Where We Be
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| Montevideo, Uruguay |
There aren’t many must-see sights in Montevideo,
but it's got an inviting lived-in feel to it that makes
it enjoyable to just walk around and soak up the
atmosphere. The city has a mix of architecture
influenced by the Spanish, Portuguese, French,
and British. Montevideo sits on the banks of the
Rio de la Plata and is the continent's southernmost
capital. It is home to half of Uruguay’s 3 million
people.
We walked from the ship to Montevideo's historic
district. Many restaurants had patios or “islands”
of tables and chairs set up in the middle of the
pedestrian avenue. Eventually we came to Plaza
Independencia and Plaza Constitucion, the two
central plazas in the city. By then we had decided
we liked the city. It felt livable and modern and just
small enough not to be intimidating.
Near the central square, Plaza Independencia, we
particularly enjoyed seeing Palacio Salvo with the
“beehive hairdo,” once the tallest building in
South America. An enormous statue of General
Jose Gervasio Artigas, father of Uruguay, stands
in the center of Plaza Independencia. Only one
gate to the old citadel that once surrounded the
historic district remains on the plaza.
but it's got an inviting lived-in feel to it that makes
it enjoyable to just walk around and soak up the
atmosphere. The city has a mix of architecture
influenced by the Spanish, Portuguese, French,
and British. Montevideo sits on the banks of the
Rio de la Plata and is the continent's southernmost
capital. It is home to half of Uruguay’s 3 million
people.
We walked from the ship to Montevideo's historic
district. Many restaurants had patios or “islands”
of tables and chairs set up in the middle of the
pedestrian avenue. Eventually we came to Plaza
Independencia and Plaza Constitucion, the two
central plazas in the city. By then we had decided
we liked the city. It felt livable and modern and just
small enough not to be intimidating.
Near the central square, Plaza Independencia, we
particularly enjoyed seeing Palacio Salvo with the
“beehive hairdo,” once the tallest building in
South America. An enormous statue of General
Jose Gervasio Artigas, father of Uruguay, stands
in the center of Plaza Independencia. Only one
gate to the old citadel that once surrounded the
historic district remains on the plaza.
| La Rambla is a coastal promenade that follows for 13 miles along the Rio de la Plata (we strolled a mile of it) |
| Teatro Solis is one of the most elegant buildings in Montevideo and is its premier performance space |
| Enjoying the summerlike weather in Montevideo |
| The stone gateway in the distance is the one remnant of the colonial citadel |
| Everywhere we went we saw people dining al fresco on a lovely summer's afternoon |
| The neoclassical town hall on Plaza Constitucion |
| We all had fun strolling together through the city |
| Mom looking pretty in her new sun hat |
| Old buildings and new stand side by side in Montevideo's historic district |
| Behind Robin is La Rambla, a coastal walkway that helps define the city |
| We took a much-deserved rest break at this gas station patio near La Rambla |
| The building with the "beehive hairdo" is Palacio Salvo (1927), once South America's tallest building |