Where We Be
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| Plaza Botero is the place to go for your Botero fix -- bunches of statues out on the plaza and the Antioquia Museum right next door |
| Medellin, Colombia |
From the small town of Jardin to the big city of
Medellin in a day -- quite the culture shock! A
four-hour bus ride and a short taxi ride got us
here, and we happily settled into our room with
a view at Hotel Estelar Square -- our most posh
lodgings of the trip. The picture window in our
room and the pool on the 16th floor both got a
lot of use from us over the following days.
Luckily Medellin has a first-class metro system
so it's easy to get around. Next morning we
took the metro to Botero Plaza, a highly popular
tourist area. The plaza is dotted with signature
"chubby" statues from everyone's favorite
Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. Medellin is
Botero's home city so it's only fitting that so
many of his works are featured here. We also
popped into the adjacent Antioquia Museum for
a look around. Lots of fine Botero paintings and
sculptures here, too, plus international artists.
Later we explored El Poblado where our hotel
is located. It's an affluent neighborhood with
chic cafes and high-end restaurants amid tall
hotels and apartments. We liked having the
high-end Santa Fe mall with its food court and
shops just a minute's walk from our hotel.
Medellin in a day -- quite the culture shock! A
four-hour bus ride and a short taxi ride got us
here, and we happily settled into our room with
a view at Hotel Estelar Square -- our most posh
lodgings of the trip. The picture window in our
room and the pool on the 16th floor both got a
lot of use from us over the following days.
Luckily Medellin has a first-class metro system
so it's easy to get around. Next morning we
took the metro to Botero Plaza, a highly popular
tourist area. The plaza is dotted with signature
"chubby" statues from everyone's favorite
Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. Medellin is
Botero's home city so it's only fitting that so
many of his works are featured here. We also
popped into the adjacent Antioquia Museum for
a look around. Lots of fine Botero paintings and
sculptures here, too, plus international artists.
Later we explored El Poblado where our hotel
is located. It's an affluent neighborhood with
chic cafes and high-end restaurants amid tall
hotels and apartments. We liked having the
high-end Santa Fe mall with its food court and
shops just a minute's walk from our hotel.
| I snapped this photo from the metro -- it's the majestic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help |
| This is your lifeline to the rest of the city |
| The metro system in Medellin is modern, clean, and safe |
| The rooftop pool on the 16th floor offers even more expansive views |
| A swim after sightseeing soon became a ritual |
| The upscale Santa Fe Mall with its extensive food court was just a minute's walk away |
| We instantly fell in love with the panoramic view from our 10th floor room at Estelar Square Hotel |
| Medellin occupies a natural basin that runs north to south, with buildings climbing up the hillsides on both sides |
| Looking to the right out our window at a surprisingly green cityscape. Medellin's nickname is the City of Eternal Spring. |
| The first thing you'll see when you get off at Botero Plaza is this distinctive Gothic Revival building -- the Uribe Palace of Culture. Head towards it to arrive at the plaza. |
| Twenty or so Botero sculptures occupy the plaza |
| Ah Botero! You are truly one of a kind! |
| This playful dog looks ready to pounce on that hat! |
| The Museo de Antioquia borders the plaza. It has a small entry fee so it was much quieter inside than out. |
| I feel sorry for the horse, don't you? |
| This is a view of the plaza as seen from the third floor of the Museo Antioquia. Uribe Palace of Culture is straight ahead, and the elevated metro line just behind it. |
| A classic Botero painting of his son Pedrito on a wooden horse |
| We've rarely if ever seen a still-life sculpture! |
| We explored three floors, starting at the third, where the premier exhibits are |
| Each morning we chowed down at the extensive breakfast buffet (this is only half of it) |
| "Mujer con Sombrero" |
| The museum also houses works by many other artists. We especially liked this super- realistic painting of "Broadway Looking Towards Colombus Circle" by Richard Estes. |