Hemingway Golf & Bar Tour
by Fat Guy
IL to MI to ID to NYC to FL to Cuba to Paris to Italy to Spain to Africa
While Ernest Hemingway has inspired many a young man to lead an adventurous life, he was more of a lover, bullfighter, boxer, hunter, and drinker than a golfer. Actually, he would have laughed at you for playing such a civilized game. That doesn't mean you can't bring a little bit of Hemingway's bravado to a golf adventure, coupled with a bar tour of Papa's numerous and varied drinking haunts.
Let's face it; Hemingway was a savvy world traveler, so if you're a true Hemingway man, you'll find the time, the money, and a way to make this happen. Of course, only the idle rich with private jets (or maybe a post-college trust fund kid with a backpack, an IPOD, Amtrak and Euro train passes, and Daddy's frequent flyer miles) could do this whole itinerary even over a summer or two. But keep this tour in your back pocket of places to hit during your various world travels. Or even if you're a family guy with 3 kids who's just dreaming about the Hemingway life you always thought you'd lead, read on…
Pre-trip: There's a decision to be made here. Are you going to do this trip as Hemingway would have, seeking adventure and kindred souls in a dive bar nobody would have recommended, or are you going to take the touristy route, and simply take the guided tour all the places Papa used to haunt to get a feel for the man?
Let's start in the good ol' U.S. of A. to whet your appetite. Even if you're not the world traveler type (anymore), you could still hit these six favorite spots of Papa's without a passport, maybe as part of several smaller trips:
*Much of this info was gleaned from the Ernest Hemingway Collection website
Oak Park, Illinois
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899. His father Clarence, a physician, and his mother Grace, a former opera performer, lived in the upscale Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. Built for Ernest’s maternal grandfather and namesake, his childhood home stands today as a museum and visitors center cared for by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park.
In high school Hemingway played many sports, and excelled academically. He showed a particular talent for writing. He wrote for both his high school’s newspaper, Trapeze, and for the yearbook, Tabula. Within the Oak Park public school system, Hemingway saw his first writings published, sometimes using the pen name Ring Lardner, Jr.
After high school, Hemingway chose to forgo higher education, and instead began his writing career.
Where To Play: Hemingway would have eschewed hoighty-toighty country clubs or even uber-upscale publics. Columbus Park GC (5700 W. Jackson Blvd, (312) 245-0909) is the nearest Chicago muni, which somehow fits with Papa's personality. A great beginner's or warm-up course with wide-open fairways and receptive greens. Flat terrain with no water. Best played AFTER your visit to one of the bars below.
Where To Booze: Per CenterStageChicago.com, these ChicagoLand taverns all have a Hemingway vibe:
Green Eye Lounge
Serving up $2 PBR pints and $3 domestics, Green Eye watches out for the punks and artists. Smoking is permitted but stuffy attitudes are not. Tucked between exposed brick walls, with a retro-looking, magnetic poetry-adorned fridge and the occasional trophy on display, the bar feels like your cool friend's basement. Free wi-fi offers an enticing reprieve from your book, but the bar's chalkboard touts an impressive roster of board games like Battleship and Scrabble as well as lesser-known alternatives such as Stick It, What's in My Pants and Tip the Bartender.
Danny's Tavern
Featuring cover-free classical music on Fridays, a monthly reading series and carefully selected wine, Bucktown's Danny's is an obvious pick for drinking and reading. Tolerant of only courteous (if not anachronistic) social behavior, the bar sends cell phone yakkers outside where duct tape squares on the sidewalk signify make-believe cell phone booths. Semi-private seating areas are filled with a multitude of lounging options: From a high-backed leather booth stretching the length of the wall in the very back room to a two-seater cushy couch near the entry and standard bar stools, the place keeps an altogether classy cool but cozy vibe. The only drawback: slim pickings for overhead lighting, but candles abound.
