The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

Regardless of whether you liked the man or his works, this is a must see when visiting Key West, Florida.  As part of my schooling I had to read at least one of his books for English literature and as my parents were fans of Spencer Tracy movies, I had seen the movie The Old Man and the Sea.  So when I discovered that I could actually see bits of the man who wrote these magnificent works of literature that several movies were based upon I just had to go.  Hemingway arrived in Key West from Paris (after a stop in Cuba which would later play into some of his work) through the urgings of one of the expatriate artists and writers group that he was a part of in the late 1920’s.

This home was built in 1851 in the Spanish Colonial style and was in great disrepair when the Hemingway’s purchased it in the 1930’s.  But they lovingly restored it to the site that thousands of tourists from around the globe visit every year.  The furniture throughout the home represents their many travels in Europe and Africa as well as items from his hunting expeditions.  What I was fascinated by was how ornate the furniture is and small.  The bathroom and bathtub in the master bedroom looked as though his six foot frame would’ve been scrunched up in there.  And the memorabilia?  Oh my!  A history, literature and film buffs dream.

When visiting the home once you pay for admittance ($13.00 for adults and $6.00 for children over 5), you have the choice of going on a guided tour or if you are like me, you will avoid that crowd and venture off on your own.  Now while I probably missed learning some interesting details, I enjoyed walking through the house and taking my time viewing all that it held.  The house inside and out is beautiful and so are the grounds surrounding it.  These photos were taken in December so you can just imagine how lush the gardens must be during spring and summer.

(More tomorrow)