For the next cultural-artistic adventure, we bused to nearby Vinales town and hiked to a small tobacco farm out on the valley floor.

Our first glimpse of the farm.

The farmer’s wife brews coffee.

In the thatched kitchen — an outbuilding, so as to minimize the risk of fire — we enjoyed a complimentary coffee brewed by the farmer’s wife from beans grown and roasted by the family.

As we sat around with some of the best coffee we’ve ever had, her husband demonstrated his cigar-rolling technique. It was interesting to learn that each farm family uses its own secret recipe to ferment its 10% share of the annual tobacco crop.

We were able to persuade the farmer to move his table outside and demo his technique again — this time, we painted. Another wonderful local subject!

The farmer turns model for the afternoon.

I was grateful to snag a small chair and a sliver of shade for our painting session. Here’s the watercolor I made.

The tobacco farmer with background bull.