Caffe de Luca
A cross between a barn in the country and a Tuscan cafe, this cafe/bar is swathed in earth-toned paints and nestled under ceilings lofted twice as high as the room is wide. Though the sidewalk seating consists of about three tiny tables, Luca's decor brings the outdoors in, with details like smocks and dresses hung from a clothesline and fake flower-frosted balcony. Pick from any wooden booth or table in the house for a decent amount of quiet and personal space. The amenities are all there: natural sunlight streaming in from the skylights, an hour of free wi-fi and an extensive menu of drinks, dishes and desserts, including gelato. Every drink on the basic wine list comes by the glass or bottle, but the exciting options come in the form of hard alcohol mixes, like the "Loopy Rocket Shot" with espresso, cream, sugar and kahlua, or "Sweet Love," with steamed milk, espresso, Guittard chocolate and Stoli Vanil.
Where To Grub: Hemingway's Bistro at the historic Wright Inn (211 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, 708-524-0806). French-influenced American cuisine. The atmosphere is 1930s-inspired and includes an elegant cherry bar.
La Creperie
Whether carrying out an affair with a lover or a literary work, romantics will feel at home at La Creperie. From tea lights in wine glasses to red-and-white checkered tablecloths in the back patio just beyond the stained glass sliding door, the restaurant is drenched in a Parisian flair that's as sumptuous as its sweet and savory crepes. Find a full bar stocked with Old World and New World wines, beers and aperitifs. Leave your iPod at home on Thursday nights because accordionist accompanied by the trumpet-toting owner and a singer serenade the guests from 8 p.m. until close.
Touristy types might want to try KeyWester Fish & Pasta House featuring Hemingway's Bar, Napierville, IL (www.portillos.com/keywester/). Themed after a dockside bar & restaurant you'd find in Key West.
What To Read: Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure by Michael Palin. Hard to imagine Monty Python and Fish Called Wanda alum Michael Palin as a Hemmingway man. Reading up on his favorite author to write his debut novel, Hemingway's Chair, Palin became intrigued by Hemingway's many travels. Here he takes readers along as he visits top Hemingway sites in Italy, France, Spain, Cuba, and more, to discover what made Papa tick and what inspired him to write. There's also a three-part PBS series.
Further Diversions: For you tourista types, tour Hemingway's Childhood Home in Oak Park (200 N. Oak Park Ave, www.ehfop.org/foundation/index.html), a Queen Anne style building almost unchanged since his childhood days. While you're here, this is also Frank Lloyd Wright's old stomping grounds, so visit his home too.
Walloon Lake, Michigan
During his early years, Hemingway spent many of his summer months on the shores of Walloon Lake in Michigan at the family’s summer home, Windemere. While vacationing in the Michigan woods, young Ernest was able to explore the land, hunting squirrels and other small game, as well as fishing the many streams that fed the lake. Hunting and fishing remained two of Hemingway’s favorite pastimes throughout his life.
Where To Play: Come on, how could a guy who used to summer in a house bearing the name of Tiger's private club not have been a golfer? Had he been, young Ernest would likely have played lakeside publics like Springbrook GC (Springvale Rd, 231-535-2413) for the natural scenery; or the hilly, old school, and uniquely-monikered Ye Nyne Olde Holes (6836 Ferry Road, East Jordan, 231-582-7609). But the golfer in you will have a hard time passing up some of the great golf and resorts here in Northern Michigan lake country. Some well-known tracks in the area include Boyne Highlands and Bay Harbor, among others. See T&L Golf's Northern Michigan profile.
Where To Booze: Had he returned when he was of age, Ernest may have worshiped one of his favorite beverages at Boyne River Brewing Company (419 E. Main, Boyne City). Or get some local flavor at Murray's Bar & Grill (115 E. Main, East Jordan).
