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the end product: Romeo y Julieta and Monte over his pool.
Cristo cigars. A different style of art lined the walls of the
The sweet aroma of fresh cigars permeated the Callejon de Hamel, a shaded, pedestrian alley at
car as we drove along the wide Avenida 5a to the heart of Havana Vieja, where walls, chairs,
Fusterlandia, a most unusual neighborhood in- lampposts and even old bathtubs displayed vari-
spired by Barcelona’s artist Gaudi. An explosion of ous forms of graffiti. Our morning walk concluded
kaleidoscopic tilework greeted us down a discreet at Venami’s (www.tripadvisor.com/venami), an se-
side street. Gaudi, as well as world-famous cluded Italian restaurant near the Capitolio. “Ve-
French-American artist Nikki de St Phalle, both in- nami’s serves the best Italian food in Havana,”
spired the Cuban-born Jose Fuster to plaster his asserted Carlos upon entering the tiny space, win-
entire neighborhood in tilework, from benches, ner of Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence for
rooftops, and shops, to the Holy Virgin watching 3 years in a row. We would have been hard
pressed to find it on our own. Paladares are under
182 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020
