A visit in Ernest Hemingway's House

View from the entrance by the gate

Hemingway's office

The bedroom

Look into a room from the hallway

And his pool

As with most of Key West, you don't have to walk very far to get here - one block across from Duval Street. One of the few stone buildings in Old Key west, glimpses of the very distinguished facade can be glimpsed from the pavement through the tropical trees and bushes in the front yard.

As with many of the larger Victorian properties in Key West, the house is an impressive testament to a wealthy period in the City's history. The porches that encircle the two floors of the house and the lush gardens initiate a(nother) bout of "Why don't we live somewhere warm? . . ." "We could live here . . . "

The inside of the house is interesting with period and antique furniture that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and his wife Pauline (number two of four?). What makes the visit, however, is the tour guide with their informative and humourous commentary. A life like Hemingway's is rich material for such a tour - there's nothing like stories of excessive drinking and salacious gossip to bring life to an old house. You may have to wait a few minutes but it's the difference between "It's an old house with old stuff in it" and "Aaaah . . . now that Hemingway guy really lived!"

Don't miss the writer's studio or the cats (you'll have a job to miss those) . . . and toy around with the idea of having an old bar urinal in your garden - it'll make a great story.

Review by Jay Broek