Havana
The restaurants and bars lining the shore are alive with the sound of laughter and music. Crowds spill out on to the street to enjoy the late afternoon sun and the air is thick with anticipation of the evening’s revelry which will last well into the night. Freshly scrubbed and scented nubile young bodies mix with the craggier, wizened old faces of those who remember the port of old. The once grand, proud buildings which housed wealthy merchants of the past are now dusty with dilapidated charm.

A grey haired lady rocks in her chair on the street while rolling a cigar to the strains of hauntingly melodic Latin rhythms as an old battered Camello bus rolls slowly past... ...er, WHAT?

You’d be forgiven for thinking we were in Leith, but we’re in Havana. And what better place to twin with than the city which has the same sense of festivity, spirit and pride at it’s core.

Havana and Leith are both perfect places for anyone in the pursuit of pleasure. Sip cocktails at sunset, eat excellent cuisine and salsa the night away; Havana is one of the most lively and colourful cities in the world with people to match - who couldn’t say the same about Leith? It’s fair to say that the nightlife of both Havana and Leith could exhaust even the most seasoned partygoer. After dark, Havana’s nightclubs and bars come alive and the famous rum cocktails flow freely. Visit Leith’s Shore Bar on a Tuesday and you’ll find the best in live jazz and a selection of the finest Malts to rival the best rum in the world.

Havana has plenty of cultural entertainment too, and its fair share of monuments, museums and statues. Well if you haven’t been to the Royal Yacht Britannia you haven’t lived. And we all know about the campaign for a dedicated Leith Museum. For those seeking sun and sand, beaches can be found only twenty minutes east of Havana. Ten minutes up the road from Leith’s Shore and you find yourself in Granton. Ten minutes down the road and you find yourself in Portobello. Happy days.

pick up your copy of the leither to read on...