Havana, Cuba, during our day of touring old Havana, Saturday, March 26, 2016. It was taken by Yuri's camera and he shared it with us.