367-50 Week 19

Belated but here we go. A few days in Belfast before flying to Cuba on Thursday. I'm really excited about our trip to Cuba - I'm half ashamed to admit that this is the first time that I have been off the continent of Europe (I don't think Turkey counts).

20/03/12

I was on the way back from Larne to my office in Ballymena when I saw this little lamb actually "gambolling" in a field beside the Shanes Hill Road. I still had the big Tamron 70-200mm lens on the camera and leapt out to take a photo. The lamb immediately stopped gambolling and walked off in a huff.

21/03/12

Taken on my iphone today in someone else's office. I loved the way this has been written so that it looks like "fall else fails" which is pretty much how this phrase is pronounced in Northern Ireland. Or Norn Iron.

22/03/12

And here we go......all the way to Havana, Cuba. We got to our hotel pretty late on, after nine hours in the air and a rather unexpected smoke break in Holguin airport. Checked in pretty easily and once unpacked, we repaired to the hotel terrace for a small mojito. This was tonight's house band - every hotel, bar and eatery in Havana have a house band. 99% of them all play the same stuff - Buena Vista Social Club standards and Guntanamera.

23/03/12

I was unable to sleep in the mornings, despite liberal applications of exceptionally cheap alcohol and tended to get up early (6.30 am) and have a wander through the streets around the hotel. I met this lovely guy who claimed to be a german medical student who needed money for text books. It was the most inventive way to take my money that I encountered all week. Anyway, I slipped him a few pesos and he let me take his photo.

24/03/12

Open-topped bus tour today. These are the famous buildings in Revolucion Square with the large portraits of Che and Fidel, I don't think Fidel's does him justice, but he's a lot less apparent in Havana than images of Che, who dominates graffiti, buildings, t-shirts, caps, prints and so on. They were setting up the square for the visit of Pope Benedict the following Wednesday, but this was of more interest. Trust me.

24/03/12

The Musee de la Revolucion - which is Batista's old palace and comes complete with the original bullet holes. There's a lot to see and enjoy here, but for me the large ballroom on the 1st floor was just amazing. The light in the room, the huge multi-panelled mirrors and the chandeliers are stupendous.

I'm starting from 1200 shots from 6 days in Havana - these are a quick pick based on the days I took them. There's a lot more to come - next week there may even be a picture of a classic american car or two and some run-down buildings.