TOUR OF CUBA 1 - 8 MARCH 2008
The Norwegian chapter of C.E.U. - Council for European Urbanism invites you to join a one week tour of three UNESCO world heritage cities: Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF CUBAN ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM The one week Tour March 1- 8 will include an introduction to the history of Urbanism and Architecture of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, all of them listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. It will involve insights of the regeneration of Old Havana and one day tours by bus to two smaller historic towns, Trinidad and Cienfuegos. Our expert guide will be Prof. Julio Cesar Perez who has been a speaker at several INTBAU and C.E.U. conferences. A Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture in Havana he has lectured widely in the US and Europe about Cuban architecture. He is also the author of the major book INSIDE CUBA published by Taschen in 2006. Who is it for: Architects, planners, art historians, antiquarians, writers, students and others with an interest in the history of Cuban architecture, urbanism and culture.
TOUR SCHEDULE The tour shedule below is similar to our 2007 tour. Subject to changes. Day 0– Saturday 1. March Arrival in Havana. Accomodation. Day 1– Sunday 2. March Morning. 9.30 am- 1.00 pm
Lunch suggestion: 1.00- 2.30 pm Afternoon. 2.30 pm- 4.00 pm. Evening suggestions: Dinner suggestion: Day 2– Monday 3. March Morning 9.30 am- 1.00 pm.
Lunch suggestion: 12.30- 2.00 pm Afternoon 2.30- 4.00 pm.
Eveningsuggestion: Dinner suggestion: Late evening suggestions: Day 3– Tuesday 4. March Morning 10.00 - 1.00 pm.
Lunch suggestion: 1.30- 2.30 pm Afternoon 2.30- 5.00 pm. Evening suggestion: Day 4– Wednesday 5. March Morning 9.00- 11.30 am. Lunch suggestion 1.00- 2.30 pm Afternoon 2.30- 5.00 pm. Dinner suggestion: Overnight in Cienfuegos. Day 5– Thursday 6. March Morning 9.00- 10.30 am Lunch suggestion: Afternoon 2.30- 5.00 pm. Eveningsuggestion 5.00 pm. Late evening suggestion: Overnight in Trinidad. Day 6– Friday 7. March Morning9.00- 10.30 am Lunch suggestion Afternoon 2.00- 6.00 pm Evening suggestions: Day 7 – Saturday 8. March "Day on your own" in Havana. Optional departure in the afternoon. Some of the Cuban practitioners we will meet: Orestes del Castillo:
He is the right hand of the Historiador of Havana, the expert in restoration, an old specialist in structures. Also a professor at the school and National Award of Architecture. Has lectured widely in both USA and Europe.
Raúl González Romero is an architect, expert in hotels and one of the advisors of the Minister of Construction of Cuba. Also a professor at the school and National Award of Architecture. Has lectured widely in Europe. Also a professor at the school and National Award of Architecture. Former Director of Havana´s Planning Agency known as Grupo para el Desarrollo de la Capital. Former Director of the School of Architecture and former editor of Arquitectura Cuba magazine. Has taught in MIT, Harvard and has lectured widely in USA and Europe.Mario Coyula. We will also try our best to arrange a meeting with the Historiador of Havana: Eusebio Leal Spengler. But we cannot promise that we will manage to set up such a meeting, alternatively we will meet other key staff at the Historador office. Cienfuegos and Trinidad :You could meet several people involved with restoration / preservation / heritage / and urban development in the other cities visited. We can mention Irán Millán in Cienfuegos who is the Historiador and Head Architect and you can also meet with the one in Trinidad, Nancy González, as well.  Above: Typical street in Cienfuegos. Photo: Claus Zapffe
The cost of the tour programme is estimated at 1000 CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos). This is a preliminary price estimate subject to changes in currency rates and our local costs on Cuba. The CUC is per September 2007 pegged in a relationship of 1 to 1,08 to the American Dollar, so 1000 CUC equals 1080 $ (in Euros, approx. 780 €). For two persons sharing a room the individual tour price is 900 CUC. We can arrange accomodation for additional nights in Havanna if you arrive early or stay on (single or double occupancy). The fee includes seven nights accomodation in Casa Particular (rooms for rent in private appartments), bus tour in Havana, bus tour to Cienfuegos and Trinidad, and expert guiding by Prof. Julio Cesar Perez and local experts in some of the locations we visit. The fee does not include international travel to and from Havana, and does not include any meals. The participants are asked to arrange for their own travel to and from Havana. We are not a tour operator, but can mention the following airlines servicing Cuba: Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Virgin Atlantic (from London). To find the best rates we recommend a search on Kelkoo. If participants wish to stay longer on Cuba they are welcome to do so. Meals will be both collective and on an individual basis, but all meals will have to be paid locally by the indivisual participant. A few ATMs can be found in Havana. But ATM's are rare and expensive, and no cards issued by an American bank or it's subsidaries will be accepted. So it is advised that you rely on cash for the trip. Euros, Pounds and Dollars are accepted in any currency change shop, although Dollars will be subject to a 10% tax when exchanged. Accomodation Havana Here we will stay in private rooms (Casa Particular), in an appartment building from the 1950s. The address is Calle L # 256 entre 17 y 19 El Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, just a few blocks from Hotel Nacional where we can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, pool, gym, or simply drinks at any time. Many of the rooms have air condition, and each appartment has common areas such as living and dining rooms that are shared with the Cuba family living in appartment. All guests will have single rooms unless otherwise specified. Some bathrooms might be shared with other guests. The building is just 5 minutes away from the Malecón. It is very close to where we stayed during our last trip, the location has proven as a superb starting point for exploring Havana.Trinidad We will stay in private homes (Casa Particular). This gives a unique insight into Cuban life and the opportunity to make some new friends. Some of the houses have truly spectacular interiors from the hight of the colonial time in Cuba.
