Eye on Uruguay

Nota Bene

2011-11-22T12:35:00.001-02:00

Check out N.B. a new blog with notes on my new location, New Brunswick, Canada.

Cost of living in Montevideo

2011-08-23T12:15:00.001-03:00

Is it really economical for a retired expat to live in Montevideo? I have discovered a fascinating website that makes it easy to compare basic costs of everyday living in a number of places around the globe. It's called Expatistan and once you've tried it you'll be hooked on international comparative studies.

I learned the following facts in one afternoon of research.

The cost of living in Oslo is 113% higher than in Montevideo.
London is 82% higher than Montevideo.
Singapore is 77% higher than Montevideo.
Paris is 65% higher than Montevideo.
Amsterdam is 62% higher than Montevideo.
Hong Kong is 49% higher than Montevideo.
Rome is 37% higher than Montevideo.

The cost of living in Toronto is 49% higher than in Montevideo.
Vancouver is 41% higher than Montevideo.
Halifax is 34% higher than Montevideo.
Edmonton is 30% higher than Montevideo.
Saskatoon is 20% higher than Montevideo.
Montreal is 19% higher than Montevideo.

The cost of living in Charlotte, N.C. and Johannesburg, South Africa are about the same as the cost of living in Montevideo.

The cost of living in St. Petersburg, Russia is 6% less than in Montevideo.
Prague is 10% less than Montevideo.
Budapest is 13% less than Montevideo.
Warsaw is 22% less than Montevideo.
Mendoza is 26% less than Montevideo.
Buenos Aire is 27% less than Montevideo.
Lima is 29% less than Montevideo.
Mexico City is 30% less than Montevideo.
Quito is 44% less than Montevideo.

The website compares average prices for food, housing, clothes, transportation, personal care, and entertainment. Visitors to Expatistan can participate and improve the accuracy of statistics by entering current local prices for items such as a tube of toothpaste, a Big Mac, 2 lbs.of potatoes, a litre of gas, movie tickets, a public transit pass, a pair of dress shoes, or four rolls of toilet paper.

From my own experience, I would say that living in Montevideo has become more costly for expats in the past year due to the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar coupled with high inflation (8.5%). When we do our regular grocery shopping at Disco supermarket, we note that prices are sneaking upward from week to week on basic items such as coffee, jam, cereal, rice, bread and butter. Our life in Uruguay is definitely simpler and more spartan than in North America - we do not own a car, a dishwasher, a television, a washer or dryer. Our house does not have the luxury of central heating, which makes the winter months uncomfortable. Utilities are expensive in Montevideo, so I avoid using the electric oven. Baking and roasting have become vague memories from my Canadian culinary past, as it is much less costly to buy pastries from the panaderia and a ready-to-serve slice of beef from the deli counter. Slow food is out of the question.

On the positive side, public transit in Montevideo is reliable and inexpensive. Tickets to concerts, ballet, opera and theatre are affordable and offer a full range of world-class performers. This city may not be a cheap place to live, but it is never boring.

When former left-wing militant Jose (Pepe) Mujica was elected President in 2009, his acceptance speech included the following passage.

"There is no fixed list of things that make us happy. Some think the ideal world is full of shopping centres. I've nothing against that vision, but I simply say that it isn't the only one. I say we can imagine a country where people repair things instead of throwing them away, where they choose a small car instead of a large one, where they put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat."

Clearly, we are living in Mujica's imagined republic.

Made by Marita

2011-08-16T16:32:00.000-03:00

My favourite Uruguayan sweater is a loose-fitting raspberry coloured cardigan with raglan sleeves, a shawl collar and two lines of cable stitching down the front. It is made from 100% wool, hand-spun and kettle-dyed, a natural fibre that is lustrous, soft, lightweight and warm. When it's cold and damp in Montevideo, this garment is the ultimate comforter.

What makes this piece of clothing particularly special is not the styling or the drape of the wool, but the fact that I know who made it. Her name is Marita and she lives in a village northeast of Montevideo called Totoral. She's part of a rural co-op associated with "Manos del Uruguay," a progressive homegrown venture that helps skilled artisans to develop and market their creations. Each knitter is a part owner of the co-operative and directly benefits from the profit generated.

Each "Manos del Uruguay" label names the maker

The organization began with five women in 1968, and has grown to include 350 artisans working in 17 co-ops. "Manos del Uruguay" was a pioneer in introducing health insurance, retirement pensions, paid vacations and maternity leave for its members. They also established the first preschool and kindergarten facilities in Uruguay for members' children. In 2009, "Manos del Uruguay" was admitted as a full member of the World Fair Trade Organization which promotes sustainable economic development.

The high quality wool used for knitting their ready-to-wear collection is distributed and sold throughout the world, with each skein personally signed by the dyer. There's an American website Fairmount Fibers a Canadian one Manos Canada and a British site Artesano Yarns. A colour lab in Montevideo is directed by Santiago Vera Puglia, a master dyer who maintains quality control for the entire "Manos del Uruguay" operation. The "stria" or shading of the wool from dark to light tones is a distinctive characteristic of his specialized dyeing techniques. He is responsible for developing over 1000 colours and for keeping those colours consistent as large batches of wool are hand-processed and hung out to dry.

"Manos del Uruguay" operates four retail stores in Montevideo and also sells products at the Carrasco Airport duty-free shop.

"Manos del Uruguay" store at Punta Carretas Shopping

I want to send a big "Gracias" to the woman named Marita. The work of your hands has kept me warm and comfortable all winter. It's more than just a piece of clothing - I like to think that stitch-by-stitch you've created a poem.

La Rambla, then and now

2011-08-05T18:46:00.002-03:00

Strolling along the rambla, 1930s

The rambla of Montevideo functions as an emblem for the city, a place to congregate, an extended promenade, a sports track, and a connector for diverse neighbourhoods. For the visitor arriving from the airport, the winding route along the rambla offers a scenic, impressive entrance to the city. The 22 kilometre stretch of coastal avenue extending from the port in Ciudad Vieja to the suburb of Carrasco is the subject of an exhibition of archival photos presented at El Centro Municipal de Fotografia, Sala CMDF.

Installation of photos at CMDF

The construction of the rambla was initiated by the municipal government of Montevideo in 1922 and took over eight years to complete. The economic boom of that time period made the visionary project feasible, while the steady stream of working-class immigrants arriving at the port provided a ready and willing labour force. Montevideo was promoted as the "Switzerland of South America" and "Athens of the River Plate", and politicians wanted to take advantage of the natural attributes of the waterfront and make the coastline accessible for recreation and transportation.

Land was appropriated to provide space for the public project. The red-light district "El Bajo" was completely eliminated in the process, a social consequence undoubtedly foreseen and approved by city council. By displacing bordellos, dance halls and cafes from prime land, the seedier elements of Montevideo were forced to move to less-visible areas of the city. Creating the rambla meant radical surgery; a big facelift for a rundown riverfront.

Construction of the rambla, c. 1925

Lots of manual labour was required

The finished plaza in front of the Parque Hotel c.1935

Some urban spaces are just awkward, unfavourable places in spite of fancy design features and updated architectural elements. Those unsuccessful city squares and walkways - though well-intended - end up being perpetually vacant, or serving as a magnet for undesirable activity. The rambla, in contrast, maintains its reputation as a vibrant, safe, well-used part of Montevideo, embraced and enjoyed by all sectors of society. It is a public treasure that has become an integral part of the collective experience.

The wide sidewalk allows for multi-purpose use

Beach volleyball courts at Playa Ramirez, set against the city skyline

The plaza is now used as a skateboard area

A place to be active, or sit and watch the parade. The Parque Hotel from 1910 is in the background.

An unobstructed view of the water is essential to the concept of the promenade

A contemplative place

The rambla is a popular spot for fishing

Sunday morning pastime

The rambla allows access to the beach for joggers

Enjoying yerba mate with friends

Morning

Evening

Night, with fireworks

"Under the seeming disorder of the old city, wherever the old city is working successfully, is a marvelous order for maintaining the safety of the streets and the freedom of the city. It is a complex order. Its essence is intricacy of sidewalk use, bringing with it a constant succession of eyes. This order is all composed of movement and change, and although it is life, not art, we may fancifully call it the art form of the city and liken it to the dance — not to a simple-minded precision dance with everyone kicking up at the same time, twirling in unison and bowing off en masse, but to an intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole. The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any once place is always replete with new improvisations."

