Keeping warm

Today is all about dressing for warmth.

White linen blouse

Jigsaw long cardigan

M&S long woollen skirt

Clarks suede shoes (with a nice purple button!)

The collar is pinned with my grandmother's brooch.

I wore it first as an art student.

 I never thought then that I would end up as one of the blue rinse brigade!

For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

Baby it's cold outside

So I'm wearing babycord

and keeping tucked up inside.

The babycord dress is a Next preppy for 11 to 12 year olds and was bought for Wee One well over twenty years ago! It makes a cosy overshirt on top of leggings and cardigan and although it's not the smartest outfit going I can't complain about it's durability! It has a couple of handy slant pockets on the bodice. The cowhide belt is from Boden and I wear these boots inside the house as warm slippers.

For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

Cars in Cuba!

I'm not a car person, for me they are a means of getting from A to B. But the cars in Cuba are something else. Crazy old American gas-guzzling monsters are all about the island, so colourful, numerous and outrageous that they put a smile on every tourist's face.

Gary at A Day in the Life asked me to send him a postcard, so here it is (only slightly later than the ones that had a stamp on!)

                      Dear Gary,

                      postcard has our hotel, the Parque Central, in the background,

                      perfectly placed for walking around La Habana Vieja. (I know that 

                     you wil be focusing on the cars!) Havana is fantastic, you MUST visit!

                      Rx.

This view from our bedroom window reminds me of a Hopper painting.

There was the opportunity about town for all sorts of posing.

We booked a 1948 Buick convertible

and at the Plaza de la Revolucion I did a bit of posing myself!

These old cars must provide their owners with a good living. This one has been handed down in the same family through three generations.
We were driven along the Malecon with the sea spray in our faces.

I bought this delightful old postcard, although  I doubt that the spray would have done the double bass much good!

 Spare parts are not available, so these cars are patched up as best as can, which is not always very well at all.

But as you can see, Mr Ford, they come in every colour that you could wish for.

Including black!

And when you order a taxi this is what arrives.

Which can't be bad!

Crumbling Cuba

Last month I was in Cuba. It seems a long time ago now. The city of Havana appeared to be falling down; it reminded me of the bomb damaged cities of my childhood. Some of the scaffolding on the facades of formerly handsome  buildings had been in place for so long that it had rusted and been taken over by climbing plants.

There are examples of marvelous restoration work, as in La Plaza Vieja, funded by European money.

But for the most part it is a case of serious neglect.

In spite, or because of this, I found it utterly captivating.

The colours and the patina of neglect

 produced the most delicious wall surfaces.

I totally exhausted the memory card in my camera!

We drove in style

to take a look at the Hotel Nacional

This hotel has played host to many famous faces.

Time for a bit of tourist posing!

While a mural on a street in Havana celebrates famous citizens.