Colonization, revolution, and isolation have brought many cultural influences to Cuba over the centuries resulting in an art and music scene with its own unique blend - steeped in the past and looking to the future.

How the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the U.S. will affect Cuba’s emerging art movement remains to be seen - visit now and experience Cuba during this momentous time.

Explore Cuba and support The Friends of the Ocean City Pops, a group dedicated to promoting excellence in the programming, performance, and continuing development of the Ocean City Pops Orchestra.

• ExplorethecolorfulstreetmuralsofCallejondeHamel,Havana’scenterofAfro-Cubanculture,asrumbamusicreverberatesthroughtheneighborhoods.

• DineatthePaladarLaGuarida,thelocationoftheCubanOscarnominatedfilm“StrawberryandChocolate.”

• VisitthefourplazasinOldHavana:PlazadelaCatedral,PlazaVieja,PlazadeSanFranciscodeAsis,andPlazadeArmas.

• GetaninsidelookattheInstituteforSuperiorArtsfromwhichtheisland’sbestmusic,dance,design,andvisualartstalentsemerge.

• AttendajazzsessionwithyoungmusiciansatAbdalaRecordingStudio.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

holbrooktravel.com | 800-451-7111 | travel@holbrooktravel.com

CUBA: THE ISLAND OF MUSIC, HISTORY, & ARTS WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN CITY POPSMarch 5 - 14, 2017

CUBA

MARCH 5 - MIAMI Following arrival at the Miami airport (afternoon arrival suggested), after collecting your luggage, you will proceed to the hotel shuttle services on the 2nd floor and secure your complimentary shuttle to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This evening you will meet with your tour leader at the hotel’s restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight at Crowne Plaza (D).

MARCH 6 - HAVANA Early this morning take the complimentary shuttle to the Miami International Airport to check-in for your flight to Havana, which departs at 8:00 am and arrives at 9:00 am (times subject to change). Upon arrival at the José Martí International Airport in Havana, you will be met by your guide and driver, who will assist you with your luggage and take you to a bank to exchange your US cash to CUCs. You will then be taken for a drive through Revolution Square and have lunch at a local cafe. After lunch, visit the colorful neighborhood known as Callejon de Hamel, home to hundreds of Afro-Cuban inspired murals. Rumba music is often heard in this neighborhood, in the streets and coming out of the homes. Dine this evening at the Paladar (private restaurant) La Guarida, the location of the Cuban Oscar nominated film “Strawberry and Chocolate.” Overnight at Hotel Florida or similar. (LD)

MARCH 7 - HAVANAToday take a guided tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will first learn about the layout of Havana, and the restoration projects going on throughout the city, by viewing a giant architectural model of the city. You will then take a walking tour of the city - visit Revolution Square, and then the four plazas in Old Havana: Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, and Plaza de Armas. Enjoy lunch at a local café during your tour. This evening enjoy dinner and the show at the famous Tropicana. Overnight at Hotel Florida or similar. (BLD)

MARCH 8 - HAVANAThis morning, attend a rehearsal with Cuba Libre (QVA), winners of the 2011 Disco Fusion Award. Students will have the opportunity to meet the musicians and learn about this special group. Enjoy lunch at La Terraza de Cojímar, one of Hemingway’s favorite Cuban restaurants. It offers a fabulous view of the Cojímar Bay where Hemingway would go outfishing and from where he met the fisherman on which the Old Man and the Sea is based. After returning to Havana, visit the Institute for Superior Arts (ISA) from which the island’s best music, dance, design, and visual arts talents emerge. The University of Arts of Cuba (ISA), Instituto Superior de Arte, was established on September 1, 1976

by the Cuban government as a school for the arts. Its original structure had three schools: Music, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts. At present the ISA has four schools, the previous three and the one for Arts and Audiovisual Communication Media. ISA offers pre-degree and post-degree courses, as well as a wide spectrum of brief and extension courses, including preparation for Cuban and foreign professors for a degree of Doctor of Sciences in Art. After your visit, meet with Miriam Escudero, recognized as one of Cuba’s leading Musicologists, she is the Director of the Esteban Salas Musical Heritage Cabinet of the Havana City Historian Office. She is also Professor at Colegio Universitario San Gerónimo, where she coordinates graduate studies in musical heritage preservation, and at The University of Arts of Cuba (ISA), where she teaches graduate-level courses. Currently, Miriam Escudero is Director and Editor of the two ongoing series: Patrimonio Musical Cubano, published by CIDMUC, and Documentos Sonoros del Patrimonio Musical Cubano. For fifteen years she was a member of the internationally known Ars Longa, an early music ensemble that pioneered historical performances in Cuba. She holds a doctoral degree from the Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, and a bachelor’s degree in musicology from The University of Arts of Cuba (ISA). Meet this evening for amazing performances at La Zorra y El Cuervo - the Fox and the Crow. Overnight at Hotel Florida or similar. (BL)