— Jane Jacobs (The Death and Life of Great American Cities)

La Casa de los Gatos

2011-08-02T14:25:00.002-03:00

La Casa de los Gatos, Boulevard Espana and Juan Paullier

I have mentioned this house in two previous blog posts, but I vow that this will definitely be the last time. The house no longer exists. Once the home of Geronimo Ithurralde, a prominent Montevideo merchant, the mansion located at 2232 Bulevar Espana was demolished earlier this week. In the early 1900s, Ithurralde designed his grand residence incorporating elements from a favourite castle in Segovia, Spain. He lived here with his wife, seven sons and one daughter. In her old age daughter Thula, the last surviving family member, remained in the house and sheltered more than 20 stray cats. The reclusive woman kept to herself, looked after her feline companions and died alone - Thula's decomposed body was discovered by police in an upstairs bedroom. Legend has it that her ghost frequented the watchtower at night.

Demolition begins at the top, with the cupola

Oak staircase is removed

Urns at the entrance

Fine ironwork

Salvaging bits and pieces

Fig leaf decoration

Layers of history

Interior

Tile detail

Reduced to rubble

The cat lady's watchtower disappears

Sledgehammer assault

Bulldozer removes the remains

A hole in the streetscape, soon to be filled with an apartment tower

Here is a video of the demolition in progress, the only press coverage that I could find.

On the street

Postscript 5/8/2011: Today's edition of " El Pais" section B has an article about the house in which architect Mariano Arana mourns the loss of the building, and describes the demolition as "incomprehensible." Too little, too late, I'm afraid!

Art Underground

2011-07-21T12:41:00.001-03:00

There is no subway system in Montevideo, but in the center of the city, hidden below Plaza Fabini, there's an underground art gallery. Salon Municipal de Exposiciones known as SUBTE is a public venue with three exhibition spaces labelled according to size - XL, M and SX. This place is one of the cultural hot spots in Montevideo, with an ongoing program of free art exhibitions, musical concerts, lectures, drama and experimental performances.

Descending the stairs that lead from the busy, sunlit plaza to a subterranean, cavernous space is like entering Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole, a transition from reality to fantasy that's heightened by the make-believe world presented by artist Claudio Roncoli in the exhibition "Black Life."

Roncoli uses digital images printed on blackout fabric as the foundation for his works. The photos are appropriated from corporate and institutional documents, advertising and vintage magazine covers. The artist paints over the enlarged black and white photos, dripping vertical lines of bright colour which alter and screen the original. Roncoli's intent is akin to a graffiti artist's; by applying a layer of paint he can disrupt an established order, while poking fun at it. It's a naughty and daring approach. See how a red dot turns a sensible schoolgirl into a silly clown? Look at the kid with the goofy crocodile mask! Roncoli clearly enjoys mark-making as much as a youth with a spray can aimed at a blank wall.

"Sistemas" 2011, digital print, acrylic on blackout fabric, 200 x 400 cm

Detail, "Sistemas"

"No somos todos iguales", 2010, digital print, acrylic on blackout fabric, 200 x 300 cm

Detail, "No somos todos iguales"

"Algo Todo Nada" 2011, digital print, acrylic on blackout fabric, 200 x 300 cm

Detail "Algo Todo Nada"

Installation view at SUBTE

Education, consumerism, corporations, government and the media - all are subject to Roncoli's scrutiny and his wry, cutting sense of humour. There are visual puns in the paintings that hint at an underlying clever irony: a pie in the face, (pie graphs replace portraits in "No somos todos iguales") eating your words (text fills the refrigerator in "Algo, Todo, Nada") seeing double (mirror images in "Sistemas".)

The fact that Claudio Roncoli grew up in a toy store seems perfectly fitting once you've become familiar with his aesthetic sensibility. His parents owned a shop in Buenos Aires and took to the road with their children in a converted school bus to sell party souvenirs. Play is an activity that the adult Roncoli hasn't outgrown, but that doesn't mean that his work is not taken seriously. He is represented in Buenos Aires by Galeria Praxis , in San Francisco by Gallery 415 , in Miami by Zadok Gallery, and so on, around the globe. You can read more about the artist and his work here.

We leave SUBTE in a buoyant mood, join the crowd on Avenida 18 de Julio and walk down to Teatro Solis. The Allegro Cafe is full of young children, parents and grandparents who have just emerged from a special winter holiday performance of the Comedie Nacional. When our espresso and carrot cake arrive at the table, we are treated to some impromptu live entertainment.

Our conversation goes like this:
Clown 1: "You speak English! Where are you from?"
Me: "I'm from Canada."
Clown 1: "We learned English at school."
Clown 2: "The pencil is red."
Clown 1: "The weather is cold."
Clown 2 "I like hamburgers!"
Me: "You'll do just fine when you visit my country. That's all you need to know."

Sometimes art imitates life, sometimes life imitates art. It's amazing when both combinations happen in the same day.

"Black Life" by Claudio Roncoli continues at SUBTE until the end of July.

Thick fog, fine ash

2011-07-10T17:45:00.000-03:00

Satellite photo from NASA, June 13, 2011 showing the ash plume

The eruption of Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in southern Chile on June 4th was not an isolated regional disaster, but a six mile high explosion of fire, magma and fumes that has disrupted weather eastward across South America and westward as far as Australia and New Zealand. During the week following the volcanic activity, Uruguay experienced dense fog, violent winds, torrential rain and dramatic thunderstorms. Clouds of ash reduced the horizon of the Rio de la Plata to a grey smudge, and my afternoon session on the beach taking moody, Turneresque photos resulted in red eyes and irritated lungs. ( It wasn't until the next day that a notice in the newspaper warned people not to wear contact lenses, a precaution that hadn't crossed my foggy mind.) Drifting volcanic ash plumes continue to affect air quality and paralyze air travel; last Friday 66 flights in and out of Carrasco Airport were cancelled. We are grounded - another irritant!

Fog shrouds the Playa Ramirez in Montevideo

Parque Rodo - ashes to ashes

The most noticeable immediate impact of volcanic activity is a widespread cold snap, as hot air from the blast rises, cools and wets. The Antofagasta area in northern Chile had a severe, unprecedented snowfall on July 5th. Although we haven't had any snow here, the past month of near-freezing temperatures in Uruguay has been a brutal episode for homeless people living on the streets. Following five deaths amongst "sin techo" victims of exposure, the government ordered mandatory pick-up and sheltering of anyone found sleeping on the sidewalk in Montevideo.

A cardboard box is home for this poor person

Friends living in Mendoza province may be boasting about the free fertilizer that will enrich their vineyard soil and improve the flavour of their wines, but they should also be aware that volcanoes have huge carbon footprints and spew chemicals that deplete the ozone layer, contaminate soil and disturb the ecosystem. Sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen fluoride are toxins that are potentially hazardous for plants and animals. Ash-covered fields are not conducive to crop-growing or livestock-grazing until the ash has washed away and filtered down through multiple layers of soil. The possible chemical fallout from volcanic activity is described in this detailed article published by the U.S government.

As we wait for the sky to clear, I am staying home to dust the woodwork, wearing my old-fashioned glasses and a thick, wool sweater.

Diomedes Libros

2011-07-05T18:02:00.001-03:00

The fun starts with the bargain tables on the sidewalk

The bookstore in our neighbourhood bears the name of Diomedes, the Greek warrior/hero whose discipline, bravery, cunning and resourcefulness are described by Homer in the Iliad. Diomedes Libros is a literary labyrinth, a jumble of used books that invites readers to spend time browsing, hunting and gathering. When you take a book from the shelf at Diomedes you discover that there's another layer, a row of fascinating titles hidden behind the first. Your only option is to remove the line of books from the front row and pile those volumes on the floor in order to get a look at the full selection. Books line the aisles in chaotic disarray, a librarian's nightmare that demands rummaging through volumes of politics, psychology, religion, history and poetry in order to find an English novel. The store has a distinct odour of mildew, old leather and damp paper. This shopping experience is a far cry from the quick, clean, easy transactions completed at Chapters Indigo in Canada.

