Montevideo, Uruguay

Today is going to be jammed packed and warm. Yes I said warm… you may even need sunscreen. Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay that is situated on a peninsula with a wide river Rio de La Plata (200km) and the sea along its coast. Argentina and Brazil are its neighbours.

The city used to be a walled city. The wall was removed and all that remains is a gateway so this will be a first stop.

Independence square sits on the new side surrounded by magnificent buildings reflecting the Italian architects and different styles.

On Independence square there are 33 palm trees representing the 33 men that declared Uruguay independent.

Oh did I tell you that we were looking at the history of Uruguay through art today…oops..well we are. on the other side of the gate is a vibrant collection of shops and meeting places.

J Torres Garcia portrayed Uruguay in abstract art using symbols or simple shapes. He also designed toys.

Uruguay has experienced a pandemic with yellow fever, Wars both world and between neighbouring countries and of course it has been recorded in paint.

The gallery that held these paintings was in a magnificent building that was once a private house .

The wealthy would escape to these houses in summer. They had extensive gardens. This one now has a Japanese style garden

The normal people live in houses like these.Just a bit different?

Of course modern life includes lots of apartment buildings now. Some are designed as a stepping stone for young families and can be purchased with low interest loans.

Because the city gets hot. Streets are tree lined and there are plenty of squares and parks.

Every February, Carnivale is celebrated. Neighbourhoods get together to make costumes and create songs. These are performed over a 40 day period and there are competitions to see who is the best for the year.

The costumes are elaborate and the performances a mix of dance and music. It originates from the African slaves with drumming and then European influences were added.

Murga consists of 17 singers who dance and sing to the drums in their costumes and painted faces. It is amazing don’t you think. I loved the performance we watched. Did you enjoy it?

Are you exhausted? Here are some extra photos of things we saw just to remind you.

On to the next port Buenos Aires. More adventures await.