Part 9 walking through Old Havana

Most of the buildings from this time period had one large door that opened into a courtyard. These courtyards have all been kept intact during the renovations, and therefore the restaurants/hotels/shops all have a central area that is open to the skies. There is a fair amount of rain during the rainy season, and they simply just move tables etc towards the covered edge. The above picture is inside a restaurant that used to be a monastery, all the waiters dress in Franciscan robes. It was actually a little bit creepy, watching them roam around with their hoods over their heads.

A before and after photo.

This is an "after" and you can see a building beside it that is just having it's renovation started. It's a long and expensive process.