The Royal Spanish Navy’s training ship, Juan Sebastian Elcano, enters Havana Bay breathing fire. I caught it heading right at us, cannons blazing a thunderous royal salute. One of the largest tall ships in the world, the Elcano was built in 1927. It has visited over 68 countries – including Cuba. It is used to train Spain’s naval cadets. I found it somewhat ironic that a Spanish naval vessel should enter Havana Bay during my visit – it was near this spot that the US Battleship Maine, exploded and sank in January, 1898, killing 266 US sailors. The US, wanting to wrest control of Cuba from Spain, blamed Spain for the disaster, and four months later launched the Spanish-American war. The cause of the explosion has never been verified. This image of a smoke shrouded Spanish naval ship expresses a sense of both past and present, adding a historical footnote to the history of Havana Bay.