What To Read:
Ketchum, Idaho
After leaving Cuba for the last time in the midst of the Cuban Revolution, Hemingway relocated to his final home in Ketchum, Idaho, a small community outside Sun Valley. Hemingway had first visited the area in 1939 at the invitation of Averill Harriman, Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad. It was hoped that Hemingway’s celebrity would add some cachet to the up and coming resort town of Sun Valley.
Hemingway soon took to Idaho. He could easily enjoy two of his greatest passions, fishing and hunting, in the pristine countryside that was wide open and full of wildlife. Hemingway spent many autumns in Idaho, fishing and hunting the land, until buying his own home there in 1958. He shot himself at his kitchen table in Ketchum, crying after being unable to come up with a few words to be read at JFK's inauguration.
Hemingway’s spirit lives on here today. Just outside of town lies a memorial to the man who was one of the twentieth century’s greatest personalities.
Unfortunately these days, Ketchum has gone Hollywood after the likes of Arnold, Bruce, and Demi followed in Papa's footsteps by building houses here.
Where To Booze: The Pioneer Saloon, Ketchum, Idaho. Stop by Hemingway's former haunt, still famous for it's steaks and spirits. Maxim digs Apples Bar & Grill. Demi hangs at Roosevelt Pub.
Where To Play & Stay: Sun Valley GR. Golf Magazine Review: Pure 5-star scenery at 2 courses amid the pine forests, wrapped around Trail Creek near Bald & Dollar Mountains. A memorable trio of par-3's stand out (#s 5, 15, & 17), with ups and downs and water carries. Also try solid value 9-holer Bigwood GC ($49 for 18 walking, www.biqwoodgolf.com), a Robert Muir Graves design with multiple tee options making distinctive 9's, with bunkers aplenty and magnificent views of Bald Mountain.
Where To Grub: Golf Magazine likes Gretchen's in the Sun Valley Lodge, and the Ram Retaurant in Sun Valley Village.
What To Read: Once the sun goes down up here, there isn't much to do. Bring two copies of The Garden Of Eden; one for you, and one for your wife/grrlfriend/mistress (hey, this is a Hemingway-inspired trip, is it not?). Erotically-charged, and somewhat off Papa's beaten path. A great co-read curled up next to a cozy fireplace or on a couple Adironack chairs on the porch of a log house. Perhaps bringing along a DVD of Demi's Indecent Proposal would be appropriate too. Probably Fat Guy's #1 Sexiest Actress/Movie Role ever. She never looked better.
Further Diversions: Ketchum is also a ski mecca, or try whitewater rafting on the nearby Salmon or Payette Rivers. And since Papa loved boxing... If you're heading down to Salt Lake City after your visit, it's the last place you'd expect to find a real life Fight Club, but Dave Attell of Comedy Central's Insomniac says Salt Lake's Club 90 is where guys take to the ring to "punch out their frustrations from dealing with Mormons all day." Smoke-filled and packed with drunks, Hemingway would have been right and home. And be sure not to miss the part where two foxy lasses give oil-wrestling demos. This ain't no Playboy Channel pillow fight, these girls really throw down. Kickboxing in Donny and Marie's home state--who knew?
Piggott, Arkansas
Ernest's second wife Pauline Pfeiffer’s family home, including a studio where Hemingway worked while visiting Arkansas, can be toured at the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, Arkansas.
Where To Play: The only course in town is Sugar Creek Country Club (Country Club Rd, 870-598-3546), a semi-private 1968 design with water in play on 8 holes. The greens are large, elevated, and loaded with subtle breaks. The somewhat-rolling terrain is home to an occasional hill, and many of the fairways are doglegs.
Where To Booze: Try B&B Lounge (204 W Front St, Campbell MO 573-246-2605).
Where To Grub: JR's Bar-B-Que (Poplar Grove AR 870-829-3748)--a little Fat Guy influence here. When in Rome… why not eat something from a pig that was cooking over an open pit fire earlier this morning? Seems pretty friggin' Hemingway to me.
