Cuba Libre

As I sit in a rather cold and snowy DC, bracing itself for snowmageddon 2016, I thought it about time to share some thoughts and colour from our memorable trip over Christmas and New Year to Cuba! 

We had decided late last summer that now was the time to go to Cuba "before it changes" Planning and booking the trip was a challenge - one of my most challenging ever, and that is saying something! Don't believe all you read - it is still a difficult destination to reach for Americans (and thus those of us living in the US) unless you are one of the permitted categories that is allowed to travel there as part of an official organization.  Then add to this, the fact that Cuba is struggling to meet the surge in tourist demand (and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon) and that there is no sense of urgency in responding or resolving a problem from the Cuba end. Despite all this and not totally convinced all our reservations and plans would work out, we were very excited setting off for warmer climes several days before Christmas.

Without a doubt it was a fabulous trip. We had a great time but it was quite an adventure. Cuba is a fascinating country, the music is still ringing in our ears. The people we met were very happy and friendly despite their poverty. People people everywhere - walking across the highways to get from one field to the next, waiting for a lift at the side of the road,  sitting watching the world go by or gathering to listen to music. To say nothing of all the tourists, especially in Havana.  It is a very lush island which I hadn't quite expected  with very vibrant colors everywhere you look - on the buildings, the cars, the art and the people.



The modes of transport were also a source of fascination - the endless horses - either with just a farmer astride smoking a cigar on his way home from the field or with a carriage transporting many people from A to B. And there were many bikes and lorries with passengers standing/some sitting getting from place to place. And then there were all those "old" cars. Two weeks later we were still photographing them, whether it was the 1950’s yank tanks - Buicks, Pontiacs and Chevys or the Ladas from the Soviet Union days. They were surreal in many ways. It felt very cinematographic. 

We did take a couple of rides in brightly coloured 1950s convertibles - cruising along the Malecon at sunset, pausing for photos in Revolution square. Mati wished she had bought her Pink Ladies outfit to really look the part. Driving was an adventure  - we did rent a "modern economy" car. It must have been built in the 1980s, it was filthy and felt like it was falling apart - well it was, for the last two days the driver door wouldn't open and Gregorio, complete with panama hat was doing his Starsky and Hutch impression. Quite the scene. 

At least the AC worked. I played navigator, my usual role. And if I may blow my own trumpet, I'm rather good at it. Despite what my junior colleagues might think, there was a time when we did navigate without iPhones and GPS systems. We got around the island with a rather basic map. The surprising thing was that on the few occasions we needed to verify directions, it didn't matter who you asked, they knew exactly how many meters before you took a turning and the specific landmarks to watch out for. The greater challenge was the quality of the roads - they were full of pot holes and there was a lack of illumination on the roads and some of the cars at night. Towns do have some street signs but they are small and very hard to read. Sometimes the petrol stations had petrol and you had to make sure you filled up when you saw a station, they weren't plentiful. 

Havana was a fun and vibrant city with plenty going on. There are parts of the old town that have received some serious investment but just next to a renovated building you'll see complete decay, balconies being held up with rudimentary wooden poles or complete gaps where the building has collapsed. Despite the washing, the old wires, rubbish and more the former glory and vibrant colours of the building shone through. The setting by the sea is magical. We enjoyed visiting Hemingway's home Finca Vigia - an idyllic setting outside of Havana. A  trip to Floridita's  his favorite haunt for a daiquiri was less enjoyable - rather commercial and touristy. From Havana we drove down to the western part of the island, pausing in Las Terrazas, a national park. It was pristine, calm and organized scenery around a lake where we saw flamingoes. We continued down past Pinar del Rio and stayed in Vinales driving past the tobacco fields. The landscape, particularly at sunset, was beautiful. That was Christmas day - we did not give any presents but we did give a young guy a ride to the next village after work - one hour down the autopista, as his bus had broken down. Given the number of people who congregate on the highways under the bridges it would seem a common occurrence. Cubans are obliged to give people a ride if they have space in the vehicle. We did not know that and thought we were being stopped by the police when we saw an official looking guy blowing a whistle at us! 

