I visited Havana hoping to capture that queer ambience of the fifties when the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ernest Hemingway frequented the city and was not disappointed.

Were he still alive, Frank Sinatra would now be 91. In his heyday, the saying was: “It’s Frank’s world; we just live in it.” That world surely included Cuba, which Frank initial visited in 1947. I merely wanted to see Frank’s world in Havana where I hoped that memorabilia dating from the fifties would be accessible.

At Havana’s Aerop¬uerto Internacional Jose Marti entry formalities were as perplexed as in the fifties when visas were necessitated to go to any place. It took me an hour to clear the immigration line. In my case, a finelooking police officer expended more than a minute conservatively comparing my face with the photo in my passport. Then it took another hour to get my baggage and change my cash into ‘convertible pesos’ or CUCs. I am sure that Sinatra had it easier.

There was a great deal to suggest Sinatra on the taxi trip into town. The car radio played Cuban songs with a beat that Frank would have appreciated. As I trav¬elled towards Havana centro, passing murals and graffiti acclaiming Castro and Che Guevara, we shared the road with vintage Chevrolets and the odd Model T and Dodge – cars that predate Castro rule and ought to have been on the road for the duration of Frank’s time.

The next day at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, with it is Gothic façade, I sank into Sinatra nostalgia. The lobby still boasts galore magnificent basi mahogany fixtures that still reflect the splendour of Sinatra’s day. In the bar, there is an alcove with posters showing personalities who visited the hotel in respective decades. The fifties division features Frank’s profile along with photos of mobsters such as Meyer Lansky and Santo Tarfficante.

It was Frank’s primary trip to Cuba in February 1947 that exposed his kinship to the mob. A FBI surveillance photograph showed Sinatra with his arm around Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano on the balcony of the Hotel Nacional. Luciano, deported from the US to Italy in 1946, had come to Havana for a meeting with other Mafia bosses.

By most accounts Sinatra had no idea precisely what he was getting into when Joe Fischetti, a New York gangster who booked talent for mob-owned clubs around the country, suggested a 4-day trip to Havana. Joe plainly convinced Sinatra to accompany him and his two brothers to Havana to meet a great deal of of the “guys.”

Sinatra in all probability didn’t realize how galore “guys” he was going to meet. The Mafia was keeping a group discussion in Havana attended by mob leaders, including big shots such as Luciano, Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, Albert “the Executioner” Anastasia, Joe Bonanno, Joe Adonis, Chicago boss Tony Accardo, Florida boss Santo Trafficante and Meyer Lansky amongst a lot of others.

It was Meyer Lansky’s close friendship with Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, that enabled Mafia bosses such as Santo Trafficante to get a piece of the action in running remunerative casinos in hotels such as the Nacional. The casino operations made so much cash that top ranked singers such as Frank Sinatra and Eartha Kitt would fly to Havana to star in their floor shows.

Even in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, the Nacional still features a cabaret show. After a buffet dinner in the hall, which once housed the casino, I went to the nightclub. Packed with diners and drinkers, it captured the mood of those yesteryears. Even the showgirls, bosoms modestly covered, evoked the social mores of the fifties. A Cuban singer, accompanied by a huge band, belted a established song. It was pure nostalgia. In his place, I could almost imagine Frank wowing the wives of high rollers with his rendition of “All of me”.

Apart from his casino visits, Frank likewise celebrated his 1951 honeymoon with Ava Gardner in Havana.

They honeymooned in Rom 225 at the Nacional, close to Rooms 211 to 213 favoured by the mob. The hotel, built on a rock bluff, looks out throughout the bay towards the Morro, the ancient fortress guarding the entrance to Havana harbour. Ava and Frank will have to have enjoyed the view when taking cocktails at dusk on the sea-view terrace. While Frank preferent Cutty Sark Scotch, I had my best ever daiquiri on that same terrace. The sweet lime, sugar powder and rum proportions were just right with the fine crushed ice mix visible to the bottom of the hollow stem of the glass. The Nacional had not lost it is class. Contemplating the hotel gardens overlooking the Malecón, Havana’s sea promenade along the bay, I felt as if I had become a fellow member of Frank’s Rat Pack.

