Living in Argentina’s capital city for 12 years, somehow I’d never been to the capital of Uruguay, just across the river. We all know the Río de la Plata is actually a super-wide delta, so the “quick” ferry takes 3 hours & a flight averages 50 minutes. Montevideo isn’t really as close as it appears on a map:
Read More »montevideo: first impressions
Perhaps to prove I saw more than religious architecture in Córdoba, there are even more photos in this post. Even though it was the middle of winter & the weather didn’t always cooperate, I managed to get a few decent shots. The newest architecture is pretty exciting —with a few notable exceptions— and the best from the past are a number of surviving Neocolonial buildings (pretty much the same period as Art Deco). So in no particular order, here’s the rest from my walks around Córdoba…
Read More »argentina: córdoba, civil architecture
Founded in 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera, he named the city after his wife’s Spanish hometown. Location was key. As geographic center between the capital in Perú & the major Atlantic outlet of the Río de la Plata, Córdoba became an ideal crossroads… connecting men & ideas throughout the Viceroyalty. Remember that Buenos Aires would be founded for a second time seven years after Córdoba.
Read More »argentina: córdoba, religious architecture
In a previous incarnation of this blog, I posted a series of then & now shots from around Buenos Aires… an interesting way to look at the city. All sorts of problems need to be overcome: different makes of cameras, different fields of view, & increased traffic/people. Some pics have years when known, but most do not. Enjoy comparing the past & the present!
Read More »buenos aires: then & now
Argentine sources like to rank what some claim to be the top three cemeteries in the world: Père Lechaise, Staglieno & Recoleta… but I’m not sure I can agree with that list after visiting the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan. Rankings are far from impartial, so I’ll go out on a limb & say it: Recoleta has nothing on Milan’s main cemetery. It’s much bigger & packed with even more gorgeous statuary. It’s greener & extremely well maintained. One thing is for sure: if I lived in Milan, I’d start AfterLife II!
Read More »milano: cimitero monumentale
No sooner had we arrived in Lisbon & Darío wanted to go to Italy… to buy shirts. Love it. He presented the idea as: “Want to go Rome? I’ll pay for the plane ticket & the hotel.” How could I deny an offer like that? But flights didn’t work for the weekend he wanted, so I suggested Milan. I hadn’t been in about 10 years, plus it’s a world fashion capital. Suddenly we were off to Italy in May.
Read More »milano: unexpected trip
With a research trip to Lisboa quickly approaching, I’ve been trying to organize my work flow & came across these photos from 2009. This blog was on hiatus then, so I never had the chance to write about one of the most interesting cemeteries I’ve seen.
Read More »lisboa: cemitério do alto de são joão
When historians look back on Buenos Aires at the turn of the 21st century, one of the topics they will likely discuss is the unfortunate destruction of the city’s architectural heritage. Nothing seems to be able to stop it.
Read More »buenos aires: collective memory
With Buenos Aires content almost finished, it’s time to expand. I could happily write about BA for the rest of my life, but Europe is calling. 2012 is all about Portugal with a bit of Spain too. Darío & I are off to Europe in a few weeks, & there’s no better moment than now to decide what to research & publish.
Read More »business: 2012 releases