Next stop - Varadero. Given that international visitors have been going there for years - we expected more. The beach was nice, but we have seen better ones in the world and the water not that warm. The accommodation - despite selecting a 5-star newer property was really below par and frankly run like a soviet sanitarium, though with a very friendly smile. In the end we could only laugh. It was a relaxing couple of days and a chance to get over various episodes of food poisoning (that was inevitable). We headed south just before New Year's eve, stopping to visit Che Guevara's mausoleum, monument and museum inSanta Clara. It gave us insight into the reverence the Cubans hold for this man. A little more explanation in the museum would be nice - I mean, it is all very well to see the chair his grandmother sat on or a pen he used in 1959...

We saw in the New Year in, in Trinidad. A smaller and more vibrant community than Havana. We stayed in a Casa particulares and met local people who were very friendly and talked about their entrepreneurial ideas and helped us find 'good' places to eat. We went to Cienfuegos for the day - a city founded by a French emigre, the architecture is  neoclassical French in style, though I don't think the French use such vibrant colors in the architectural details. We were pleased we were staying in Trinidad which felt more like a village and easier to walk everywhere, the girls wandered around the market stalls on their own which was fun. In Trinidad, more than anywhere there was music everywhere - in the cafes, in the restaurants and  in the square - Buena Vista Social Club eat your heart out. On January 1st we spent the day at a small beach close by - no infrastructure but full of Cuban families. The water was warmer and cleaner than up north. A magical place to start the new year.

I guess I haven't mentioned the food - which is rather odd for the Impavidos. Well in short it was nothing to write home about. In fact it was bloody awful! It was repetitive and not good. Chicken or pork with beans and rice. There is a lack of ingredients and a lack of any culinary tradition. We went to some fun paladares - family run restaurant where the food was edible to good but they were more about the atmosphere and location. We learnt that not only is food very important to us on holiday but on the few occasions we thought we would wing it and find something on the fly - we had a disaster. The one piece of Christmas we took with us was a panettone  - it came in very handy and never tasted so good. On a couple of our driving days all we had some old bread and pringles crisps. We made up for the lack of good food with mojitos, daiquiris, pina coladas, cuba libre and more (and mocktails for Bella and Mati). On our return we had two nights in Cancun - we didn't get to the hotel restaurant till 10 pm but boy did we enjoy the guacamole and tacos that night!

The thing that struck Mati were the endless cigars. They really are everywhere. Isabella loved all the colorful art and Gregorio the music and free flowing mojitos! Overall one of the wonderful things for us all,  was slowing down. You can let it frustrate and upset you - waiting 2 hours for your luggage to arrive , 3 hours for the rental car to be available or 7 hours delay on departure at Havana airport  or you can just sit back and enjoy the scene and enjoy the moment. Related to this was being out of contact with the world - no texts, no emails, no wifi, no connection full stop. It was wonderfully restorative for us all. We observed the scenery, we talked and laughed and had a great time together. 

Coming back to DC was quite a shock. No heating on arrival at midnight and below freezing outside. The next day we had an injured deer in our gardens. Turns out he had been there most of the time we were away! 

This week-end Isabella is supposed to have her next MRI. However, they are really forecasting a mega snowstorm, the grocery stores were worse than the day before Thanksgiving, the hardware stores are selling out of snow shovels and salt....SO we are in wait and see mode to see if we can make it to the hospital. I think it might be a bit far to walk. Metro has already been declared closed for the week-end, many schools and businesses are closed or will be closing early on Friday. Bella and I will get our exercise shoveling, Mati is happy we have stocked up on baking goods and so will keep us fueled.

Updates on Isabella's MRI if and when there is any news beyond the white stuff!



HAPPY NEW YEAR, we hope to see many of you in 2016

Emma & family xxx
PS - just a few photos - still sifting through them all!

Where did 2015 go?

Like many, I find it hard to believe it is almost Christmas. Actually the Impavidos have already "done" Christmas. The Italian grandparents were with us for a couple of weeks for Thanksgiving and then we decided to have Christmas before they returned to Rome, complete with crackers, corny jokes, champagne and presents! Matilde Lucia rather liked the fact that we were celebrating on Santa Lucia.