New York City, NY
Where To Play: Pelham Split Rock GC. Wooded and tight. Creek in play on 4 holes, rolling terrain. #18 is a 392-yard par-4. And who wants to drive for 90 minutes after the round to get to the bar? Pelham is in the Bronx, so you should be able to commence the bar tour relatively directly afterwards.
Where To Booze: Chumley's 86 Bedford St
With a working fireplace in winter, kick back in this bar patronized by Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Steinbeck. The former speakeasy has cluttered walls and brags about its history, but you can still get comfortable in one of the corners with friends.
Minetta Tavern 113 Macdougal St
This great Italian bar, now a popular hangout for NYU students, is delightfully historic in its décor and style. Murals of Macdougal Street's bohemian past are visible on the walls, and the dessert cart is to die for. No wonder Ezra Pound and Ernest Hemingway loved the place.
Key West, Florida
Hemingway first stopped in Key West on a visit home from Paris. He soon fell in love with the island’s charms, and the fact that it felt like living in another country. He and Pauline settled on the tiny island, first renting an apartment for several years, and eventually purchasing a home with help from Pauline’s wealthy uncle.
Key West afforded Hemingway the opportunity to enjoy the sport fishing that he loved so much. He sailed his boat, Pilar, around the Keys and fished the Gulf Stream extensively. Many famous images of Hemingway picture him standing dockside in the Caribbean, the catch of the day hanging beside him.
Hemingway’s presence can still be felt in Key West. The home where he and Pauline lived is now open to the public, offering tours of the house and the studio where Hemingway worked. Many of the places Hemingway loved to visit, such as Sloppy Joe’s Bar, celebrate his patronage.
What To Read: When not sailing the waters on his boat, or bringing in record-breaking catches, Hemingway was writing. His tenure in Key West saw the publication of A Farewell to Arms, Death in the Afternoon, and many short stories.
Where To Play: The only golf course in the Keys is Key West GC. Located at the entrance to the island, the 200 acre course was designed by Rees Jones, and features stately palms, dense mangrove lined fairways, serene lakes, and undulating muti-tiered greens. It measures 6,500 from the tips and 3 sets of tees will challenge players of all abilities. The signature hole is referred to as the "Mangrove Hole". This 143 yard par 3 is played completely over a field of thickly intertwined tropical mangroves.
Where To Booze: After the obligatory lost afternoon at well-known Hemingway watering hole Sloppy Joe's, belly up at a place called Captain Tony's. The original Sloppy Joe's was actually located here, until the landlord offered the proprietor the option of a hefty rent increase or to close down the bar. Hemingway and several other regulars helped moved the entire contents of the bar to the current location in the middle of the night. Afterwards, try the lesser-known Blue Heaven. The building has been a bar & restaurant for 120 years, with plenty of lore to go with it. The top floor once housed a bordello, and Hemingway boxed in the courtyard here on Friday nights (figures Papa was DOING Fight Club decades before Fight Club was written). Blue Heaven is eclectic and colorful, with an outdoor courtyard featuring a thatched-roofed bar, ping-pong, and a rope swing. Order the jerk chicken tortilla ($10).
From here, it's on to the world travel portion of the itinerary. Grab your passport, an Indiana Jones fedora, a few of the more subtle shirts from the Tommy Bahama collection, some bandanas to wipe the sweat off your neck, a good hard case golf club carryall, several boxes of balls, and a good pair of hiking boots.
Havana, Cuba
In 1940 Hemingway, with his new wife Martha, purchased a home outside Havana, Cuba. He would live there for the next twenty years. The Hemingway’s named the site Finca Vigia, or “lookout farm.” They shared their home with dozens of Hemingway’s beloved cats, as well as trophies from many successful hunts and fishing expeditions.