A mountain of inventory

Seek and ye shall find.

For those brave enough to face the challenge, book-lovers who don't mind getting their hands dirty, there is treasure buried in the stacks at Diomedes. This children's book entitled "Canada" written by David Scott Daniell in the 1950s and published by Ediciones Albon in Barcelona, was my reward for digging deep.

Written in Spanish, the story charts the journey of Alison and John as they make a trip from London England to Canada. They tour all the regions of the nation, and just like the Royal couple the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate), the fictional characters encounter a host of Canuck stereotypes along the way. I love the retro-style illustrations by Jack Matthew.

Fishermen in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

View from the Citadel, Quebec City

A log cabin in the Laurentians, Quebec with busy beaver

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa, Ontario

Farmers harvesting wheat in Saskatchewan

Indians ( aboriginals) in Calgary, Alberta

Cowboys at the Calgary Stampede

Trapper in the great white Northwest Territories

Bears in the Rocky Mountains

Vancouver, British Columbia

Boarding the return flight

As Alison and John reflect on their visit to Canada, they come to the conclusion that "Canada is very big, very rich and all its people work hard and are happy."

What a find - especially during a week when Canada's national newspaper The Globe and Mail is presenting daily highlights of the Royal Visit complete with images that are remarkably similar to the illustrations in this book, drawn over 50 years ago. From Mounties to aboriginal drummers in traditional dress, not much has changed in our home and native land.

The Royal couple visit Yellowknife, NWT

Classical Music and Mink Coats

2011-06-29T17:22:00.002-03:00

It was a cold winter evening in Montevideo and many of the ladies attending the concert at Auditorio Nacional del Sodre sashayed down the aisle wearing full-length mink coats. The fur and diamond sector of the audience contrasted the casually dressed President Pepe Mujica and his wife Lucia Topolansky who took their places in the balcony a full 20 minutes late. The musicians of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela filed onto the stage, tuned their instruments and waited for the entrance of Gustavo Dudamel, the celebrated young conductor listed by Time Magazine in 2009 as one of the most influential talents in the arts.

Gustavo Dudamel

Two things about the Venezuelan orchestra stood out, even before they played the first notes of Ravel's Daphne and Chloe: the size of the orchestra, and the fact that the players are all young. This group is composed of a sea of violins and violas, a regiment of cellos, a battalion of brass, a league of woodwinds, a team of percussionists, a pair of harpists, and a mass of double bassists.

Their sound is exceptionally rich, sensitive and dynamic. The orchestra plays with gusto and obvious joy.

Dudamel's style of conducting is surprisingly understated, maintaining full control of the orchestra without flailing, bouncing, or dramatic head-shaking, and without looking at a score. One has the feeling that a slight inclination of his baby finger is enough to command the tempo and volume of an entire section. He is also reluctant to hog the limelight when applause thunders through the auditorium. Instead of bowing from the podium, Dudamel stands in the midst of the orchestra, shoulder-to-shoulder with the hard-working musicians, a gesture which says " I am but a cog in this creative machine."

Dudamel is only 30 years old and in addition to conducting the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, is Musical Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Gothenburg Symphony and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. He started his career in Barquisimeto, under the direction of Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of the Orquesta Juvenil Simon Bolivar in Venezuela. Abreu established "El Sistema" an educational program which uses classical music training as an engine for intellectual and social improvement. Many of the current professional orchestra members are graduates of the system, which has effectively lifted them from situations of poverty. "El Sistema" is being used as a model for developing music programs in many countries around the world, including Canada.

The enthusiastic response of the audience prompted two encore pieces. The grand finale was a lively samba composition and the orchestra members couldn't resist moving to the rhythm. The cellists twirled their instruments, the horns stood up and swayed, the drummers danced and yelled "Bravo!" in unison. It was the perfect whimsical end to a resounding, memorable musical performance.

Footnote: President Mujica and his wife left the auditorium at the interval. They missed the best part of the performance.

Arapey Thermal

2011-06-21T14:34:00.003-03:00

The five-star hotel appears on the horizon in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vast stretches of open land inhabited by sheep, cattle and the occasional ostrich. This isolated place north of Salto, Uruguay, is Arapey Thermal, a destination where total immersion in hot mineral springs, white terrycloth bathrobes, lounge chairs and enormous helpings of barbecued meat engender a relaxed sense of well-being.

Buqebus aircraft

We are booked for two days, all-inclusive, courtesy of Buquebus, a company that offers boat, bus and air travel throughout Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Their fleet of aircraft are ATR 72-500 high wing propeller planes made in France - a practical and eco-friendly option for short-distance flights. The Buquebus advertising states that these airplanes are more fuel-efficient and less noise polluting than regular jets.

Resort bracelet, just like a hospital band

The restaurant has an indoor asado, which is always full of beef. There's a long line-up for carne.

The extensive salad bar is virtually untouched.

Spa fashion

Steaming pools and tropical foliage

The water temperature is 38 degrees Celsius

Outdoor pools of varying depths

The thermal pools are fed by natural hot springs, and the water contains healing minerals. We are surprised (and more than a little pleased) to find that the outdoor pools are empty, although the afternoon weather is sunny and warm enough for swimming and lounging. That's warm by our Canadian standards - the Argentine and Uruguayan guests find 23 degrees Celsius far too cold! They've congregated at the indoor pool, which is crowded with bathers who float in the warm water, bodies buoyed by styrofoam tubes, while a recording of Deva Premal's hypnotic yoga music is played on the stereo system. When it's time for afternoon snack (la merienda) everyone gets out, dons terrycloth robes and flip-flops and heads en masse to the bar.

The Arapey Thermal is a fine place to simply retreat from the world sans the distraction of computers, cellphones and newspapers. We sit outside on the terrace in the evening, enjoy a glass of wine and instead of television, watch the total eclipse of the moon.

Landscape as Muse (or open pit mine)

2011-06-09T17:40:00.002-03:00

When Brazilian film director Charly Braun conceived the premise for the movie "Por El Camino" he cast the Uruguayan landscape in a starring role. The rolling hills, forests, pristine beaches and blue lagoons of the beautiful area surrounding Rocha provide a sumptuous setting for a romantic love story and on-the-road adventure which involves Santiago (an Argentinean played by Esteban Feune de Colombi) and Juliette (a Belgian played by Jill Mulleady).

The film presents semi-documentary sections highlighting the eccentric characters encountered by the couple as they travel around Uruguay. The people they meet include hippies in a mountain commune, fashion models in Punta del Este, gauchos at the rodeo, and a wealthy godfather who owns a luxury property near Rocha. These individuals offer advice and commentary that lends depth to the film's exploration of the national psyche. A definite sense of place evolves in this movie, and the viewer comes away enchanted by the uniqueness of both the location and its inhabitants.

I came home from the movie theatre still picturing the sweeping panoramic shots of horses galloping across green fields, images of the sand dunes at sunset, rocky hills and natural hot springs.

The newspaper article published the next day shook me abruptly out of the dreamy state induced by "Por el Camino". The headlines revealed that a Swiss company, Zamin Ferrous, is planning a large scale open pit mine to be located in the center of Uruguay. Minera Aratiri will be the largest of its kind in South America, covering 120,000 hectares of rural land around Cerro Chato and producing 18 million tons of iron ore per year for 30 years. A pipeline extending 200 kilometres to the coast will move the ore to a processing plant and deep sea port near the town of Castillos, where it will be loaded onto freighters for shipment to China. The slick company video describes the details of the Valentines project.

The Uruguayan government is in favour of the mining development, though local residents are not so enthusiastic about a project which requires the relocation of 2,500 people and will have lasting negative impact on the landscape, watershed and soil. The land in the Cerro Chato area is currently used for raising livestock and growing high quality rice. The explosives used to create the open pits will destroy some of the most fertile land in the country, a fact which cannot be compensated by the estimated income of $40 million U.S. per annum in the coffers of the Uruguayan government, or the promise of employment opportunities for local people.

