Day 4 lecture was about Architecture with a little bit of history thrown in. Spanish occupied Cuba in the 1500's because Havana harbor was such a well protected harbor. By 1592 there were almost 5000 sailors and only 500 inhabitants. Underwater canals were built to bring fresh river water to the harbor for the ships.
To protect the harbor the Spanish built a fort and put a quarter mile long chain across the mouth of the harbor. In 1762 the British avoided the chain and fort by marching 28000 soldiers across land from the east.
There was lots of sugar trading with the American colonies. Most of the cobblestones in Havana city's roads were from Massachusetts used as ballast. Eventually the English traded Havana back to the Spanish for Florida and built a fort on the east side to prevent a similar so invasion.
Fun facts :
1. Havana is a little piece of Europe because of kids being educated in Europe not Spain
2. The old Stained glass in a lot of the buildings were built with WOOD not lead between the glass pieces
3. Carrara marble cemetery 60 city blocks
4. The Capital building was copied after the US capital but is 6 feet taller
5. 1950's big mafia gambling with lots of building
6. The day after the revolution the government burned all the gambling machines
After the lecture we went to see the capital and watched the longest line wait for buses to take the people to the book fair at the fort. We saw many buildings being restored or in major need of restoration. The professor said that 3 old buildings collapse every day. Scary thing is that people still live in some of them.
Craft Market was our next stop for a little shopping and bartering.
Lunch at a nice restaurant with a tour at the modern art museum. Dinner at a government owned restaurant and an antique car ride home.