Hemingway became a fixture of Havana, and stayed in the country longer than many Americans chose to after relations between Cuba and the United States began to deteriorate. He fished extensively aboard his boat, Pilar, and enjoyed the island lifestyle, hanging out in Havana, and entertaining guests at the Finca. His home, with many original furnishings, hunting trophies, and personal artifacts can be viewed today.
When not fishing or traveling, Hemingway wrote a great deal from his Cuban home. While little of his work from this time was published during his lifetime, many of the projects that Hemingway worked on throughout the 1940s were later edited and published after his death.
Hemingway continued his war reporting during his time in Cuba. He and Martha traveled to China in 1941 to report on the Second Sino-Japanese war for PM Magazine. After returning from China, and before heading to Europe to cover World War II, Hemingway hunted German U-Boats in the Caribbean from Pilar, which he had outfitted with radio communications and weaponry should his craft encounter a German submarine.
In 1944 Hemingway traveled to Europe to report on World War II. His first stop was in London, where he wrote about the war’s effect on the city. It was in London that he met a fellow reporter, Mary Welsh, whom would later become his fourth wife. They traveled together in England, and then on to the French coast and Paris, following the Allied forces as they first invaded Normandy and eventually liberated the French capital. Hemingway spent some time in Paris, and later traveled with American forces as they entered Germany, before returning home.
Hemingway divorced Martha in 1945, and returned to Cuba in 1946. He married Mary Welsh, and she joined him at the Finca.
Where To Play: Golf is still finding a foothold in post-Castro Cuba. Local 9-hole Havana GC is listed as the only one in La Habana (10 minutes from downtown Havana), and would have been more Hemingway's speed, with wide fairways and well-bunkered greens. For that seaside feel, drive 120 kilometers north of Havana to play the 1998-built Varadero GC (Xanadu Mansion, Varadero), an upscale four-star facility with a saltwater lake that connects directly to the ocean, and has hosted European PGA Tour Challenge events.
Where To Booze: El Floradita Obispo Street. Order a Hemingway dacquiri. "This frozen daiquiri, so well beaten as it is, looks like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots" - Islands in the Stream. Hemingway hated sugary drinks, and his three requirements for the perfect Hemingway are that it must be strong, cold and tart. So on drinking at El Floradita in the 1950s, where he was often spotted with the likes of Gary Cooper and Errol Flynn, he had head bartender Constantino Ribalaigua make a unsweetened version of a daiquiri with white grapefruit juice to balance out the super tartness of the limes, maraschino liqueur (he hated sugars and syrups of any description but this liqueur is sweet enough to do the trick), and double the rum. You'll also occasionally see the drink called the Papa Doble, after his nickname for his penchant for ordering doubles.
The interesting thing about this particular drink is its execution. Frozen daiquiris (that is, everything piled into a blender, blitzed then served) are considered the cheat's version - the sort of thing likely to come out of one of those slushy machines you see at music festivals or uni bars. If you order a Hemingway in most bars, you'll be more than likely to have a shaken drink put in front of you. Partly because they're considered to be the kind of drink you order when you're an experienced cocktail drinker and partly because a lot of people don't know that the original version was a frozen drink where all the ingredients were bunged in together.
The original daiquiri first spotted in the early 1900s is a mix of rum, lime juice and sugar syrup poured over shaved ice. Later realisations find it served frozen but the purist version is mixed manually. Purists would also say that blended daiquiris are not real daiquiris at all. Suffices to say Hemingway was not a fan.
Because he was such a consummate drinker and cocktail aficionado, he'd sit up at the bar instead of at one of the tables thus being able to dictate every shake, squeeze and pour that happened on the pass. The stool where he whiled away hours, days, weeks and years is still reserved for Hemingway and verboten to the regular boozers, though a visit to the bar is also on the Hemingway tour so you could at least get a happy snap near it, then buy the t-shirt. www.timeoutsydney.com.au/barspubs/drinksrecipes/the-hemmingway-daiquiri.aspx
La Bodeguita. This place made Papa's favorite mojito.