There is also growing opposition in Rocha's seaside towns where tourism is the main industry. The proposed processing plant and deep sea port will be located right next to major resorts, attractive beaches and ecologically sensitive sand dunes. It will require a lot of electricity, and Zamin Ferrous has planned a coal-fired power plant to meet its industrial needs. No one wants to spend their vacation sitting on a polluted beach next to a factory zone!

I advise anyone who is interested in seeing Uruguay to book a ticket as soon as possible. The landscape is stunning, but it is not protected. The untouched, natural Uruguay seen in the movies is teetering on the brink of destruction. Kudos to director Charly Braun for his artistry and excellent timing. No doubt "Por el Camino" will soon be billed as a nostalgic classic film that captures the essence of pre-industrial Uruguay.

Here's a news update on the Zamin Ferrous project.

Ghosts

2011-06-02T17:22:00.002-03:00

The graffiti came first, claiming the presence of a ghost. It's an urban legend that the vacant house on Boulevard Espana is haunted, but the sight of a spectral figure glowing in an upstairs window could hardly be more disturbing than the sign that appeared one morning on the fence.

Doomed

Demolition company sign

A developer has purchased the property and will soon start demolition to make way for yet another high-rise apartment building.

I am appalled to see the full-scale transformation of Montevideo taking place rapidly, without protest, as irreplaceable built heritage is reduced to rubble overnight. The newspaper El Pais reports that the construction boom is happening so fast and furiously, that developers are going ahead with projects without waiting for the proper municipal permits to be issued. The fines for non-compliance are less than fees for permits, and can be paid after the fact, when the building is already in place. If a newly-constructed apartment building happens to be five storeys higher than the limit - no problem - a cash payment to the authorities will suffice.

As for a heritage registry, I am informed that there is an inventory of valued buildings in the city, but that it has absolutely no effect in preventing demolition. If the proposed construction project is backed by a sufficient amount of money, then anything is possible.

Doomed

This house around the corner on 21 de Setiembre is another ghost. It was recently sold by the owner to a developer for a very large sum, and is destined to be replaced with an apartment tower.

Changing streetscape in Parque Rodo

What to expect - an uninspired, ugly new tower right next door

Gaps like this are common in Montevideo's older neighbourhoods

Remains of a once elegant interior

Is this one next?

Or this one?

Then this one?

Or this one?

The ghosts will disappear, but Montevideans will be forever haunted by what they have lost; the fabric of a beautiful city full of history, character and charm. Progress? I think not.

“Historic buildings are a proud and significant part of our, and every, nation’s heritage. They are an irreplaceable element of the collective memory of local communities…They contribute both to our sense of identity and to that regional distinctiveness which is so valuable and so vulnerable.”
- Stevens, J, Sir. (past) Chairman English Heritage.

Javier Bassi

2011-05-29T19:53:00.002-03:00

The upstairs gallery at the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales is as spacious as a ballroom, and its high-gloss hardwood floor seems to extend an invitation to dance. It might be fun, but waltzing would be inappropriate here, as I am reminded by both the presence of a surly security guard and the imposing series of paintings by Javier Bassi - sombre, large, black rectangles that march along the walls like a funeral procession. At first glance this looks like an exhibition of formal, minimalist abstract canvases (i.e. serious stuff.)

Installation view of "In/visibilidad" exhibition

The labels reveal that Bassi's work is not pure abstraction, but a combination of collage and painting. The artist uses black toner (the same carbon chemical used in photocopiers and printer cartridges) applied over a layer of classified ads that have been pasted to the canvas. The off-white streaks that read as brush marks are actually areas where the underlying newsprint is exposed.

Detail, with classified ads barely visible under the toner

In some of the paintings Bassi allows his technique to be deciphered, revealing fragments of the printed page, while in other works, the toner completely covers the ads. The viewer has to question the presence and function of the submerged, invisible content. What significance does a totally obscured image have?

Classified ads are published to meet the needs of those who wish to buy, sell, trade or hire. "Want ads" they are called, and indeed the classified section manages to address just about every human desire: transportation, clothing, shelter, furniture, food, tools, collectibles, pets, education, employment, even personal relationships are offered. The ads form an enticing grid of possibilities for gratification.

"Mi linea como trampa" 200 x 480 cm

I am a fan of haiku, and enjoy the sense of surprise and simple insights that these succinct verses offer. I read the following haiku in The Heron's Nest magazine and said "Aha!" as the Bassi series came to mind.

migrating geese-

the things we thought we needed

darken the garage

- Chad Lee Robinson

"Ice Cream Memory" 100 x 130 cm

Bassi's paintings, like the dark, overloaded garage, represent weighty accumulations rather than voids. All the things listed in the ads are stored under layered shadows that effectively cancel any initial attraction. Both visual artist and haiku poet are making statements that mock materialism and the human weakness for possessions.

Instead of being encumbered with a lot of things, wouldn't it be nice to be airborne, like the migrating birds? And wouldn't it be nice to just go ahead and dance, when you have the urge?

"In/visibilidad" by Javier Bassi continues at the MNAV until July 10, 2011. The exhibition catalogue, with images, artist's biography and curatorial essays, is available online.

Si monumentum quaeris, circumspice

2011-05-20T17:37:00.003-03:00

If you seek monuments in Montevideo, look around Parque Rodo. This green oasis in the middle of the city is named after Jose Enrique Rodo, one of Uruguay's most influential writers and educators.

Rodo's essay "Ariel" written in 1900, has become a classic treatise for philosophical thinking in Latin America. Composed in the style of a lecture given by professor Prospero to his students before they venture out into the world, "Ariel" advocates humanistic rather than materialistic values. Rodo asserts that "The civilization of a country acquires its grandeur, not by its manifestations of material prosperity and predominance, but by the higher order of thinking or of feeling this makes possible."

Ariel is depicted emerging from the stone over the head of Rodo

Monument to Rodo, created by sculptor Jose Belloni in 1947

Rodo's essay also expresses a definite anti-American sentiment. Although the 29 year-old author had never actually visited the U.S., he condemns North American culture as utilitarian, narrow, insensitive and greedy. "Titanic in its enormous concentration of human will-power, in its unprecedented triumph in all spheres of material aggrandizement, its civilization yet produces as a whole a singular impression of insufficiency, of emptiness." He warns against "nordomania" (fascination with North America), denounces the Puritan work ethic, and stresses the importance of developing a distinctly South American identity based on European values, particularly those of England, France and Spain. The term "arielismo" still used today, refers to a sense of Latin American moral and spiritual superiority, steeped in idealism and marked with disdain for menial work driven by economic incentive.

La despedidas de Giorgias

The bronze figures portrayed on either side of the monument represent scenes from two other works written by Rodo - Giorgia's Farewell and The Six Pilgrims.

Los seis peregrinos

The other side of the Rodo monument has a reflecting pool

The map of Parque Rodo lists a total of 28 monuments spread over the landscaped grounds. Here are some of the highlights among the eclectic mix of people represented.

Confucius, looking out to the river

"Monumento Cosmico" 1939 by Joaquin Torres-Garcia is pink granite engraved with Pre-Columbian symbols

Artigas monument, dedicated to "Las Instrucciones de 1813"

Curved wall of the monument serves as temporary shelter

Albert Einstein (although it's hard to tell)

Neptune

Venus and Cupid

Venus, overlooking her pool

Fountain of the Athletes

William Tell

Parque Rodo has other attractions, including spaces for cultural events, a library, an art gallery, tennis courts, an amusement park, a photo gallery and an open air theatre. Even Jose Enrique Rodo would approve of this park's contribution to the improvement of mind and body.

Castle which houses a children's library

Patio Andaluz, with tiled benches and central fountain

Carousel

Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales

Evening performance of the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra

Outdoor photo exhibition

Market in the park every Sunday

Green space for morning exercises

"I am convinced that he who has learned to distinguish the delicate from the common, the ugly from the beautiful, has gone half the way to knowing the evil from the good." - Jose Enrique Rodo

Postscript:
The Latin phrase "Si monumentum quaeris, circumspice" means "If you seek a monument, look around you." This is the inscription on the grave of architect Christopher Wren who is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, the church which he designed. It is also the inscription on my great-grandfather's tombstone in Nishatganj (Trans-Gogra) Lucknow, India. Matthew Ridley was the Superintendent of Government Parks and Gardens in Lucknow from 1875 until his death in 1904.

