Langosta was the menu for tonight
Prima’s order came in - Just Right!
With fresh herbs they sautéed,
Atop congris they were laid.
“Aiii Que Rico! Squealed Tia with Delight.
Well now, not all Lobster comes from Nantucket ya know! These were Caribbean
Langosta's.
On with the tale... [Pun intended}
After Chucky and the girls got back from the carriage jaunt around La
Habana Vieja, it was time to do a little packing for the trip home. He knew it would be a late night with family
due to arrive after dinner and he wanted to get a jump on it.
In the meantime, Doug went to pick up Prima and her surprise
dinner ingredients. All week long "CUZ" Niurka
had been negotiating with a local fisherman to deliver fresh Caribbean Lobsters
for a special farewell dinner she had been planning since before we even
arrived. She was soooooo excited to have
Tia and the “Cuz’s” here, she wanted to do something special [like she hadn't been doing something special all week?].
Meanwhile, as the girls freshened up and prepared the
mezzanine for the dinner, Chucky and Jake hopped over [Ok… Strolled] to the Mercado De La Torre to get more beer and wine for the Farewell Feast and returned just in time to help Prima start the meal.
The plan had been to use Maria La China’s kitchen downstairs since it was a
bit roomier to cook in and the stove was better but Prima had already got half
of it started upstairs before the boys got back with the wine so Prima, Chucky,
Ramon and whoever else wandered in and out to help, dodged around each other as
they did the “Dance of the Tiny Kitchen”.
Ramon cut Croutons for the Sopa Asturias con Tamate appetizer,
while Chucky mixed the Beet and Cabbage Slaw. Prima had the congris re
With A splash of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil that Chucky had
smuggled into the country for her kitchen at home, Prima started to sauté the gorgeous lobsters
that she had bargained all week for and the aroma had everyone running in and
out of the kitchen dunking pieces of bread in the spicy juices around the
lobster. YUMMMMMMM.
After slicing the rest of the baguette to toast downstairs on Maria’s plancha,
Chucky popped the corks on the Vinya Sarda Tempranillo that went oh- so- well
with this Marvelous Feast of Caribbean Delights. Needless to say, the meal was an overwhelming success.
Now they scrambled to get cleaned up as the whole gang from La Habana was headed over for one last Farewell and we do mean the whole gang, we were expecting at least 20-25 folks to arrive in just a few min…… Oooopppps… NOW!!
Now they scrambled to get cleaned up as the whole gang from La Habana was headed over for one last Farewell and we do mean the whole gang, we were expecting at least 20-25 folks to arrive in just a few min…… Oooopppps… NOW!!
A grand gathering of the clan commenced with lively
chatter. Eduardo and his tribe,
Odalys & Osvaldo with her family, Rey, and… and…. Oh.. just too many to
name. After the Wine and Rum was passed
around… and around... and around... the mood mellowed, {Ya Think?} when someone decides "Hey, lets take this party to the
Malecon” {why, is anybody’s guess} but off to the Malecon they went. Tia in wheelchair, a troop of youngsters in Tow...
“Hey, who’s
got the wine?”
The end result - 20+ slightly tipsy Cubanos and Americanos
et al troop down Linea across “N” then "O" stumbling onto the Malecon with a bottle of Rum some Wine, and a couple of glasses .
{"Glasses?!? We dun-need no stinkin' Glasses!"}
{"Glasses?!? We dun-need no stinkin' Glasses!"}
The festivities continued to liven when this entertaining fellow with a large guitar on his way to - or - from somewhere spotted the crowd, strolled up and started to serenade Tia, and the show was
on. Cameras, phones & smiles flash & loads of pictures ensue.
After a couple of sing
The following pictures tell the story of a Simply Marvelous night under the crescent moon, with waves crashing against the seawall, a crisp wind blowing and a family reunited in harmony {and Wine} with guitars strumming and hearts humming, on the Malecon of La Habana, on the Isle of Cuba, where time stopped so long ago – accept for this one night…
And just like that...
it was over.
Now its Really - Time to Say Goodbye...
"To All Our Fam-i-leeee... M-I-C...(C- ya real soon)
K-E-Y... (Y... Because..)"
{Oh... Ok... not that 1950's Family}
In scattered groups they grudgingly trekked back to 55 Linea for yet another round of beso's, abrazo's & more beso's and lingering abrazo's as the La Habana crowd reluctantly climbed into their cars for the long rides home and “Expedition Montalvo” went inside to finish packing and Zzzzz land... tomorrow was gonna be a looooong day.
Tomorrow - their last few hours in La Habana, a sentimental last pass by 109 Trocadero, the Trek to Aeroporto Jose Marti - early wake ups, Girare-U's and all.
HASTA LUEGO,
Uncle Chuck &
The Oh So VERY Happy to be Right Here - Right Now
Cuban Lady & "Cuz of Tampa"
The Oh So VERY Happy to be Right Here - Right Now
Cuban Lady & "Cuz of Tampa"
Sippin’ Red wine outta da bottle with FAMILY on the Malecón
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