Cienfuegos. Again we will stay in private homes (Casa Particular). Not all the group will be accomodated in the same homes due to the character of the city. We will split the group in two neighbourhoods, some of our guests will stay in old colonial houses close to the city centre while others will stay outside of the city centre in early modernist bungalows close to the sea. In most cases the rooms will have air condition, bathrooms, etc., but standards may vary since we will live in private homes. Visa You will need a visa for visiting Cuba, please contact your local Cuban embassy. A tourist visa should be the simplest one to obtain. Your address on Cuba will be Calle L # 256 entre 17 y 19 El Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana. American Participants We have had American participants on both our tour and workshop in 2007. But due to the American trade embargo, American citizens wanting to travel to Cuba will need to travel under either a general or a specific license. Please see the following website at the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control. Each participant is for himself responsible to decide whether the conditions of the general license applies to him, as the penalties for breaking the embargo are quite serious. Please e-mail Claus Zapffe or contact the travel agent below if you are in doubt. A travel agent that was recommended by one of our previous American participants: Ines Travel, 4470 SW Hall Blvd # B, Beaverton - (503) 641-8708 (on vacation 19. Dec. - 7. Jan.). Registration For registration for the tour, or if you have any more questions, please e-mail Claus Zapffe. Following the tour, we arrange a Charette in Havana March 2008 You are welcome to join either the tour or the charrette, or both. For a detailed programme and more information on the charette we had in Havana in 2007 please click here: Charrette programme The Organizers The tour is organised by C.E.U. Norway - Council of European Urbanism, in collaboration with the Norwegian Association for Adult Learning (Folkeuniversitetet Fjellregionen). We have a strong history of organising similar events in other countries, including Norway, Germany, the UK, Romania and Italy. Prof. Julio César Pérez Hernández CV
Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and adjunct professor at the School of Architecture in Havana, has lectured widely in the US and Europe about Cuban architecture. He is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and the recipient of several international and national awards. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Arquitectura Cuba and Arquitectura y Urbanismo. Julio Cesar Perez is the author of a major new book on Cuban architecture and culture, "Inside Cuba", published by Taschen. Link to the publisher`s web site: http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/books/lifestyle/all/facts/01686.htm Audun Engh CV Oslo, Norway. Education in law, project manager for the Norwegian Foundation for Urban Renewal, an INTBAU (International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism) partner organization. Member of the INTBAU Management Committee. Board member of CEU - Council for European Urbanism. Management Group Member of ESUA - European School of Urbanism and Architecture. M.Arch. Claus Zapffe CV Oslo, Norway. Consulting architect with own practice, Moderno AS. Management Group Member of ESUA - European School of Urbanism and Architecture. Board member of INTBAU Scandinavia. Our previous events on Cuba:
More info on Havana
More info on Trinidad
Trinidad described by a travel agency
More info on Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos described by a travel agency Cienfuegos described by Cuba-Junky
International supporting organisations: C.E.U. Norwegian Chapter - Council for European Urbanism ESUA - European School of Urbanism and Architecture Moderno AS - architecture and design INTBAU Scandinavia - International Network for Building, Architecture and Urbanism Folkeuniversitetet Fjellregionen - Norwegian Association for Adult Learning Stiftelsen Byens Fornyelse - Foundation for Urban Renewal
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