Old Stones and Cellulose

2011-05-13T21:40:00.008-03:00

With the height of the tourist season now finished and the fall weather still sunny and pleasant, we decide to take a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, located 177 kilometers northwest of Montevideo The bus ride takes two and a half hours, following a route that passes through a factory zone in the industrial east end of the city and gradually becomes scenic as green hills dotted with dairy farms replace billowing smokestacks.

Porton de Campo, the gate to the old town, built in 1745

At noon we arrive in Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest city in Uruguay, settled in 1680 by the Portugese governor of Rio de Janeiro, Manuel Lobo. For the early inhabitants, this area represented a strategic bit of coastline on the Rio de la Plata, located near the mouth of the Parana River and directly opposite the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Prosperous Colonia, an active port and center of contraband trading, changed hands many times in the course of history, in military disputes between the Portugese and Spanish. The Spanish eventually succeeding in making claim to the area following a siege in 1777.

Today, the Barrio Historico is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once you cross the wooden drawbridge and go through the massive stone Porton de Campo, the rough cobblestone streets lead to a central plaza surrounded by a living architectural museum that's often compared to old Lisbon.

Cobblestone street next to the ramparts lead to the waterfront

Early Portugese colonial house on Calle de los Suspiros

Patina on a stucco wall

Ruins of the 17th c. convent of San Francisco, and the lighthouse, completed in 1857

View of Rio de la Plata from Colonia

Fishing on the rocky shore

We visit several museums in Colonia - the Portugese Museum, the Tile Museum, the Indigenous Museum - all within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor. The collections are small with precious groupings of ceramics, weaponry, furniture and maps displayed in buildings that were once private houses. Wandering around the old town, we find a sharp contrast between Montevideo streets (dirty, noisy, full of traffic and graffiti) and those in Colonia del Sacramento (clean, quiet, well-maintained, pedestrian-friendly.)

At the top of De Portugal, the Basilica de Sanctisimo Sacramento, 1808

The church interior - stark white, undecorated

Virgen de Treinte y Tres displayed inside the church

Just opposite the old church, we stop at a restaurant that has tables set out on the sidewalk. With roasted chicken and green salad, we enjoy a glass of G Sauvignon Gris, a wine from Casa Filgueira bodega.

Uruguayan Sauvignon Gris - a crisp patio wine

Waiter at the Viejo Barrio restaurant

Ceramics in an antique shop

1717 Fine Arts Cafe features black and white photography

The beautiful terrace and courtyard at 1717 provide a relaxing spot for ...

espresso coffee!

Typical streetscape in Colonia, with stone construction

On the way back to Montevideo, we notice that almost every farm in the area surrounding Colonia is marked with a "For Sale" sign. A friend who owns a small apple farm offers an explanation as to what is happening in rural communities. The government approval of a cellulose plant, a project funded by a conglomerate of Chilean, Finnish and Swedish companies operating as Montes del Plata de Uruguay, has caused the sudden glut of farms offered for sale. At 1.9 billion U.S. dollars, this is the largest foreign investment that the country has ever seen. The plant and industrial port will be located at Punta Pereira near Conchillas, within a free trade zone on the bank of Rio de la Plata, just north of Colonia del Sacramento. To provide enough trees for continuous production of pulp and paper, Montes del Plata is intent on acquiring property for planting forests - in fact, they already own 250,000 hectares of land in Uruguay! And they're not alone: UPM-Kymmene from Finland owns 225,000 hectares, and the U.S. company Weyerhauser owns 140,000 hectares. The large-scale foreign ownership of prime land will mean that smaller food producers are squeezed out of operation, just like our apple orchard friend, who is seriously considering a forestry company's attractive offer to purchase. Goodbye to his annual harvest of Granny Smith, hello to fast-growing eucalyptus and pine.

Ad running in the national newspaper, "El Pais"

One hopes that the heritage sites in Uruguay will be preserved, with each stone intact for future generations to appreciate. One hopes that industrial growth will not destroy the sustainable, small-scale farms that feed the population. One hopes that the environment will remain pristine, that water resources will be protected, that soil quality will be maintained, that the air will stay clean. One hopes that Uruguay, with its rich human history and natural resources, will remain distinctly Uruguayan.

Piria - Utopian pioneer

2011-05-01T17:11:00.003-03:00

Francisco Piria

There are characters in history whose gifts of intelligence, tenacity, vision and timing work together to produce a life blessed with good fortune. Francisco Piria, born in Montevideo in 1847 to Italian parents, was one of those determined and lucky men. Educated in Genoa by an uncle who was a Jesuit monk, Piria acquired a lifelong interest in ancient mysticism and alchemy along with a strict Christian upbringing.

He returned to Uruguay after completing his studies and found employment with an auction house in the Old City Market, selling clocks, watches, overcoats and boots. When the market was destroyed by fire in 1870, Piria decided to re-establish himself as a real estate auctioneer. His business grew and prospered as Piria bought and sold land for upscale neighbourhoods in Montevideo, Rosario and Buenos Aires.

In 1890 Piria acquired 2700 parcels of land in an undeveloped coastal region 100 kilometers east of the city of Montevideo. His trips to the French Riviera had convinced him that this location, with its white sand beaches, granite hills and virgin forests had the potential to become a successful seaside resort town. The site also had metaphysical qualities that appealed to him, falling in line with harmonious magnetic forces that he claimed existed in a triangular connection with Salto, Uruguay and Cordoba, Argentina. It was an excellent area for positive energy and healthy living.

Castillo Piria

Piria wasted no time in getting an infrastructure in place for his proposed settlement. He built a seven mile long boardwalk along the beachfront, a port and a railway. Workers were hired for mining granite and planting a vineyard. Piria financed the construction of a church, a bank, a bodega and a hotel. The layout for the town he named "Piriapolis" incorporated geometric principles of alchemy, with significant points in the terrain marked by sculptures and fountains. By 1897 the construction of his own grand residence at the top of a hill overlooking the town was completed. The house was also situated in a strategic spot, surrounded by granite cliffs, with a view of Piria's empire, the nascent town nestled between Punta Fria and Playa Grande. The railway was conveniently located just steps from his own back door.

Castillo grounds, with statuary and exotic trees

We visited Piriapolis and toured the Castillo, to see how pioneer Piria lived and to experience firsthand the mystical environment which inspired him to take on the challenging project of building his own Utopian community. The castle was designed by Piria as a replica of an Italianate villa. The park-like grounds are full of exotic trees which he imported from Spain and Italy.

Dining hall, with Limoges dinner service

The interior of the castle has high ceilings, dark woodwork, tiled floors and medieval style furnishings. The museum guide took us upstairs to tour the private living quarters of the Piria family and admire the stunning landscape from the walk-out terrace. It seemed as if the view from each window of the house had been carefully planned to frame basic elements of nature - rocks, water and woods.

Interior view with chapel

The Castillo's atmosphere is contemplative and soothing, and one can imagine Piria seated at his desk working on his writing, (articles to be published in his own newspaper "La Tribuna") looking up from his manuscript now and then to enjoy the magnificent vista of the "Pan de Azucar". A flock of parakeets chattering in the garden's lush palm trees reminded us that the secret codes of alchemy, Kabbalah and Renaissance magic were known as "the language of the birds."

Argentino Hotel

The aging but ever-ambitious Francisco Piria embarked on the construction of an impressive resort hotel in Piriapolis in 1920. The Argentino Hotel took ten years to build and boasted that its facilites were the most sumptuous in South America when it opened. Piria promoted the resort as a healthy vacation destination with an excellent climate, and did not hesitate to mention that visitors should consider investing in a piece of land in Piriapolis. That opportunity is still available in 2011, with lots in subdivisions on Cerro San Antonio and Pan de Azucar being sold by real estate developers.

Lobby of the Argentino Hotel

The hotel is still operating today, with 300 guest rooms, health spa, casino, banquet and convention facilities centrally located on the Rambla de los Argentinos overlooking the Playa Piriapolis. The original details of the interior have been preserved, retaining the charm of the 1930s.

