SUMMER AT HEMINGWAY’S HOUSE, KEY WEST

After the fun of the festive season, mid-January can feel dreary, which is probably why, traditionally, it is a busy time for travel agents. And so in the spirit of remembering that summer isn’t too far away, I’m offering a sunshine filled post.

KEY WEST

Hemingway's House, Key West

A couple of years ago I had the absolute joy of visiting the Florida Keyes, travelling to the very tip of the peninsula to spend time in Key West. It’s a city I’d long romanticised and longed to visit – the palm trees, the sunsets, the melting pot of cultures - but the attraction that inspired me most has a literary connection. It’s a beautiful plantation-style property, surrounded by cool wide verandas, where from 1931 -1939 the Noble Prize winning writer, Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote.

ADVENTURE

The Writing Studio

Hemingway’s life as an author couldn’t have been further from that of the lonely writer, tapping away in a garret. First as a war journalist, reporting on both WW1 and the Spanish Civil War, then as a novelist and short story writer, his life was filled with adventure. Whether he was fishing for giant marlin (read Hemingway’s account of what inspired him to write The Old Man and the Sea by clicking on this link), his propensity for falling in love (he had four wives), his love of a tipple, or his battle with mental illness and the sad end to his life, drama marked it all.

HEMINGWAY'S HOUSE

Hemingway's Typewriter

So it felt right that seventy percent of Hemingway’s work was written during his nine years at such a striking property.

He wrote daily from 6am until noon, producing 500-700 words at a sitting. He enjoyed a short commute to his writing studio via a catwalk that once spanned across the gallery roof, connecting the master bedroom porch to his writing den. He set up a boxing ring in the garden, where he would famously spar with local amateur boxers. His house was one of the first in Key West to have indoor plumbing and a pool.

THE SWIMMING POOL

Me, longing for a dip in the pool...

And what a pool! – If only every writer could have one. Legend has it that the installation of the swimming pool (digging into solid coral) didn’t go smoothly and, according to Hemingway, cost him his last cent. Visitors are encouraged to search for Hemingway’s infamous ‘last penny’ embedded in the cement of the pool’s patio.

HEMINGWAY’S CATS

Polydactyl cats asleep on Hemingway's bed

I couldn’t write a post about Hemingway’s House and not mention the cats. Signs for visitors not to touch the museum artefacts are all around but more than forty cats enjoy free reign of the house.

Captain Harold Dexter was a highly respected salvage captain, who sailed to Key West with a white, six-toed cat named Snowball. Hemingway was intrigued with the polydactyl (six-toed) cat, so Dexter gifted him a kitten from Snowball’s litter. Hemingway named many of the subsequent six-toed kittens after his famous friends. It was interesting to spend a moment at the cat cemetery, tucked in a leafy corner of the garden.

Kitty relaxing at the pet cemetery 

WHERE NEXT?

So, where do I plan visiting next? Well Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend is at the top of my reading pile. Can you guess where I’m headed?

I’d love to hear of your travel and reading plans for 2019.

Keep in touch!

Rae x