When in Key West, you should not miss out on this historical tour and learning more about one of the great authors of our time. ~Sheila

Santiago was a fisherman. Old and without any luxuries of the world, he lived in the same clothes day in and out, the same raggedy blanket that covered him each night, and with the ease of someone who wants nothing from the world.
For a while, a boy had fished with him, but after a long stretch of time… more than 80 days of not catching one fish, the boys parents removed the boy from Santiago and put him on another boat that was successful catching fish.

Santiago decides he needs to go our further and deeper than he has been and sets up for a journey alone although the boy offers to go with him. With his eyes and heart set on catching a big fish, Santiago finds he is in for the journey of a life time.

When in Key West, you would be remiss to not take the time to tour the Hemingway Home and Museum. Did you know Hemingway had over 70 cats? Did you know that many of the Hemingway Cats and their descendants still live there? I was going to count the cats… I gave up within 10 minutes. Indoors and outdoors, on his bed, in the book store on a shelf, in a planter sleeping in the sun, on the roof, everywhere outside. It was actually pretty cool – with places for them to sleep and a large feeding area.

The house itself was fascinating, going through his writing space, seeing many pictures or him with actors and learning more about him then I ever knew.

In confession, I have never read a Hemingway book until now. Before leaving I went to the onsite bookstore and chose The Old Man and The Sea. I read this one afternoon in Fort Myers Florida. It is not a large book, easy to read in one or two sittings… but it is a powerful one. I knew the tale before I read the book, however reading it brought it all together for me, and experiencing this was an adventure of my own.
Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 and died on July 2nd, 1961.

Through the years I have tried to put on my radar to read the big names of literature. Hemingway is one I can now cross off that list.