A monument to Francisco Piria stands next to the hotel

Piria died in 1933 at the age of 86, but local legend tells us that he simply disappeared and his body was never found. A large cross was erected in honour of Piria at the top of the Pan de Azucar hill. Some believe that Piria found the philosopher's stone and achieved immortality. Others believe that the place called Piriapolis - the lasting legacy of a man who was a remarkable blend of visionary, eccentric, pioneer, entrepreneur, and socialist - is magic itself.

The boardwalk, Piriapolis

Miles of Tiles

2011-04-20T20:04:00.003-03:00

From Spain and France, Italy and Portugal, tiles were exported to building sites in Montevideo during the early 1900s. Decorative ceramic tiles were commonly used for every surface - from floors to ceilings to patios, benches and walls. Here are some examples I've found in our neighbourhood.

Floor tiles circa 1925

The front entry of this apartment building features a circular tile motif

The welcome mat in my hallway is a tile trompe l'oeil

Pinwheel patio tiles

Pink and black circa 1900

Arabic style courtyard tiles

Classic urn and tulip motif

Courtyard fountain

Ceramic shrine with handpainted religious scene, rosette frame and tiled roof

Blue diamonds under the eaves

Pilaster with Spanish tiles

Curved benches in Parque Rodo

Tiles frame the arch over the entrance to a house on Boulevard Espana

Antique tiles for sale at the Tristan Narvaja market

Medialunas in the morning

2011-04-04T17:00:00.002-03:00

Breakfast in Uruguay is a minimal meal with coffee and medialunas providing the standard morning fare. Not much to start to day with, but a big dinner consumed after 11:00 pm does tend to limit what the stomach can handle at desayuno.

Every corner grocery store in Montevideo has an oven at the back for baking medialunas. We've tried several versions of medialunas from various sources, but Fiori's on the corner of San Salvador and Joaquim Salterain makes the best. First thing in the morning the place is bustling with early customers enroute to work or school and delivery men bringing crates of fruit and vegetables, but get your foot inside the door and the aroma of fresh-baked pastries greets you.

The origin of the croissant, (ancestor of the medialuna) is not known for certain, but I do like the culinary legend that links its creation to the Ottoman Empire. In 1683 the city of Vienna, Austria was under siege by the Turks, who were digging underground passages in an effort to reach the centre. Bakers working at night heard the enemy's subterranean activities and warned the defenders of the city. Prompted by this tip, King John III of Poland organized an army that successfully defeated the Turks and forced their retreat. To celebrate the victory, Viennese bakers created crescent-shaped pastries based on the crescent moon of the Turkish flag. True or not, it makes a great story to accompany a mouthful of flaky, crisp pastry filled with dulce de membrillo (quince).

Each morning it's the same routine at Fiori's: The medialunas are removed from the oven and placed on a cookie sheet. A sugar glaze is brushed on the pastries while they are still hot. Six are placed in a paper bag. The bag is weighed and priced. Payment is made to the cashier at the front of the store - only 32 pesos ($1.50).

From Vienna to Montevideo is a long journey, but the medialuna has travelled that far and successfully bridged the gap between Old World Europe and New World South America.

Art Deco, encore

2011-03-30T16:46:00.002-03:00

On walks around the city, I'm constantly looking up, searching for fragments of bas-relief Art Deco patterns on house facades. My earlier post " Deco Details" had the most response from readers around the world, which makes me question why there is such an intense interest in this particular style. Is it because Deco design is light-hearted, pretty and superficial? Are people looking back to the 1920s as a period of exceptional affluence, optimism, and progress? Does Deco represent a degree of refinement, grace and sophistication that is lacking in today's society?

A frieze of undulating waves, fans and flowers

There is a realtor in Paris who specializes in selling Deco apartments. In New Zealand, the city of Napier has organized tours featuring its important stock of Art Deco style buildings.

In Montevideo, Art Deco design is present on almost every block, but no one seems to pay much attention to it. Besides the obvious visual appeal of the style, I'm interested in the fact that Art Deco, a style that originated in Paris, became so popular here in Uruguay. The locals who commissioned Deco designs for their residences clearly wanted their connections to Europe publicly expressed in bricks and mortar. "We are Europeans, and we are fashionable, modern ones," they were declaring.

In 1925, the centennial year for Uruguay, "El libro del Centenario del Uruguay" a publication prepared by the Ministry of Public Instruction stated," Uruguay is populated by the white race, totally of European origin." This was not accurate, of course, but the country was determined during the 1920s to define and promote itself as the most European nation in South America. Art Deco was a perfect fit for the accepted Uruguayan national identity.

Railway tracks in perspective, contrasted with a shingle pattern

Fern or feather motif in a roundel frame

Dramatic design with multiple overlapping geometric forms

Waves and curls framed with double border

Woven ribbons

Scroll and floral motif punctuated with diagonal chevron shapes

An inset panel crowning a house facade

A stylized sailboat and seagulls with porthole frame

Yachting attire, 1928

"There was going to be no more poverty, no more ignorance, no more disease. Art Deco reflected that confidence, vigor and optimism by using symbols of progress, speed and power."

- Robert McGregor

The icing on the cake

2011-03-22T17:25:00.003-03:00

Decorations designed to frame windows and doors are part and parcel of the vocabulary of residential architecture in Montevideo. The adornments and details that make a house stand out in the streetscape were lavishly applied by architects working in the Parque Rodo neighbourhood during the late19th and early 20th centuries. Wrought iron railings, mouldings, cornices, friezes, corbels and lintels offered surfaces where the cake's icing could be laid on in thick and elaborate flourishes.

Restored house on Calle Juan Paullier

The scale of each element in the facade of the Juan Paullier house is exaggerated, to add a sense of weight and importance to the design.

The height of the doorway is at least 15 feet. The entry opens to a foyer space with marble stairs leading up to the main floor, which is level with the base of the windows. The high ceilings, typical of older homes in Montevideo, allowed the house to stay cool during the hot summer months. The addition of skylights made the interior rooms light and airy, in spite of the fact that most of these houses are adjoining structures with no side windows.

The concave area around the front door contains swags of acanthus leaves and braids of laurel that appear to grow in symmetrical profusion out of the central keystone, with its scrolled corbel. The frieze includes egg and dart moulding and a string of dentils. Everything about this entrance is calculated to make an impression of grandeur and elegance.

The wrought iron railings on the window wells complete the decoration, like lace trim on the edge of a sleeve.

Residence on Boulevard Espana

The glass and wrought iron canopy over the entry of this house adds visual impact to the doorway. Circle motifs are repeated throughout the design.

This magnificent house needs a new owner, willing to do some repair work

Sadly, the mansion on Espana is sitting empty and each time we pass by, we notice more broken panes of glass and new areas of damage. If its condition continues to deteriorate, this building, like many others occupying prime land in a central location, will be demolished and replaced with an apartment tower.

This house was torn down last month, for just that reason.

"A country without a past has the emptiness of a barren continent;

and a city without old buildings is like a man without a memory."

- Graeme Shankland

Flora

2011-03-14T15:21:00.001-03:00

Parks and gardens in Montevideo are full of flowering trees and shrubs that add maximum colour and drama to horticultural displays year-round. I've just learned the names for some of the extraordinary varieties that thrive in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, the ones I had never encountered in colder zones.

Floss Silk Tree (Palo Barracho, Chorisia speciosa)

This pink beauty is in full bloom in Montevideo right now, a tall tree covered with clusters of five-petaled flowers that are similar in colour to Stargazer lilies.

The Floss Silk tree is called "Palo Barracho" (drunken stick) in Spanish. Its bark is traditionally used in cooking the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, a drug linked to rituals conducted by shamanistic tribes in the Amazon. The trunk of this tree is studded with sharp thorns, making climbing a painful, if not impossible operation. Each thorn acts as a water reservoir, to help the tree survive through times of drought.

The national plant of Uruguay is the Ceibo, a small tree covered with red flowers, also called "Cockspur Coral." This tree represents the soul of Princess Anahi, who was burned at the stake by Spanish conquistadors, according to a native Guarani legend.

