I’m what might be termed a repeat traveler. Not sure if it’s fate or (un)intentional acts on my part, but I seem to return to the same places over & over. Whether for work or play, I always go back for more.
Read More »glasgow: second time around
Visiting the national congress was a challenge: internet said one thing, the TI said another & everyone in between had an opinion as to official visiting hours. After dragging Darío to the Cementerio Central, we took a bus there. I walked in to confirm the time & was comforted by the lack of security. Sure, I passed through a scanner but everyone was laid back & it seemed like we were all hanging out instead of entering one of the most important buildings in the nation.
Read More »montevideo: palacio legislativo
I hadn’t done any research about the oldest cemetery in Montevideo… odd for me. I didn’t even know its location since I was wandering around town mapless. But after a picnic lunch gazing out at the Río de la Plata, I walked past gigantic walls & thought, this must be a cemetery. It’s my destiny 🙂
Read More »montevideo: cementerio central
Women used to wash laundry in the now-absent Arroyo de los Pocitos, but the upper class realized the potential of its pristine beach. Pocitos became part of the city in 1886, & soon after trolleys bought hundreds of visitors to the first beach restaurant & hotel. Elite summer vacation homes characterized the area during early stages of development, becoming a mini-Mar del Plata.
Read More »montevideo: pocitos
When Buenos Aires declared independence for the entire Viceroyalty, Montevideo remained loyal to the Spanish crown. BA apparently didn’t consult their neighbors… some things never change! No matter. Montevideo grew as a result, but 18 years later they also broke away. What initially began as a small port town…
Read More »montevideo: avenida 18 de julio
Although founded practically two centuries after Buenos Aires, early Montevideo followed the same city plan in 1724 as almost every other Spanish colonial town. Fitting snugly into a small outcrop & taking advantage of a natural port, the Ciudad Vieja consists of only 100 blocks —give or take a few— arranged in an 8 x 13 grid. The establishment of Montevideo attempted to resist encroaching Portuguese settlements, namely Colonia del Sacramento founded in 1680. Montevideo’s population grew very slowly, but in 1829 city officials demolished fortress walls & the Old City took on its current character.
Read More »montevideo: ciudad vieja