Montevideo, Uruguay
Montevideo was first settled by the Portuguese seeking a strategic advantage near the ocean. But Spain, already established in Buenos Aires nearby, expelled them in 1724. This was the beginning of the city's golden era. Today Montevideo is rated first in Latin America for the best quality of life. With a population of 1.3 million, one-third of Uruguay's total population, the city is a unique blend of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, African and indigenous traditions.
We docked at 8:00 AM and were greeted to sunny weather in the 70's, the most comfortable since Bermuda a month before.
Leaving for our day's excursion we passed the anchor from the German WWII battleship Graf Spee. The ship was scuttled in the estuary of the Plate River close to the coast of Uruguay during the first naval battle of WWII. The British Navy had engaged the Graf Spee and heavily damaged it in December 1939.
Our excursion traveled to Colonia de Sacramento, about 2 hours drive from Montevideo. At a rest stop along the way, we passed a Chevrolet "traveling billboard". This, plus the cooler weather and a landscape that reminded us of rural Michigan, made us almost feel like we were home. Fortunately, it is spring here, unfortunately our family back home is shoveling snow way too early in the fall season.
Spring flowers were in bloom. Jan is standing next to a Ceibo tree. Its carmine red flower is the national flower of Uruguay and Argentina.
Colonia de Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, across the Plata River from Buenos Aires. It's known for its cobble stoned streets, lined with buildings from its time as a Portuguese settlement in the 1680s.
In the heart of old town is the Basilica de Santisimo Sacramento, a perish church established in 1680. The current structure was built in 1810 and refurbished in 1847 after it was damaged by lightning.
Recent excavations in the main plaza of Colonia have reviled the foundation of the Portuguese governor's mansion. The older parts of the town follow the Portuguese construction model where natural landscape defined the location of buildings and streets. On the contrary, the newer Spanish areas are defined as a military structure with regular city blocks oriented north-to-south and east-to-west.
Mate, an herbal beverage, is the "national drink" of both Uruguay and Argentina. Above is a selection of mate cups which are as personal to their owners as the coffee cup is to an American. To enjoy mate, the cup is filled with the dry herbal leafs, hot water is added, then the silver straw sips the brew from the bottom. More hot water is added. A full cup of mate leafs will last its owner all day.
Nautical Term of the Day - Above Board
This is anything on or above the open deck. If something is open and in plain view, it is "above board."
We docked at 8:00 AM and were greeted to sunny weather in the 70's, the most comfortable since Bermuda a month before.
Leaving for our day's excursion we passed the anchor from the German WWII battleship Graf Spee. The ship was scuttled in the estuary of the Plate River close to the coast of Uruguay during the first naval battle of WWII. The British Navy had engaged the Graf Spee and heavily damaged it in December 1939.
Our excursion traveled to Colonia de Sacramento, about 2 hours drive from Montevideo. At a rest stop along the way, we passed a Chevrolet "traveling billboard". This, plus the cooler weather and a landscape that reminded us of rural Michigan, made us almost feel like we were home. Fortunately, it is spring here, unfortunately our family back home is shoveling snow way too early in the fall season.
Spring flowers were in bloom. Jan is standing next to a Ceibo tree. Its carmine red flower is the national flower of Uruguay and Argentina.
Colonia de Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, across the Plata River from Buenos Aires. It's known for its cobble stoned streets, lined with buildings from its time as a Portuguese settlement in the 1680s.
This historic building illustrates both Portuguese and Spanish construction methods. The Portuguese used stone (not bricks) for their structures and their windows were smaller. With this in mind note that the building on the left is stone, however it was later modified (on the right) by adding a second story made of brick and enlarging the window.
Road construction followed a similar pattern. The older Portuguese roads were stone (lower left of photo), while the newer Spanish roads were brick (lower right of photo).
In the heart of old town is the Basilica de Santisimo Sacramento, a perish church established in 1680. The current structure was built in 1810 and refurbished in 1847 after it was damaged by lightning.
The church's interior was functional, not ornate like the gold laden churches in Brazil.
Is this historic truck part of the Chevrolet promotion we viewed when we arrived in town?
Recent excavations in the main plaza of Colonia have reviled the foundation of the Portuguese governor's mansion. The older parts of the town follow the Portuguese construction model where natural landscape defined the location of buildings and streets. On the contrary, the newer Spanish areas are defined as a military structure with regular city blocks oriented north-to-south and east-to-west.
Mate, an herbal beverage, is the "national drink" of both Uruguay and Argentina. Above is a selection of mate cups which are as personal to their owners as the coffee cup is to an American. To enjoy mate, the cup is filled with the dry herbal leafs, hot water is added, then the silver straw sips the brew from the bottom. More hot water is added. A full cup of mate leafs will last its owner all day.
Nautical Term of the Day - Above Board
This is anything on or above the open deck. If something is open and in plain view, it is "above board."
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