Ceibo tree (Erythrina crista-galli) Uruguay's national plant

The crimson coloured flowers of the tree are hermaphrodite, and attract hummingbirds for pollination. Ceibo wood is light and porous, and is used for constructing beehives, model airplanes and rafts.

Planted as a hedge or border, the sky-blue Cape Leadwort or Plumbago attracts butterflies to the garden. This plant is a native of South Africa that migrated to this side of the Atlantic during the 18th century, a stowaway aboard the Dutch East Indies ships that carried slaves to South America. In native African culture, Plumbago is used as a poultice to treat warts, as an emetic to dispel bad dreams and as snuff for relieving headaches. A branch placed in the thatch of a hut is believed to protect the home from lightning.

Cape Leadwort (Plumbago auriculata)

The sticky flowers are used by children to make blue "earrings"

A beautiful umbrella-shaped shade tree at the corner of 21 de Setiembre in Parque Rodo is a mature example of Golden Shower Tree or Yellow canafistula. The leaves and bark of this tree are used in Ayurvedic medicine as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer treatment.

Golden Shower tree, Yellow Canafistula (Cassia fistula)

The central location of my favourite Canafistula makes it vulnerable to the abuse of lovers who can't resist carving their names into its sturdy trunk. I have a feeling the tree will survive for many more years, defying the damage and outlasting the romances recorded on its bark.

Saez and Sprezzatura

2011-03-07T16:51:00.002-02:00

Carlos Federico Saez, "Retrato de Juan Carlos Munoz" 1899, oil on canvas

The portrait shows a male figure seated in an armchair, relaxed, leaning back, totally at ease with himself and the world, but nevertheless alert, exuding the quiet confidence of a refined gentleman. When I saw this painting the word "sprezzatura" came to mind. It's an Italian term that I learned while studying Renaissance art history at university, one word in the argot of academics that I hadn't thought about for a long time. First used by Baldassare Castiglione in the "Book of the Courtier" published in 1528, sprezzatura is defined by the author as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought."

Detail of the subject

The studied carelessness of the sitter is matched by the artist's style in this work. At close range, the brushwork is loose and uneven, and in some places, patches of canvas have been left blank. The back of the chair tends to dissolve into the scumbled background, while the two carved finials act as bold parentheses for the subject's head. The off-centre composition allows blank space to surround the figure, an openness that breathes and glows, creating an aura of afternoon repose. The way the man's right hand has been merely suggested, rather than defined, demonstrates the bravura of an artist who is leaning towards abstraction. A casual squiggly line along the armrest is enough; we can see a foreshortened hand that's moving ever so slightly.

Detail of the right hand

The portrait was painted by Carlos Federico Saez, and is part of an exhibition celebrating the Bicentennial of Uruguay at Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales near Parque Rodo. I had never seen work by Saez before, but the row of seven paintings on display at the gallery reveals a virtuoso; an artist capable of capturing character with graceful drawing and economical, painterly means. His approach to portraiture recalls canvases of the same era by John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Edgar Degas.

Carlos Federico Saez

The biography of Saez is as sketchy and loosely rendered as the artist's own drawings. He was born in 1878 in Mercedes, Uruguay. At the age of 14 he earned a scholarship to study art in Italy, under the direction of Daniel Munoz, a writer and politician employed as Uruguayan ambassador in Rome. Saez stayed in Europe for seven years and worked with the Macchaioli painters, a group who practised plein air painting in the Tuscan countryside. The end of his artistic career came too soon - in 1900 Saez became ill and returned to Uruguay. He died in Montevideo in 1901, age 22, with an oeuvre of 100 drawings and 70 canvases as his legacy.

To see more works by Carlos Federico Saez, visit this site.

Installation, Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales

The centre cannot hold

2011-02-27T18:30:00.002-02:00

In the upscale neighbourhood of Pocitos, between the new apartment towers where residential space sells for $1500 US per square meter, there's a vacant Texaco station that served temporarily as an encampment for homeless people. In January, on our way to see a film at the Casablanca movie theatre, we noticed that the residents in Texaco town had completely settled in. Three men were sitting on an old couch that they had rescued from a dumpster, while another two were busy cooking sausages (no doubt salvaged from the same source) on a makeshift open grill. There were foam mattresses set out on the asphalt of the former parking lot, and a few stray dogs - now pets - lying on the beds. I wanted to take a photo of the improvised domestic scene, and vowed to bring my camera the next time we headed this way.

That opportunity came a week later and here's what I found. The Texaco station and two historic houses adjacent to it had been totally enclosed by an impermeable grey metal hoarding, and were now in the process of being demolished. The homeless had been forced to re-locate, a fact that likely prompted a collective sigh of relief from Pocitos residents whose expensive condos happen to overlook the corner.

Texaco station, now a building site

The house next door, a classic residence, is also coming down

Make way for high-rise urban living!

Where do the homeless go when the current wave of high-rise building projects forces them out of Ciudad Vieja, Parque Rodo and Pocitos? The poor in Montevideo are feeling the pressure of rapid urban development and have become an army of nomads, constantly shifting from park to park, doorway to doorway, dumpster to dumpster, vacant lot to vacant lot, in an exhausting, demoralizing effort to survive.

Some have replaced down-and-out desperation with bold action aimed at creating their own place in the world. As gentrification transforms the inner city, the poor are seeking refuge on the periphery in "cantegrils" illegal settlements ironically named after the exclusive Cantegril Country Club in Punta del Este. Homeless families band together and occupy en masse a vacant suburban field that has either been abandoned by an absentee owner, or is tied up in legal limbo, with no clear title. These marginal properties are measured and sectioned off into individual plots by the squatters, who construct their own shacks, and in time, organize a neighbourhood commission to oversee the shanty town. If they manage to stay put, without police intervention, they eventually earn squatters' rights and can take legal ownership of the land. Several of these grassroots groups have successfully lobbied municipal government for the extension of services such as water, sewer and electricity to their communities. It is estimated that the growth of cantegrils near Montevideo is increasing at a rate of 10% a year.

While the trend to move to the outskirts provides a chance for families to stabilize their immediate surroundings and lifestyle, it's not a perfect fix for the basic problem of poverty. The more marginal poverty becomes, the more it hardens and continues in subsequent generations, as prospects for improvement are reduced by ghetto culture and isolation.

The gap between rich and poor is becoming more and more evident in Montevideo, and as the city offers less and less resources for those living below the poverty line, the disadvantaged will be forced to move on and find their own places, on their own terms. The hinterland slum is expanding on the horizon, establishing its presence as a permanent phenomenon; just as permanent as downtown luxury apartment buildings designed for the upper echelon of society.

Carnaval!

2011-02-20T19:22:00.001-02:00

There's nothing like February in Uruguay - a whole month of parades, costumes, drumming, dancing and singing, a masked ball, and nightly stage shows at Teatro Verano featuring comedians, choirs and clowns. The Afro/Latino version of the feast before the lean days of fasting is an all-out celebration of colour, sound, movement and symbolism. Here's a list of basic Carnaval vocabulary that I've picked up on the street.

desfile de Llamadas: parade made up of various drum groups and performers.

comparsas: drum and marching corps, groups of men and women who parade during Carnaval playing percussion instruments.

candombe: style of drumming originating in Africa, combining elements of jazz, tango and samba with Bantu rhythms.

estandartes: flagbearers who lead the parade

escobero: young man with a broom or baton who performs acrobatic tricks, while sweeping away negative energy. This character represents the energy and vitality of youth.

gramillero: an old man dressed in a top hat and tails, carrying a cane as he dances through the street. Although a senior, this character is still spry.

Mama Vieja: an old woman with white apron, bright turban, a parasol or a fan, who dances with sensuality and grace.

vedette: the show girl, wearing bikini and high heels, adorned with feathers, rhinestones and sequins. Based on Josephine Baker and the French Revue Negre.

murga: a troupe of men who sing in a chorus, often dressed as clowns

Negros Lubolos: groups of white men with blackened faces. In a weird role reversal, they sing songs expressing nostalgia for their African homeland, their unrequited love for white mistresses and the hardships of working to please white masters.