So why have we already celebrated? Well we are heading to some sunshine and warmth in the Caribbean! The girls have been very understanding about not having presents but getting a holiday instead. Even so we have still put up all the Christmas decorations, baked cookies for Father Christmas, made (and remade) the ginger bread house, monitored the Elf of the Shelf's movement around the house. You can't stop the magical traditions of Christmas, even if you aren't going to be here. It has been a busy couple of months and we are looking forward to slowing down. With limited communication options, I think we will really switch off and enjoy all that the island has to offer...more to follow

I am sorry not to have updated this since August. Isabella had another MRI in October - all was stable and so we were given another three months off until the next round of scans and tests scheduled for late January. Isabella passed her Grade V piano exam, sang beautifully last week at the National Cathedral Christmas concert and is starting to choose her subjects to take for IGCSE. It takes me right back. Meanwhile Mati continues to love swimming and has beaten some of her own personal bests at some of the recent swim meets. She is enjoying secondary school having now mastered how to tie her tie and she continues to adore cooking - particularly the sweet stuff! Both are maturing into independent confident young girls -  firmly established in their own bedrooms where they retreat immediately upon return from school each day.

We are looking forward to a bright and happy 2016 and hope we shall see many of you in it!

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and fun and healthy New  Year.

Lots of love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella & Matilde. xxx

PS sorry we have been playing around with the format of the page and haven't quite worked it out yet!

Secondary school girls

With new uniforms, new backpacks, new lunch boxes and more! And so another school year begins. Here is the annual photoshoot - with new school uniform and all the paraphernalia. ...and back to the routine we go.

What a roller coaster!

For those with limited time. Here is the short version : following up from last week-end's MRI - no action required, we will continue life as normal and monitor the situation. Another MRI is being scheduled for 6-8 weeks time.

The longer version is that we've had quite a ride of emotions this week and had I written this post on Monday I would have been in a totally different frame of mind! Isabella's oncologist called on Monday afternoon with the preliminary readings on last Saturday's MRI. She began the conversation with "have you got a moment?". Well we all know what that means - shut the office door, sit down and take a deep breathe. She explained that the tumor had grown a few millimeters which represented a 35% increase so we would review the options on Thursday when we visited the oncology department. The good news is that the oral trial drugs - the mek inhibitors - could be used for re-treatment  and given the limited side effects and how effective it had been at shrinking the tumor before, this was good news. Yeah, right. Treatment, goodie!

Gregorio and I were convinced of the worse - back to treatment and the depressing drudgery of being in that routine again. All Isabella's vision issues over the summer, along with some dizziness and stumbling began to add up.

Three tense days followed. The worse part of which was telling our teenage daughter who is very happy with life, that her tumor had grown and going back treatment was highly probable.

So we went to children's yesterday fearing the worse.  After extensive eye tests, numerous visits and talks with all the specialists at the hospital we have concluded that we will continue to monitor the situation for a couple of months. Despite our fears, none of the symptoms and vision issues that Isabella seems to have been having over the summer appear to be abnormal or normally associated with her tumor and its location. The increase is small and so we will monitor for a couple of months. Isabella will have further eye tests in a couple of weeks and another MRI at the end of Sept/early October. If things are stable we will continue without treatment. If there is a further increase then we will probably start the mek inhibitor. So for now we will return to “normal”, get back into our DC routine etc and await the next MRI. I believe we are all extremely reassured by this.

In other news this summer Isabella gained an A* in her  Italian IGCSE (International General Certificate of Education - taken by British students at age 15 or 16, for you non-Brits) and Matilde passed her Grade 3 music theory. This week we have been watching the sunrise over the Potomac - Isabella has been learning to row in the early hours. She loves it, so much so she had no qualms about jumping into the river at the end of the lesson for her capsizing drill!

We had a good summer with friends and family in Europe. A few upsets - pulled tendons, twisted ankles, pretty bad stomach upsets and several things not going quite according to plan, not to mention the very hot temperatures. However there were some wonderful highlights that include Carlo and Gianna's elegant celebration of 50 years of marriage in Rome, a lovely party in Tuscany for some dear friends 50th birthdays, splashing in the Mediterranean in Mallorca, eating and drinking great food and wine as always. We also saw the Sistine chapel (we are American though, we could have done with some AC), the girls insisted on having their portraits done in Piazza Navona (that's what the tourists do, cringes Gregorio), we toured the foods of the world at the EXPO in Milan, we bought new school uniform in M&S and we stocked up on lots of clothes, shoes, edibles and drinkables thanks to the favorable euro!

