City Walk, Trinidad, Cuba

One of the great features in any Lonely Planet guide are their city walking guides.

Cuba was no different.

The 2 km suggested photographic walk for Trinidad was a great way to get away from the touristy area around Playa Mayor, which by midday had become very crowded and felt like we-could-be-any-city-in-the-world. 

The sanitised, almost fake feel to this area, didn't do much for as at all. 

It was an exhibition space, for show, and only used by tourists.

The locals were workers in the museums, restaurants and market stalls, but they didn't live or play here.

We couldn't wait to move on.

After stopping on the steps next to the Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisma Trinidad (which was a designated wi-fi area) to post a few pics on Instagram and facebook, we followed the suggested trail.

Plaza Mayor (below) filling up with tourist groups was the starting point.

Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima is off to the right.

Museo Romantico is off to the left.

As you can see, it's very picturesque and photogenic.
But it also looks like a movie set rather than a lived in, vibrant, everyday setting.

This is apparently the 'classic shot' in Trinidad.
Looking up the cobbled Calle Echerri towards the tower of Convento de San Francisco de Asis.
Mr Seasons got the money shot with sunshine bathing the tower and street in light.
My shot had no sunshine and was off to one side for a wider panorama of the street.

Travelling with someone who likes to take as many photos as myself has it's pros and cons.

One of the pros is seeing how we view the same subject slightly differently.

Below I preferred the wide shot of this calle. I liked framing the all the transport - the bicycle, the old car, the horse & cart and the tourist car negotiating all the baches (potholes)!

Mr Seasons was all about the car!

Our post on driving in Cuba is here.

'On Calle Samuel Feijo, horses and riders often congregate with the shadowy Sierra del Escambray looming behind them.'

We knew we were getting close to Plaza Mayor again when we spotted this familiar tower down one of the sidestreets...and markets stalls started to reappear.

Nearby was the noisy, vibrant Taberna la Canchanchara...full of tourists sipping canchancharas and mojitos, talking loudly above the sound of the musicians. The music sounded fabulous so we sat on a nearby stoop, tapping our toes, for a while to listen.

Less than an hour later, we were back at Plaza Mayor, ready to tackle one of the museums that circled the square.

My post for the Museo Historico Municipal, Trinidad is here. 

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot.