Montevideo in winter: more Montevideo
The Old City indoor
It's time to unearth that myth that colonial cities are best enjoyed in the sun. The Old City is what remains of the original Montevideo, that of the first port that governed the Río de la Plata. The main square and its grid preserve the decadent aftertaste of past and better times with its colorful but sad facades. And, of course, here are the most significant monuments of the city. But these are not mere photos to fulfill, they have their soul, their interior that is worth discovering not only because the rain is getting worse.
It is the case of Cathedral , with its immaculate decoration and gigantic proportions. Or the one from council of Montevideo , a Spanish neoclassical building that has now lost its functions to end up being the Municipal Historical Museum . A good example of a space whose continent exceeds its content. Other notable museums and very much for winter are the decorative arts or the ** Pedro Figari **, which honors and compiles the work of the great Uruguayan avant-garde artist. However, the one that ends up attracting the most attention is the Cultural space at the foot of the wall for having opened a hole of culture in the bowels of the old wall.
And, of course, it is the mate. The statistics say that here, the consumption of mate exceeds that of the rest of soft drinks together, so it is not a stereotype. And for this there are always (be it summer, winter or the end of time) the magnificent sarandí street cafes.
General view of the Old City of Montevideo
The luxury of El Prado
There is only one place in all of Montevideo where walking with an umbrella is not out of place. That is The meadow , the residential neighborhood built around the homonymous park and Miguelete creek where the most spectacular villas and palaces of the capital are located. The sad walk through the withered trees gives surprising views of the most luxurious estates and some other essential visits such as the Prado Hotel , an establishment that is not known if it is a hotel or a monument. Come on, where to paraphernally drink a coffee with pastries (or a mate, of course).
Contemporary art in a prison
It may sound a bit geek to arrive in Montevideo and get into a contemporary art museum. But… what if he is in a prison? Ah, well, things change. And more so when it is noted from the beginning that in the ** Contemporary Art Space ** no one has wanted to hide the past nor hide the prison obviousness . A nice metaphor that changes the meaning of words like gallery or module. By the way, another curious and noteworthy space for new trends is the subway, icon of a country that wants to be modern. Why not?
art in jail
The multisensory experience of the Mercado del Puerto
The gastronomic icon of Montevideo is its famous Port Market . Here it no longer smells of sea or blood. Nothing of its old function remains, now it serves to shelter dozens of gourmet restaurants under its iron skeleton. And the star dish is obvious: roast beef. If you get a seat at one of its tables, the visit will be perfect. If not, you can always browse and visit the craft stalls, contemplate the nomadic easels of the street performers and listen to the musicians that seek to convince the tourist with a sloppy tango that gives the place a special atmosphere.
Grilled meat on the street
Sunday to Tristan Narvaja
On this street in the Cordón neighborhood every week a good show is set up. As a popular song says, "blacks and whites, Creoles and gringos, everything abounds at the Sunday fair." Is Uruguayan version of the Rastro Madrid makes Montevideo boil. You don't skip a Sunday and here you can find the strangest objects in the world. Evidence that this city is, above all, a glorious port through which all kinds of merchandise have passed. A paradise for those who pursue that horro vacui kitsch and geek so typical of 'Alaska and Mario'. An approach to the street version of a city that refuses to go dormant in the middle of winter.
Fried cake without excuses
It is said that any good Uruguayan, as soon as he sees a drop of rain, runs to have a fried cake accompanied by a good mate. The simple winter recipe (it is basically a fried cake) par excellence of Montevideo, however, It is sold at any time and anywhere. . It is not a dish to be taken sitting down, far from it. Rather to tone up and combat the cold wind in any corner. For this reason, tradition requires that they be purchased at the street stalls that populate the very long boulevard of Montevideo. And more so since its activity was regularized a few years ago, guaranteeing optimal conditions for its production in these mobile kitchens.
Go up to Peñarol
Getting to Peñarol by bus or by train is to travel back to that industrial era in which the neighborhood enjoyed more life. Industrial tourism may not have caught on, but one of Montevideo's best-known neighborhoods has decided to dress up to show everyone the potential it had thanks to the factories and l a life english style that marked the routine . Not surprisingly, here is the largest (and probably only) Uruguay cricket ground . But perhaps the most surprising thing is that the steel has not been allowed to rust, giving rise to ghostly landscapes. Peñarol has been filled with underground life , of a girl on a skateboard and of contemporary urban spaces that coexist with a gigantic top that has become the mascot and image of the neighborhood.
The 'Trail' of Montevideo
The cradle of football
The Centennial Stadium It is, today, the only historical monument of world football according to FIFA. This honor is due to the fact that it hosted the first World Cup final, as well as different finals in other South American tournaments. It's a quasi-religious pilgrimage center for Uruguayans , since all the tournaments that have been played here were won by the Celestials, which makes it almost an amulet. In the eyes of the contemporary visitor, this stadium is neither an engineering prodigy nor surprising in its aesthetics. has many more sentimental components that are collected in its football museum while from its panoramic tower you can get an overwhelming view of a city that lives at the foot of a stadium.
Centenario Stadium: the football visit
overseas wine
In the outskirts of the city, different wineries proliferate that have experimented with grapes and wine thanks to immigration. It is the case of Carrau Wineries , a company that was born in Catalonia but that ended up taking shape in Uruguay. Or the one from Fallabrino , an Italian family that has managed to cultivate and produce everything from vermouths to sparkling wines and ciders on these lands. Bouza Wineries offers complete wine tourism packages , something that is not trivial in a company that produces so many different wines, from Albariños to Tempranillos or Merlots. Come on, in Uruguay they also know how to take advantage of the grape and are learning to turn it into a tourist asset.
To the rich Latin wine
Tango and candombe at Baar Fun Fun
And as, Montevideo is tango . It is not a matter of arguing about where this musical style was born or about whether Buenos Aires is more or less tango. You just have to enjoy it. The best club for it is the Baar Fun Fun , in the middle of Ciudad Vieja and wallpapered with memories and photos in sepia. And if you can go on an evening where they mix candombe and tango, much better, since that way you understand where this sensual and apocryphal music comes from. Because candombe is the rhythm brought by the Africans (Montevideo was the gateway for slaves and immigrants from Africa) and whose ostinatos ended up degenerating into the devilish beats of the milonga and tango . Listened to one after the other, they don't even seem like family. And there is the grace. Because as happens with Jazz in Chicago, in Montevideo everything is tango.
May the tango never miss