Where To Grub: La Terraza, a restaurant where he was known as Ernesto.
Where To Stay: Stay at Hotel Ambos Mundos in Old Havana. For $2, tourists take a jet-black steel elevator up to Room 511, where Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls.
What To Read: Hemingway worked here for some time on what would become his most famous work, The Old Man and the Sea. Originally published in 1952 in its entirety in a single issue of Life Magazine, sales exceeded all expectations. In addition to wide acclaim and financial success, The Old Man and the Sea also garnered Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 as well as the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Or digest For Whom The Bell Tolls, or To Have And Have Not, both written in Cuba.
Paris, France
In September 1921, Hemingway married Hadley Richardson. Later that year he took a job with the Toronto Daily Star as their European correspondent. Hemingway and his bride soon relocated to Paris, to a primitive apartment with no running water, with a rented room nearby where Hemingway could work in peace.
While still in Chicago, Hemingway came to know Sherwood Anderson, the American author. Anderson provided Hemingway with a letter of introduction to Gertrude Stein, who in turn introduced him to the “Parisian Modern Movement” of literature. Hemingway was also acquainted with Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Max Eastman, and other members of the “Lost Generation.”
By 1927 Hemingway’s first marriage was over. He married Pauline Pfeiffer, of Piggott, Arkansas the same year. Pauline was a fashion reporter that Hemingway had met in Paris, though they would leave the city in 1928 seeking a fresh start.
The remaining years spent in Paris were a very productive time in Hemingway’s early career, allowing him to experiment with and develop his unique literary style that would become his hallmark.
Where To Play: Public golf is a relatively new concept in France, with the first public access course being built in 1975 (Golf de Saint Aubin, 33-1-69-41-25-19, by Rio/Berthet). Here are some Paris-area options that sound quintessenitally French (at least to a redneck like me):
Golf Magazine says:
WHERE TO PLAY
Hit the road, Jacques. France has about 600 courses for only 300,000 avid home-grown golfers, so designs by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Harry Colt and Peter Alliss are wide-open, and play is brisk. One of several superb courses in the City of Light is Nicklaus' Paris International Golf Club, which, in addition to being a tough (but fair) test has a luxe clubhouse featuring a spa and a swimming pool. Viva la difference! www.france-golf-tours.com
WHERE TO STAY
The Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris — an elegant hotel with art-deco-style rooms, spa, and stunning views of Paris — is a mere 10-minute walk from the Champs-Elysees and the eponymous arch that Napoleon erected in 1806.
From 295 Euros, including breakfast; www.arcdetriompheparis.hilton.com
Other Paris course recommendations from WorldGolf.com:
Golf Club de Bondoufle
Départementale 31 - 91070 Bondoufle Tel : +33 1 60 86 41 71 6,161 m par 71. At Bondoufle, the size of the tees (5 tees per hole) is such that on any given day, from one player to the next, the approach, the layout, and the difficulty can change entirely. Water, on 8 holes, is a landscaping feature as is the relief on the fairways and the bunkers which are positioned to provide additional playing and visual pleasure.
Golf du Domaine de Mont Griffon Départementale 909 - 95270 Luzarches Tel : +33 1 34 09 20 00 Architect : Nelson/Huau - Built in : 1990 The vast Domaine de Mont-Griffon extends majestically throughout 250 hectares of preserved nature... The 18-hole Lakes course provides not only the possibility of a technical game, but also exceptional views of the Ysieu Valley. Profoundly undulating and bordering a forest, the 9-hole Griffon course is rich in color and contrast.
Golf de Fontenailles
Domaine de Bois Boudran - 77370 Fontenailles Tel : +33 1 64 60 51 00 Architect : Gayon - Built in : 1991 The grounds of the chateau, complete with magnificent old trees, river and lakes seemed an ideal setting for the building of a golf course. A 27-hole European style course, where both beginners and low handicap players can enjoy their game. 50 luxurious rooms overlooking the fairways. Sauna and Jacuzzi.
