Next week I’ll be embarking on another intense work trip beginning with two solid weeks of guidebook research for Rick Steves. A few readers might be thinking: oooh, how exciting! what a glamorous job! Certainly some fun moments will occur, but overall the schedule is so tight that there’s little room for glamour :-)
I’m what might be called 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 again. Whether for work or play, I always go back for more.
No denying it: I have a certain fondness for this piece of sculpture. Columbus was the subject of some of my first digital photos in 2002, he often wowed tourists when I began guiding locally ten years ago, & Plaza Colón was one of the few places my mom wanted to see during her first & only visit overseas (that’s a tiny her below!).
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 me entering one of the most important buildings in the nation.
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 :-)
Boulevard España shoots straight up the hill from the beach in Pocitos. The first time I saw this street I couldn’t believe how funky & how surprisingly well the houses work together. Tons of different styles on every block: Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau herons, Art Deco, Neocolonial, tiled domes… a great mix:
The Avenida 18 de Julio is easily one of my favorite thoroughfares for its eclectic character, grandeur & surprising amount of preserved architectural heritage. So what happened on July 18th that was so important? Uruguay adopted its first constitution in 1830… a remarkable avenue for a remarkable event.
I’ve been busy the past week attempting to confirm dates & purchasing flights. While I’ve made progress, arranging three months of travel is always insane. Hopefully I’ll have time to write about my experiences along the way, but the reality is that work comes first. If I disappear from the internet from May to July, know I’m alive & well. Here’s where I’ll be…
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 only 100 blocks—give or take a few—arranged in an 8 x 13 grid.
One thing I couldn’t understand: why didn’t I see more tourists? Spring isn’t high season, but just look at this city… 18 km of coastline, several different beaches, trees everywhere, friendly people, a nicely preserved city center, eclectic architecture. Montevideo has everything Buenos Aires lacks with fewer people & a laid-back vibe that makes visiting even more enjoyable.