During their honeymoon, Frank did not show himself too much and a waiter, Jorge Jorge, recalls delivering bottles of vodka and whiskey to their room. Although they had a meal at Ernest Hemingway’s favourite restaurant, they did not get around to meeting the famous author who lived in Havana. Ava admired Ernest ever since she got her original major role in Robert Siodmak’s 1947 film “The Killers”, based on a Hemingway story. She had not long back been chosen for a role in the film version of Hemingway’s 1936 short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”. Probably Hemingway was not in town since Ava could have without apparent effort arranged a meeting amid the two American icons: her crooner husband and the writer whom she called “Papa”.

The two men, however, lived in dissimilar worlds in Havana.

Frank’s world was in La Habana Centro, west of the Malecón, where the mob ran casinos in posh hotels such as the Nacional, Capri and Riviera. In his novel Our Man in Havana, Graham Greene described that share of the city before Castro took over in the following words: ‘In the west the steel skyscrapers of the new town rose higher than lighthouses into the clear sky’.

Hemingway’s world, east of the Malecón in La Habana Vieja (old Havana), had no skyscrapers, only charming old buildings – galore dating from the 15th century. Old Havana starts at the Prado, the lovely boulevard with a wide central pedestrian walk, which runs from the Malecón to Central Park square. When he firstborn came to Havana with his future third wife, Martha Gellhorn, he stayed just off the Prado, at the charming Hotel Biltmore Sevilla. From there it is a short way to the old town with it is alleys, just wide sufficient for one car, leading to the port. When I walked down the Calle Obispo (Obispo Road) to the Hotel Ambos Mundos, it seemed that little had changed since Hemingway’s days.

The Hotel Ambos Mundos was Hemingway’s second home. While living with Martha at the Hotel Biltmore Sevilla, he applied this hotel as his mail drop. It did not fool his second wife, Pauline, still living in Key West. Located at a commodious distance for his favored watering holes, he once said that “it was a good place to write”. In mid-February 1939, he expended a month in room 511 to finish writing “For whom the Bells Toll”. Even after he rented La Finca Vigia, a rundown farmhouse on the outskirts of Havana, he held his bestloved room 511 at Ambos Mundos.

The ancient and slow lift at Ambos Mundos, in all probability dating from Hemingway’s time, took me only to the fourth floor and I had to climb a flight of stairs to the fifth floor. Room 511 is now a little museum where one may see a heap of letters and Hemingway’s Royal typewriter. I looked at the views from the two corner windows. One window provided a view of the old Cathedral, the entrance to the harbour and the sea. It had everything to inspire Hemingway to write a book with a Spanish setting.

The liftman had commended that I see the view from the terrace. This view was excellent, as I could see the port as well as the Havana skyline. There was a bar and I ordered a mojitos, the national Cuban cocktail consisting of rum, sweet lime and mint. Enjoying the cool breeze, I wondered if this bar existed in Hemingway’s time. If it did then he could not have gotten much work done at the Ambos Mundos.

During the 1940s even after he moved to the Finca Vigia, Hemingway would come late mornings to the Ambos Mundos to check his mail drop. Afterwards he commonly walked a few doors up to the American Consulate, later lunching at El Floridita with consular friends and perchance finishing his rounds with a browse in the International Bookshop. These conveniently grouped locales – all located on Obispo Street – were his base of operations.

For drink and fresh seafood, Hemingway favoured the Floridita on the corner of Obispo and Monserrate. When it is metal shutters were up, it is eleven doors were open to the busy street life. Inside the café, overhead fans turned and the outstanding mirrors behind the bar kept the room underneath observation from Hemingway’s habitual seat at the left-hand corner of the bar. The Floridita was rumoured to have a bordello on the original floor and prostitute regulars such as Leopoldina Aroste could always count on a handout from Papa.

It was now time for cocktails and the EI Floridita was beckoning me with flashing Vegas-style neon lighting. Now expeditiously air-conditioned, the bar and dining room is sealed off from the outside world. The waiters wore red coats with white trousers to synchronise with the striking red and gold interiors. Touted as the “cradle of the daiquiri,” I ordered a classic daiquiri but felt that the sugar and lemon overpowered the rum. Perhaps I must have ordered Hemingway’s favourite “Papa Double” consisting of no sugar, double rum and grapefruit rather of lemon.

