CDA Library’s Novel Destinations program to explore Cuba, Crosica

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Patrons of the Coeur d’Alene Library will have a chance to explore The Caribbean and the Mediterranean from the comfort of the Library’s Community Room on Wednesday, November 4, at 7 p.m.

In a unique Novel Destinations presentation, Peter Grubb will share photos and stories from his recent journey through Cuba and Corsica and back to Cuba. He will offer insights into Cuba and how it holds a unique charisma as the Caribbean’s wild island.

Through his adventures Grubb has found Cuba’s wildness extends beyond its stretches of untouched forests or coral reefs. Its wildness lies in its essence; its indefatigable spirit, its zeal for life that percolates into its music and dance, and its palpable enthusiasm for its people and country. Cuba catches the imagination and inspires it, a quality that has drawn writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene to it for centuries.

The wild, evocative beauty of Corsica, France, has been admired throughout the ages, and is an exotic and exciting location. The ancient Greeks, well-acquainted with the attractions of the Mediterranean, referred to Corsica as the Isle Kalliste: The Most Beautiful, and this sobriquet led to Corsica’s more modern moniker, L’Ile de Beaute: The Isle of Beauty.

Corsica stands as the Mediterranean’s fourth largest island, and its turquoise waters encompass a largely untouched wilderness of secluded islets, towering red rock spires and jagged cliffs, and lush green forests. Grubb will share stories with us about his recent trip to Corsica, the beautiful island that caught the artistic eye of Henri Matisse.

Novel Destinations, sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation, are travelogues based on trips taken by area residents who share their photos and stories.

These after-hours library programs are free, but donations are welcome.

Anyone with a travelogue to share at the library is asked to contact the Library Foundation at 208-769-2380 or by e-mail at cdalibraryfoundation@gmail.com.