Moment By Moment We Create Our Life Adventures

Going to Cuba, I initially had low expectations after hearing people’s general comments about the island. I was therefore pleasantly surprised: staying in the beautiful 5 star hotel Iberostar, eating the yummy food at the buffet and lying by the warm, crystal clear ocean. Between the old-timer cars, the music that consumes you, and the laid-back charisma, the island had me at Mojito! Here are some more pics from my other island adventures...

  

We spent an afternoon visiting a Cuban farm, enjoying the warm family hospitality, eating fresh fruit off the trees, learning to make Mojitos, and dancing Salsa in the lush Cuban countryside... 

 Can you tell what type of tree this is ? 

Being of German heritage I could not miss out on the World Cup 2014! What a fun, boisterous and bonding experience it was to enjoy the games in the hotel sport’s bar with my family and a happy group of fans. We cheered on our team and celebrated their win when they became World Champions!! Deutschland!!

The beach was beautiful, sipping Mojitos by the ocean and tanning only as much as a German girl can... 

   

                                                                                    

These are the books I dove into while on vacation: something for every mood - Girl Boss when I was feeling ambitious, White Girl Problems for a light fun read, Cuba whilst exploring and reading up on its history, and The Great Gatsby for a delectable taste of the classics. 

Well, that was it from Cuba! I hope you enjoyed my posts that summarized this lovely 2 week discovery...

 See you back in Toronto... 

xo Nicola

"Live the full life of the mind,exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual" - Ernest Hemingway

Havana, Havana, oh what a magical place you are! On the Friday of our first week in Cuba, we decided to do the extra special supreme private tour of Havana. So at 8 am the van arrived to pick us up, and drive us the 2 and a half hours to Havana. Our tour guide Ernesto spoke perfect German and was very informative. We had two stops, both with amazing views: the first at the valley of the palm trees and the second overlooking Havana. Since I felt oh so inspired by the 50’s footprint everywhere, I could not help but dress the part. I decided to go for what I imagined Lucille Ball would wear on a walking tour of Havana, since she did meet her husband in Cuba. I feel I can relate so much to the show I love Lucy, since I am engaged to a man from Italy with a thick accent, who always shakes his head at one of my many crazy ideas. SO, channeling my inner Lucy, I went for a vintage day dress in cream with a turquoise bow, a white headscarf and of course large pearl earrings. And yes, even on a 12 hour day tour I always wear heels.

We walked through old Havana, saw the Capitol and all of Hemingway’s old hang outs, had a typical Cuban lunch and mojito, a daiquiri at Floridita and a pina colada across from the Hemingway hotel. We also visited the Havana Club museum, saw how cigars are made, took part in a so called Cuban marriage, and bought many, many cigars, because I had to get my love some Cohibas !! We then drove through the newer part of Havana and stopped at the Havana Libre hotel to change for dinner and the world famous Tropicana, where many people, celebrities, and Mafiosi have been before us.

                                                        

                                                     

How to enjoy a Cuban Marriage:

First you light your cigar, not by puffing on it, but by lighting and then twirling it in the air. Then you drink a strong Cuban espresso, take a sip of dark Cuban rum, swirling it in your mouth like mouthwash, before taking that first puff of your cigar, just as the rum slides or should I say burns down your throat. And that sensation is what they call a Cuban marriage: a recommendation to all, and even though I don’t smoke, it was very enjoyable.

           

   

It was a truly long, exciting, magical day, which allowed us a glimpse back in time with a hint of 2014. Experiencing this adventure with the whole family made this Havana adventure extra special! 

More cuban adventures to come... 

xo Nicola 

Forever a Paradise, Cuba

CUBA arriba arriba !! Well here I am on my way to Cuba for a lovely 2-week vacation. Since I am living in Italy and my sister is currently working in Germany for the summer, the family hasn’t been together in over a year: so we reunited in Cuba for a good old family vaca. Unfortunately my fiancé couldn’t join us, since he has to work and as much as I would love love love to go and see him on the cruise ship, we decided to save the money for a relaxing vacation together when he is home. Oh the sacrifices one has to make! So I went alone with the family just like many years ago. The trip started off amazingly well since my dad had booked Super Elite on Sunwing (a recommendation to all: you can pack an extra 10 kg and you get express check-in and more in flight room). We ate dinner in the I pad lounges they now have at Toronto Pearson Airport. I must say that they really serve cool comfy and great food!! It really enriched the whole traveling experience. Adhering to my motto that the world is my runway, I dressed up for the flight with my new pair of Seven stretch jeans and lace tank top, I tell ya: you don’t need to wear sweat pants to feel relaxed. These jeans are chic and extremely comfortable. I always believe in a good hat and why not wear one when traveling like this large floppy sun version to feel classy.

We arrived late in Cuba and went straight to our hotel, the Iberostar Varadero: 5 stars and the best address in town! It is a breath-taking hotel with soft sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, good food, great pools and spacious rooms. We knew right away we were in for a lovely and relaxing 2 weeks. My godparents and sister arrived from Germany and we celebrated with some champagne as the vacation began.

 One of my favourite events was the tour through Varadeo in the old-timer car: a convertible pink Dodge Crown Royal from the 1950’s. I have a passion for anything vintage, especially from the 50’s, so you can imagine my absolute excitement to dress in style for this opportunity. The driver arrived in the early morning and we (my mom and dad came along for the experience) hopped in for a 2-hour drive around town. I felt right at home with my white shorts, jean crop top with white trim (actually a vintage piece from the 50’s) and my headscarf tied in a knot in my hair (perfect for a windy ride). We stopped at Al Capon’s house, and Dupont’s mansion, which is now a golf club, as well as the downtown artisan market. And yes: I most certainly took every stop as an opportunity for a photo shoot. That’s when I fell in love with the charm of Cuba and the vintage feel of an island frozen in the year1959: the old buildings and the old timer cars everywhere, the straw hats and the bands playing on the street, while the rhythms and sounds accompany you on your discovery walk. I don’t think there is another place on earth that is this authentic! I felt immersed in a really lovely reality on this wonderful first excursion: a beautiful day spent cruising with the top down, sun on my face and the wind in my hair.

                          

       

Stay tuned for more of my cuban adventures,

xo Nicola