¡Arriba!

Once again, as we're doing at The Real Key West, I'm choosing to resume blogging on this blog as well.

Here in Key West, City Commissioner Anthony "Fat" Yaniz has taken up the cause of re-establishing the historic ties that bound Key West and Cuba together from more than 150 years ago up until the early 1960's.  Yaniz points out that the close relationship between the island city and the island nation was stronger in its day than anything that ever arose in Miami, despite its hugely larger population of émigré Cubans.

Our interest has been piqued by discussions we've had with with others here who've either already made the journey, or shown a desire to make it freely, without the onerous restrictions imposed by the Office of Foreign Asset Control` and other federal agencies.

We had dinner last night with a friend, an artist, who came to Key West in 1980  during operation Pedro Pan.  He was 12 when his parents came here and he  joined them.  He remembers the Cuba of his youth, but he hasn't been back there since 2005.  And he remembers the Key West of the 80's up until now.  Antonio is his name.  We'll be hearing more from him.

We're now exploring ideas on how and when we'll be able to go ourselves.  Bob is interviewing people who've done it, how they've done it, and what they'd recommend that we do.

I aso have a call in to Peter Horton, Monroe County's Director of Airports, and hope to find out what preparations, if any, that are being made to initiate direct flights between the islands.

I've been saying since January, and have said it here before, "This Year in Havana", "This Year in Cuba".

 ¡Arriba!