World famous writer Ernest Hemingway spent the last two decades of his life in Cuba. His third wife Martha Gellhorn persuaded him to buy a small house by the sea. Thus was bought "Farm overlooking the sea", or otherwise Estate Finca Vihia. It was chosen because of its proximity to the writer's favourite bars "Bodeguita del Medio and "El Floridita" in the neighbourhood of San Francisco de Paula. The advantages were many: a magnificent view of the endless sea, a marvellous coastline, quiet fishing, majestic sunrises and sunsets. All this, later, played a big role in the work of Hemingway, who wrote the world-famous story "The Old Man and the Sea".
As a museum, the house opened its doors in 1962. Everything here has been left untouched as it was under the previous owners. In the rooms are a large number of African hunting trophies, images of the writer's favourite bullfight. But most impressive of all is the abundance of books. The house resembles a huge library, with shelves of books reaching the ceiling. Here are collected works in 33 three languages of the world. In Hemingway's bedroom, his personal typewriter is preserved. He wrote in the mornings, standing beside it barefoot. It was here that his novels "The Holiday that is always with you", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Across the River, in the Shade of Trees" were born.
Interestingly, in addition to the couple in the estate "Vihia" lived 70 of their favourite pets: 60 cats and 10 dogs.