The bar now looks like Papa’s museum with a bust and portrait of Hemingway as well as photographs on the walls from pre-¬revolutionary days. Despite the Hemingway memorabilia, I thought regarding the Ava and Frank’s foray to the Floridita for the duration of their honeymoon. It had to do with the music. At that time, Octavio Benedino Sánchez Oñaguirre (Cotán), the Cuban troubadour, sang to Ava and Frank. Now there was a four-person band with male singer and a female violinist. To the background of a complex Afro-Cuban rhythm, the singer and violinist alternated without either missing a beat. Frank would have loved it.

Ava would return to the Floridita but without Frank. In August 1954 she visited the Hemingways in Havana. Hemingway and his fourth wife, Mary, took Ava for dinner to the Floridita. Heads turned and even Hemingway’s nodding acquaintances became instant intimates enchanted to meet the senorita, even inviting themselves to join the group for coffee or liqueur. Ava was polite but showed little interest in these Cuban locals, for the most part rich sugar-growers and paunchy businessmen.

It was a wonder that Ava did not blow up at the Floridita. Hemingway once described the two sides of Ava’s personality to a friend: “She could be sweet, attractive, witty and good fun. She likewise had a sharp tongue and could be an sheer devil”. Ava adored Hemingway and inherited from him her love for bullfighting – and bullfighters. After the break-up of her marriage with Frank, Ava would spend ten years of her life in Spain.

I hired a taxi to visit Hemingway’s Finca Vigia – now converted into a museum – to imagine how it must have been for the duration of Ava’s 1954 stay in Havana.

The villa is presently being renovated, and we could only see the empty rooms from outside. One of the guestrooms in the rear had a window from where one could watch the sun set behind the profile of Havana in the distance. For guests like Ava this view ought to have provided the promise of an stimulating night in Havana.

During the day, another spot provided even a better view. Next to the villa, there is a small, four-storey tower. Mary Hemingway had designed the tower and the top room with four windows was a haven where Hemingway could write in peace. Like the room at the Ambos Mundos, it provided Hemingway with a view of the sea – rather suitable when he was writing ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.

For herself, Mary had designed a sun deck where she could sun in the buff.

Mary also preferent to swim in the nude in their pool, a little way away from the villa and covered all around with trees and foliage. Apparently Ava followed Mary’s example when she was their guest at the Finca Vigia. I walked down to the pool, the basin painted blue but empty. In my mind’s eye, I imagined Ava in a dressing gown at the pool, letting the gown drop at the edge and then taking a graceful dive in the water. The Hemingways had numerous guests but Ava must have been the most finelooking woman to swim in this pool.

On my last night, I decisive to try another of Hemingway’s favourite haunts, La Bodeguita del Medio bar and restau¬rant.

Just a block away from the Plaza de la Catedral, one of five plazas in Old Havana, the Bodeguita is in a literal sense a ‘hole in the wall’ with a crowd blocking the doorway to the bar.

Once inside, I found myself in a three deep crowd away from the bar, which could accommodate just five persons. On the wall, there was Hemingway’s portrait quoting him: “Daiquiri in EI Floridita, mojitos in La Bodeguita del Medio”.

I had to shout my order for a mojitos behind the backs of other barflies, all alien tourists. Most just had a single mojitos. To cope with the orders, the bartender had lined up 20 glasses along the length of the bar and was preparing mojitos on an assemblage line basis. He started by gently crushing mint leaves in each glass, pouring a heap of sweet lime, putting in ice cubes and then topping off with a great deal of Havana Club white rum. For a mass-produced product, it did taste good even though but was almost twice as highpriced as elsewhere.

Already up versus the wall, a group of five girls and a male drummer started arranging their instruments next to me and the place got even more cramped.

