Hotel Italia in----
Colonia del Sacramento
in Uruguay
via Buquebus Ferry from Buenos Aires.
The fast ferry takes about an hour to cross the Rio Plata (Silver River), which looks more like mud than silver. It is a 50km expanse of ochre coloured water one crosses from Argentina to Uruguay. As the country is as flat as Manitoba here, there is no scenery to capture on the crossing, except for the skyline of Buenos Aires disappearing and reappearing depending which way one travels.
The excursion: transfer via fast ferry, terminal to hotel, one night hotel, city tour, lunch, breakfast....$175 Canadian, not too bad.
Colonial architecture prevails throughout the little historical town
But even here, in the backwater of tiny Uruguay, one finds tango, tango and tango. It is rumoured, that Carlos Gardel, the Tango Idol, was actually a Uruguayan citizen.
Uruguayan Beef. I actually tried my first steak over here. It was so large, that I packed up most of it in a napkin, and shared it with the many stray dogs running around the streets of Colonia.
Sears Fridge delivery in Colonia
The most famous Street in Colonia: Street of Sighs
One of the historic buildings in the Calle de los Suspiros
Pavement is a conglomeration of raw stones, making for rather athletic maneuvering up and down romantic alleys
Uruguayan Welcome....A waiter from one of the many restaurants offered a taste of Uruguayan wine to passers-by. A kiss on the cheek was thrown in for good measure - that is worth the entire trip....
House walls and street pavements seem to melt into each other.
Fishing in the Plata...
The local Yacht and Fishing Club just down the dock.
Interior of the local cathedral
Interior of the one and only public toilet, lovely hand-painted tiles...
Greenery bursting from stones, walls, streets...
The Faro (Lighthouse) on the site of an old convent, now in ruins.
Siesta time in Colonia for man's best friend
...and for man
and for woman's best friend...
..and for women...everybody falls into temporary unconciousness during lunch time...
The restaurants are slowly filling up
some offer a taste of art beside the regular menu
Tables are set up wherever there is room in the narrow streets, no Canadian style licensing scheme drawing lines on the pavement beyond which vino consumption is a crime
Art and Food
The town seems to be a living museum of ancient car models
some of which are just baking in the heat of the mid-day sun
some look museum ready
but most have valid license plates and are actually driven around with great noise by almost equally ancient drivers.
Night falls over City Hall
A few locals enjoy the sunset over the Rio Plata from a river side restaurant
to take in the famous sunset over the Rio Plata
