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.
Guidebook author & tour guide, Robert Wright, shares what's in his line of sight.
montevideo: palacio legislativo
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.
montevideo: pocitos
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:
montevideo: avenida 18 de julio
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.
montevideo: ciudad vieja
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.
montevideo: first impressions
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.
argentina: córdoba, civil architecture
Perhaps to prove I saw more than religious architecture in Córdoba, there are even more photos in this post. 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)…
argentina: córdoba, religious architecture
Although Franciscans established the first religious order in the new city, Jesuits arrived in 1599 & made Córdoba a center for learning as well as spiritual growth. Surviving in 25 city blocks with the main square at its center, Córdoba’s early history is best expressed by its surviving religious structures. Surprisingly enough, I found no guide that focused solely on this aspect of Córdoba… so here’s a suggested walking route.
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repost: then & now, buenos aires
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 BA. 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 the comparing the past & the present!
milano: cimitero monumentale
I’ll go out on a limb & say it: Recoleta has nothing on Milan’s main cemetery. Blasphemy!!