School begins next week. More news when we have it sometime in October. For now deep sighs of relief and hopefully a week-end catching up on lost sleep this week.

Lots of love
Emma and Gregorio xxx

6 months on - all stable

Need I say more?!

It's been 6 months since we stopped treatment and last week's MRI shows that everything is all stable, no regrowth, we are off the hook and continue our lives for another three months until the next MRI.

In fact we were so relaxed this time, possibly a first, that I forgot to contact the doctors for a preliminary reading on the results.


Meanwhile spring activities in full swing here. End of year tests and exams have started, some finished. Isabella had her end of year choir concert yesterday and Mati will finish swimming for the season this week.

Then there's birthdays and Mati's graduation from primary school. And then we are gearing up for summer travels in Europe.

More news when we have it, in the meantime a few photos from recent weeks.

Lots of love,
Emma & co. xxx

Glorious day

Most of Team Impavido at the end of the Race for Hope 2015

Today was the 7th year that Team Impavido has participated in the Race for Hope here in DC. We had the largest team ever - all going at various speeds. Some setting their personal running record, others took a more leisurely stroll! But all completed the course. Our team ranged in age from babies in strollers to grannies striding, even running along! Bravi tutti!

It was glorious weather, perhaps a little hot for running but it is always so wonderful to come together for this amazing event to celebrate those who have survived brain cancer and remember those who have sadly lost their lives to this terrible disease.

Dare I say, Isabella was beaming, she is blossoming into a fine young lady. She strode proudly with all the yellow t-shirts in the survivor's tribute and then completed the 5 K in her personal best.

Afterwards we had 60+ in the garden for a celebratory lunch. The garden in full bloom, the pimms flowing,  balls and frisbees flying everywhere - the perfect garden party. We are lucky to be surrounded by so many great friends. Team Impavido have raised $3,580 so far this year for Race for Hope - all proceeds will go towards Brain tumor research. THANK YOU to all who have contributed.

Next MRI next week. Hoping for another all stable and then we are off the hook for another three months. We'll keep you posted.

Lots of love,
Emma  & Gregorio. xxx

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Spring is in the air...

...and there are lots of changes in the Impavido household.

This week Isabella moved into her own bedroom. She and her sister haven't slept apart since Mati was about 3 months old! There was a dramatic goodnight on the first night...and then they realized they could text each other from their own beds. Modern technology!

Isabella has braces - it seems to be a rite of passage for all teenagers, in this country at least. But as you can imagine, it is not so simple with Isabella. The pieces attached to her teeth are made of porcelain  (rather than the standard metal) and she will have to have the wires removed before every MRI (every three months) and then put back on. The metal would distort the brain scan readings. We needed a few more medical appointments!

On the musical front the girls have suddenly started practicing the piano with enthusiasm, I guess the exams will be here in no time - Grade V for Isabella and III for Mati. Not sure if Gregorio has remembered his promise if they make it to Grade V....this week-end Isabella is singing with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. They are singing pieces from Les Mis and Miss Saigon. At last night's rehearsal they met Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, composers of these musicals, which was pretty special.

The girls are definitely growing up and becoming more independent. Gregorio and I seem to be moving from supervisors to mentors. A changing role for sure. Meanwhile I have been promoted and am going back to full time work. A mixture of excitement and apprehension juggling work and home life.

Gregorio completed a half marathon a couple of weeks ago in the pissing rain in a record speed. Sadly this week he is hobbling and frustrated that he cannot run thanks to an injury this past week-end. Not half as frustrated as we are that he can't get out and release some energy! Hopefully he will be back on form soon for his upcoming races here in DC and in Istanbul.

Even I have donned my running shoes in this warmer weather. Well my annual 5 k is coming up and I need to see if I can still complete the course :) The Race For Hope will take place on May 3rd in DC. Please let us know if you'd like to join the team or support this valuable cause, raising much needed funds and awareness for brain cancer.

Next MRI will be in early May. Till then we look forward to warmer weather and the cherry blossom here in DC.

Lots of love,
Emma.x