Golf de la Forteresse
Domaine de la Forteresse - 77940 Thoury-Ferrottes Tel : +33 1 60 96 95 10 Architect : Fromanger/Adam Built in : 1988 - Golf for golf lovers or simple beginners. 18 holes in a protected natural setting near Fontainebleau and Euro-Disneyland. The "Golf de la Forteresse" and its restaurant, located in the XIIth century fortified farmhouse, overlooking the course, will enable you to relax in the warmth of a log fire and friendly surroundings and to taste some excellent affordable French cuisine.
Golf National
2, avenue du Golf - 78280 Guyancourt Tel : +33 1 30 43 36 00 Architect : Chesneau Golf National, the first golf stadium in Europe is a public facility open to all French Golf Federation members and visitors. It has been built for hosting major amateur and professional tournaments, and is also a place for beginners and top level players.
Golf des Yvelines
Château de la Couharde - 78940 La Queue Les Yvelines Tel : +33 1 34 86 48 89Architect : Baker - Built in : 1990 Golf des Yvelines is the first upmarket course near Paris open to visitors on a normal green fee basis. Laid out among the trees and park of a former private estate, golf des Yvelines is only 28 miles west of Paris. The club house is a renovated XVIIth century chateau.
Where To Booze, Grub, and Hang: The Hemingway Bar, Hotel Ritz, Paris France www.worldsbestbars.com/public/venue_listing.jsp?areaCategoryId=386&categoryId=38¤tVenueId=1550. Eat at Mumm Champagne House, at the junction of St-André-des-Arts and rue Bonaparte is the Café Pré aux Clercs, a Hemingway favorite. Throughout the whole seven years he lived in Paris his favorite refuge was the incomparable Jardin du Luxembourg, a 60-acre park laid out in the early seventeenth century, which never intrudes upon or overwhelms the area around it. Carry on to the junction of rue de Fleurus and rue de l’Observatoire where you will find La Closerie des Lilas, one of Hemingway’s favorite writing, eating and drinking spots. He became disillusioned with it when it went upmarket in 1925. He was particularly appalled that the waiter was forced to shave off his moustache. The American Bar they opened then is still there and you can sit and have a cocktail named after him beside a brass plaque with his name on. But if you would like a cheaper restaurant and a more collectable Métro station at which to finish, then turn right out of the Closerie and follow the boulevard du Montparnasse to place Vavin. Here you have a choice of classic brasseries, all well known to Hemingway — La Rotonde, Le Dôme, La Coupole, Le Select. Pass them by for now and turn off the main road up rue Delambre, where you will find the site of the fabulously named Dingo Bar. It’s now called the Auberge de Venise, and the cooking is Italian, but surely that’s a small price to pay for eating on the spot where Hemingway first met Scott Fitzgerald and the two English aristocrats on whom he based the characters of Duff Twysden and Mike Guthrie in The Sun Also Rises, the book that made Hemingway, and Hemingway’s Paris, famous.
What To Read: Re-read The Sun Also Rises, written in 1926 during Hemingway's time in Paris. It's the novel that put him on the literary map, and got him out of staying in hovels with no running water. One of the great "young man's" books of all time, it's a classic for a reason. Hemingway also chronicled his time in Paris in his posthumously published memoirs A Moveable Feast. In addition to his own literary work – his first book Three Stories & Ten Poems was published in Paris in 1923 – Hemingway wrote extensively for the Toronto Star and enjoyed much success as a foreign correspondent. He covered major world events, such as the Geneva Conference in 1922, and the Greco-Turkish War. Hemingway continued writing for the Toronto Star through 1924. Many of his writings from this period can be found in the collection Dateline: Toronto.