The band started with ‘Chan Chan’, a Cuban favourite. Dressed in black blouses and microskirts, the girls had skin hues ranging from white to black. Their next song was a sop for the foreigners: “Autumn Leaves” played to a Cuban rhythm. The black lead singer now played her clarinet emitting a series of soulful notes. I thought when it comes to Frank Sinatra and his interpretation of this song. Did he feel this way when his marriage with Ava Gardner was breaking up?

The bongo player sped up the tempo of the beat and the girls held pace with rhythmic step movements. I was looking and listening. There was vitality in the music that has something to do with the Cuban mentality. All night, La Bodeguita del Medio would be throbbing to such Cuban sounds. Sinatra would have loved it because music is rudimentary to Havana life.

The music never stops in Havana. That night as I walked in old Havana, there was music streaming out from each bar and restaurant. Old American cars equipped with sound schemes in better shape than their engines pumped out rhythms for the pleasure of those passing by. Even locals sitting on their doorsteps to their drawing rooms had their TV sets blasting music at full force. The rhythms were putting my adrenaline into overdrive.

My best moment was when listening to a live band specialising in Afro-Cuban rhythms. The bandleader, a saxophonist, started a Sinatra favourite: “My Way”. He moved away from the group and made his saxophone chant in the same cadence as Sinatra. Then the beat moved to a complex rhythm and his saxophone emitted staccato sounds. It was a outstanding performance and old Blue-Eyes would have loved it.

Even if he does have to portion it with Hemingway, Cuba – for the time being at least – is still portion of Frank’s world.

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set

includes: Comforter, Crib Sheet, Bumper and Dust Ruffle

An Eddie Bauer classic Enchanted Hollow featuring woodland creatures the red fox, wise owls, baby dear, hedgehogs, bear and bunny. This is a elaborated appliqué and embroidery of tiny snails and mushrooms. This infant bedding ensemble is designed in fresh earthy colors of brown, tan, green, blue, barn red, and marigold.

Most helpful customer reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect!
By Lisa Corrado
I selected this nursery theme because we wanted to celebrate nature/animals without the ever-so-popular jungle/safari/rainforests. I’m just not into monkeys all that much. There are only a few forest themes to be found and this is by far the most adorable (the owl faces in the Lambs and Ivy set seemed scary to me.)

This valance has several textures- linen, quilted, corduroy/chenille, and velvet. The textures add so much to the product and you can’t tell this from the picture. I was also surprised at how long each valance is (only one comes in a pack- I bought two). So much nicer in person than expected.

Bottom line- these animals are cute and sweet, with just enough contrast for visual stimulation, and muted/soft enough to be tranquil. So glad to have found this set! Perfect for a boy, but if you add enough female touches to the room, a little girl would love it (the dots help)!

Painting the Nursery:
The colors include several shades of brown, green, tan, and the fox has a muted red tail. We went to Sherwin-Williams for paint (Harmony and Duration lines have the least VOCs with the the best quality reviews. We haven’t painted yet- but as research goes, it’s the best for nurseries without spending a crazy a amount of money for boutique nursery paint).

Paint Color Suggestions:
-For a sky blue we chose Tibetan Sky (a little pale so you might want to go a shade darker)
(a lighter shade of the blue in the bedding)
-For greens we chose Great Green and Leapfrog
(Leapfrog matches the wall decals for this set perfectly),
-For tree browns we chose Grounded and Java
(Java matches the tree branch in the decals),
-For white clouds we chose Westhighland White
After primer (1 gallon), 2 gallons color, 4 quarts (room size 10 x 11) our cost was at $120. You can get 10% off by becoming a preferred customer (which is free to do).

Hope some of this helps! Happy nursery planning!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
The best bedding set
By T. Koeman
This bedding set is so cute. I had so many compliments on it already. The animals are adorable. I even drew and painted the animals on the wall. Very high quality material and well made. This set will last a long time. It is worth the money.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Love this bedding!
By KT
This set is so versitile. You can purchase many other solid color crib sheets to coordinate. The characters pop-out even more than the photo because some have different textures, like corduroy. Really lovely set!

See all 11 customer reviews…

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Photo

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Pic

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Image

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Pic

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Picture

Eddie Bauer Enchanted Hollow 4 Piece Set Picture