When I was a child I lived in the same city where I live now, but when I was 5 years old my parents divorced and I went to live with my mother at my maternal grandparents' house. I lived there surrounded by nature until I was 17 when I returned to Havana.
This city is full of contrasts. Its charm enchants everyone who visits it. The magnetism of its unpainted facades, its people, its warmth, its smells... everything in Havana is attractive in one way or another. But there is a magical place....the Havana Malecón.
That is my answer to one of the topics proposed by Galen for this weekend.
What's the most attractive or beautiful place in your city?
And to explain my choice I would say that the Malecón is the most democratic place in this city, it is the sofa of its inhabitants. Architecturally it does not have great attractions, but it is a combination of things that make it special. The view of the vast sea that bathes the coast, the Morro lighthouse guarding the entrance to the bay and the thought of the things this wall has witnessed, are strong reasons for my preference.
The most powerful attraction of the Malecón, is invisible, it lies in the amalgam of feelings that crowd in the chest when we sit or stroll along its sidewalk. There is nostalgia, joy, music, sea breeze, saltpeter, history, love, friendship, longing, remembrances...there are so many things that it is impossible to describe in words. I know that many habaneros think the same way. I would dare to say that Cubans from all over the island and even people of other nationalities who have visited may feel the same or something very similar.
For all these reasons and for everything that is impossible for me to describe, the Malecón, with its sea, its bay, its Morro, its people and all that it provokes, is my favorite place in this wonderful city that is, irremediably, fading away.
All rights reserved on the text and images, which are of my authorship unless otherwise indicated. I use DeepL for translation because my English is very bad 🤭.