Italy
Following America’s entry into World War I, Hemingway tried to enlist in the US Army. Enthusiastic as he was, Hemingway failed the physical examination due to poor eyesight. Still wanting to participate in the war effort, Hemingway signed up with the Red Cross as an ambulance driver.
Upon leaving the US, Hemingway first traveled to Paris, and then received orders to report to Milan. A short time later, he moved to the town of Schio where he worked driving ambulances. While delivering chocolates and cigarettes to soldiers on the front, Hemingway was seriously injured on July 8, 1918 by fragments from an Austrian mortar shell. Though badly wounded by the mortar, and hit by machine gun fire as well, Hemingway worked to secure the safety of his fellow soldiers, getting them out of harms way. The Italian government later awarded him the Silver Medal of Military Valor for his heroic actions.
Hemingway spent time recovering at a hospital in Milan, where he met Agnes von Kurowsky, a nurse originally from Washington D.C. She was six years older than Hemingway, but nevertheless he fell in love with her, and planned to take her home to Oak Park. Agnes never did return with Hemingway as planned. Her involvement with an Italian officer ended their relationship.
Hemingway returned to Italy throughout his life, during his many travels to Europe and around the world.
Where To Booze: Harry's Bar, where the Bellini, a favorite Hemingway cocktail, was first mixed.
What To Read: His time spent recovering in the Milan hospital, and his failed romance with Agnes von Kurowsky served as inspiration for Hemingway’s famous novel, A Farewell to Arms.
Spain
A year after the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Hemingway left for Spain to cover the conflict for the American Newspaper Alliance. During his coverage of the war, he traveled with a fellow reporter named Martha Gelhorn. The two had first met in Key West and became close during their time in Spain. The two would later marry in 1940, after Hemingway’s marriage with Pauline ended.
While Hemingway’s war reporting in Spain, along with rumors of his involvement in the Republican cause garnered him much fame, Hemingway’s link to Spain is probably best remembered as one of bullfights and matadors.
What To Read: Reporting on the war and traveling through Spain during such a time of upheaval formed the basis of inspiration for Hemingway’s highly regarded work, For Whom the Bell Tolls, as well as his one and only full length play, The Fifth Column. During his earlier years living in Paris, Hemingway spent a great deal of time in Pamplona watching bullfights, and learning about the contests. He became an aficionado of the sport, and followed the matches closely. After leaving Paris, Hemingway returned in the early thirties to do research for his manifesto on the subject, Death in the Afternoon. Hemingway visited Spain often and attended bullfights throughout his life. His last trip to the country in 1959 to watch the contests between two famous matadors lead to the Life magazine story The Dangerous Summer.
Africa
In the summer of 1933, Hemingway, Pauline, and a Key West friend traveled to Africa for a three-month safari. Inspired by the legendary hunts of Theodore Roosevelt, Hemingway borrowed funds from Pauline’s uncle, and the couple set off for what would become a productive and iconic journey.
The three months spent on safari offered Hemingway ample time to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. Despite succumbing to a severe illness on the trip that necessitated a hospital recovery, Hemingway’s trophies included a lion and other large game that roamed the African grasslands. Traveling through Kenya and Tanzania, Hemingway hunted the plains of the Serengeti, tracked animals through the bush, and recorded his experiences for later use in his work.
Hemingway returned to the Dark Continent twenty years later with his fourth wife. They traveled through the Belgian Congo, Rwanda, and Kenya. Once again, Hemingway exercised his skill as a hunter, and brought home many big game trophies. Hemingway’s persona as a fearless adventurer only increased when he suffered through two plane crashes on his second trip to Africa, prompting many news outlets to prematurely run his obituary.
The image of Hemingway as a great hunter and outdoorsman was only solidified through his trips to Africa. The trophies that he brought back from the hunts adorned his homes, and his writings about his travels helped to establish Hemingway’s reputation as one of the great hunters of his day.
What To Read: His first African safari provided Hemingway with material and inspiration for the novel Green Hills of Africa, and the short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.
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