MARCH 9 - HAVANA This morning, attend a jazz session with young musicians at Abdala Recording Studio. You will then meet members of Clave Guanguanco, a rumba group. See a brief performance and have an opportunity for dance and percussion instruction. Enjoy lunch again at La Terraza de Cojímar. On the way back to your hotel, stop by the neighborhood known as Jaimanitas, home of Jose Fuster. There are several blocks in Jaimanitas, where the homes and the gates that surround them are covered entirely by mosaic tile. These ordinary homes began to be transformed into works of art three decades ago when artist Jose Fuster took up residence and opened his studio in the community. His own home is a mosaic wonderland with small colorful tiles adorning fountains, stairs, rooftops, benches and every other surface. Tonight, enjoy a performance by Camerata Romeu, led by Conductor Zenaida Romeu, a world renowned, all-female Chamber Orchestra, in their stunning Basilica in Old Havana. Overnight at Hotel Florida or similar. (BLD)

MARCH 10 - CIENFUEGOS Following breakfast, you will travel to Cienfuegos. En route, visit Zapata National Park - famous for one of the greatest concentrations of bird species in Cuba - and the Bay of Pigs. Enjoy a seafood lunch before continuing your journey to Cienfuegos. Upon arrival, you will be given a guided tour of the city, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Highlights include Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua (fortress), Arco de Triunfo (the only Arco de Triunfo in Cuba), Cathedral de la Purisma Concepción

BLD=BREAKFAST,LUNCH,DINNER

ITINERARY

(cathedral with stained glass work, built from 1833 to 1869), Museo Provincial (a furniture and porcelain museum), Palacio de Valle (built from 1913 to 1917 in Neo-Gothic style), Parque José Martí (a park in Plaza de Armas), and the Palmira Yorubá Pantheon (a museum of religious Afro-Catholic syncretism). Dinner at the paladar Casa Prado. Overnight at Rancho Luna or similar. (BLD)

MARCH 11 - CIENFUEGOS This morning visit Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos. With 97 hectares it’s one of the oldest institutions of its kind on the island, founded in 1901 by Edwin F. Atkins and his wife. They arrived in Cuba in 1899 in search of the island’s most precious commodity: sugarcane. Atkins built the “Soledad” sugar mill and soon after the Harvard Botanical Station for Tropical Research and Sugar Cane Investigation. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were also fond of plant collecting and soon afterwards started a tropical and rare species garden. Today the garden has a large collection of tropical exotic plants (2,000+ species) clustered in 670 genera and 125 botanical families. Among the most complete collections are orchids (400+), palms (230+), ficus (65+), and bamboo (29). After your tour of the gardens, you will return to your hotel for time at leisure. This evening, after dinner at a local paladar, enjoy a performance by the Canticus Movus Choral group. Overnight at Rancho Luna or similar. (BD)

MARCH 12 - SANTA CLARA This morning you will travel to the city of Santa Clara. En route, visit the birthplace (which is now a museum) of the legendary Benny Moré, one of the most famous Cuban musicians, who grew up in Santa Isabel de las Lajas. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at a community center paladar which is geared to the elderly. This afternoon visit the Che Memorial and mausoleum. After this visit, you will check-in at your hotel and have time to freshen up. You will then visit Parque Vidal for a tour of this historical site, and then at nightfall, you will be treated to the music of the Philharmonic Band. (Please note that the band performs only once a week, so this activity is subject to their schedule which varies greatly). Enjoy a FarewellDinner this evening at a local paladar after your time in Parque Vidal. Overnight at Los Caneyes or similar. (BLD)

MARCH 13 - MIAMIThis morning you will have time to explore Santa Clara on your own until checking out of your hotel and transferring to a local paladar for lunch. After lunch, you will be transferred to the Santa Clara Airport for your flight to Miami, which departs at 6:00 pm and arrives at 7:16 pm. Upon arrival, after clearing customs and collecting your luggage, proceed to the Crowne Plaza hotel for overnight. Overnight at Crowne Plaza. (BL)

MARCH 14 - DEPARTUREToday you will be at leisure to return to the Miami airport for your return flight home.

IMPORTANTNOTE

Walking is an essential element of this trip. The amount of walking varies, but you should be in relatively good health to enjoy this tour to the fullest. If you need assistance other than a cane or walking sticks in getting around, this tour might not be appropriate for you. In some places, motor coaches are prohibited from enter-ing historical city centers, which means walks to and from our vehicle and up and down the vehicle’s steps. If you have any concerns about your ability to participate, please discuss it with either Roberta DeVries of the FOCP or Sandy Schmidt of Holbrook Travel whose contact information appears on the last page of this brochure.

TOURCOST

$3,850 (based on minimum 15 travelers)

Includes:

• Accommodations, meals, entrance fees, and activities listed in itinerary

• In-country transportation• Non-alcoholic beverages with meals• International flights• Cuba Tourist Visa, Mandatory Cuba Health

Insurance, and Cuba Departure Tax• Full time guide for duration of program• Tips/gratuities for guide & driver• Bottled water on the bus

THEFINE PRINT

Price is based on double occupancy. To secure your space on the trip, a $200 per person deposit and enrollment form are required, due no later than October 30, 2016. This deposit is refundable until November 30, 2016 excluding a $100 cancellation fee. Final payments are due no later than December 15, 2016; cancellations received after this date are not refundable. Travel/trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. For more information call Travel Insured at 800-243-3174. Holbrook Travel’s agency number is 15849.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONORTOENROLL

Visit holbrook.travel/focpcuba or contact:Sandy Schmidt (Holbrook Travel) | 877-907-5360 | schmidt@holbrooktravel.com Roberta “Bert” DeVries (FOCP) | 609-398-0924 | j2rdevries@aol.com

PHOTOS BY

Lucash (front); Michelle Korczynski