Evening show at Teatro Verano, with a huge cast of traditional characters

Estandartes lead the parade

Vedette, star of the show

Drummer in comparse

The rhythm resounds like a heartbeat

Elaborate costumes

Plumes and beads

Gramillero and Mama Vieja

Hip-hop and samba on stage

Murga chorus member

Glitter, facepaint, sequins and sweat

To give you an idea of the intensity of the event, here's a clip of the Desfile de Llamadas 2011, filmed as the parade passed through the Barrio Sur in Montevideo.

Plaza Zabala

2011-02-10T17:39:00.002-02:00

There's a bronze equestrian statue honouring Bruno Mauricio de Zabala in the city square that bears his name. Zabala, the first governor of Montevideo, is credited for establishing the city as a garrison and center of Spanish control of the Banda Oriental (East Bank) of the Rio de la Plata in 1726. The military justification for building a fortress in this location was to prevent the advance of Portugese from Brazil. The site offered a large, protected bay for ships and a strategic lookout from Cerro, the hill that lies to the west of the city.

The first census taken in Montevideo counted 50 families of Galician origin, 1000 indigenous people (Guarani) and a small number of blacks from Africa. It is interesting to note that by 1805, Montevideo had a population of 9400, and one third of its inhabitants were black or mulatto. Black slaves built the stone walls, residences and public buildings in Montevideo, worked the agricultural land and served as domestic help for white Uruguayan households.

Palacio Taranco, main entry

The Plaza Zabala is just a few blocks from the Port of Montevideo, a piece of inner city real estate that offered an ideal location for individuals connected to the shipping business. The Ortiz de Taranco family, headed by brothers Jose, Felix and Hermenegildo managed an import/export business that supplied goods from Europe to clients all over South America. They purchased the plot of land adjacent to Plaza Zabala in 1907 and built a grand residence there, just a stone's throw from the busy harbour.

Courtyard and formal garden facing Plaza Zabala

The Tarancos hired Charles Louis Girault and Jules Chifflot to design their new home, French architects known in Europe for their work on the Petit Palais and the Arc de Triomphe. One crucial specification for the layout was that the house would have to comfortably accommodate the brothers and their families in three separate apartments on the upper floor. Completed in 1910, the residence is an opulent mansion, replete with Italian marble, rich woodwork and gold leaf decoration. In 1925 Prince Edward VIII was a guest here.

Lavish interior of Palacio Taranco

The Palacio remained a private residence until 1943 when the surviving Tarancos sold the building to the government and it was converted into offices for the Ministry of Education. The palace and its contents were not well cared for, and many important artifacts, including a massive billiard table imported from Italy, went missing. In 1979 the state designated the site as a National Monument. Today the restored Palacio Taranco is used as a Museum of Decorative Arts, displaying a permanent collection of paintings, textiles, sculpture and ceramics.

The ballroom overlooking the terrace and gardens

A sign posted in the museum tells visitors that Jose Louis Ortiz de Taranco, age 14, arrived in the port of Montevideo in the late 1870s with 17 pesos in his pocket.

Plaza Matriz

2011-02-08T21:38:00.003-02:00

The city of Montevideo includes a number of plazas that serve as focal points for community gatherings, concerts, markets and cafes. These inviting public spaces offer places to sit and take in the energetic activity of the urban environment from an unhurried, relaxed vantage point.

Plaza Matriz, a prime spot for antique hunting and plein air dining located in the heart of Ciudad Vieja, is one of the nicest squares, with tree-lined pathways and an ornate central fountain. The square is flanked by historic buildings including the Cabildo, the original seat of the Colonial government. We spent a very hot summer afternoon browsing through the antique dealers' stalls while listening to a string quartet play works by Handel, Bach and Mozart on the plaza.

My treasure hunt yielded an embroidered evening bag with a porcelain clasp painted with a romantic scene from Fragonard. The purse is in excellent condition and the tag inside reads "Made in France." I also bought a photograph from the man who specializes in vintage books, old prints and works on paper. I imagine the sitter in this portrait attending a summer concert at Teatro Solis, elegantly dressed in her frilly white gown and carrying a certain floral evening bag.

Montevideo studio portrait circa 1907

La Corte facade

For lunch we stopped at La Corte, a trendy restaurant housed in the former Club Uruguay established in 1888. This is where the business crowd chooses to dine, and the place is always packed at midday - inside on all three levels and outside on the plaza, too. We managed to get a table upstairs in the loft overlooking the main floor with its exposed stone wall and Cutcsa truck decor. The executive menu is the best deal in town, an all-inclusive entree, dessert and drink selection offered for 198 pesos (just under $10 U.S.). Choices include pasta, beef or fish dishes served with salad or potatoes, accompanied by a glass of wine or mineral water, followed by coconut tart, ice cream or fruit cocktail for dessert. The service is fast and courteous, delivered by a well-trained team of attractive young women who know the names of the regular customers and don't hesitate to kiss them on arrival and departure. The atmosphere reminds us of Earl's Tin Palace in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The placemat at La Corte shows an artist's rendering of the exterior of the Club Uruguay building, the facade of Iglesia Matriz, (a cathedral dating from 1804) and the edge of the park on the plaza.

And this is how it looked as we left the restaurant and made our way down Peatonal Sarandi.

The Wishing Tree

2010-12-31T20:54:00.004-02:00

With help from my sister Ruthanne, who is a history scholar and an expert researcher, I have been working on a family tree. The process is like assembling a jig-saw puzzle, fitting parents to their parents and grandparents, gathering details of births, marriages, and deaths, finding the missing link that connects a distant branch. The chart that we're building shows a mixed heritage of farmers, businessmen, merchants, military officers, teachers, lawyers and accountants, some Anglican, Jewish, Quaker, Baptist and Catholic, hailing from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, British India, Canada and the U.S. Our ancestors include salt of the earth and book-learned people, rich and poor folks, a few famous and most quite ordinary.

My grandmother

As one works further back in time, it becomes clear that nothing much has changed throughout history. It's true that families are smaller today, and more spread out geographically, but in the course of our lives we experience the same trials and triumphs that our distant relatives dealt with. There are losses: babies who don't survive, sons who go off to war and never return, failed marriages, mental illness, bankruptcy, flu epidemics, and tragic accidents. There are successes and celebrations, too: graduations, awards, job promotions, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and the honour of special recognition from colleagues and friends. I know that the cycle continues when I see the happy face of my baby granddaughter Victoria reflecting her mother's sweet smile. Our wishes for the next generation (and the ones after that) are the same hopes that my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had for their children and grandchildren. It makes me feel stronger and more capable when I look at the enduring, widespread branches of the family tree and find my place firmly rooted there.

"The Wishing Tree" a poem by Kathleen Jamie, expresses this sense of continuity with simple, resonant words and imagery. The poet writes, " One day walking in Argyll with my husband, we encountered a wishing tree which surprised us a great deal because I didn't know there were any in Scotland. I mean a tree people have bashed coins into for a wish or desire - I knew they existed in Ireland but had never seen one in Scotland."

I love the way past and present merge in this poem, just as our family tree brings the deceased closer to the living. As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of another, and make our resolutions for change in a period of global uncertainty, the wishing tree reminds us that "hope springs eternal in the human breast."

The Wishing Tree

I stand neither in the wilderness
nor fairyland,

but in the fold
of a green hill,

the tilt from one parish
into another.

To look at me
through a smirr of rain

is to taste the iron
in your own blood;

because I bear
the common currency

of longing: each wish
each secret visitation.

My limbs lift, scabbed
with greenish coins; I draw

into my slow wood, fleur
-de-lys, the enthroned Britannia.

Beyond, the land reaches
toward the Atlantic.

And though I'm poisoned,
choking on small change

of human hope, gently
beaten into me, look:

I am still alive;
in fact, in bud.

- Kathleen Jamie 2002

To hear a recording of the poet reading this work click here.
Wishing you a Happy New Year!

The Dazzle and the Aftermath

2010-12-29T21:34:00.008-02:00

Instead of decorating their houses with strings of coloured lights, the Uruguayans choose a more dynamic way of celebrating - FIREWORKS! Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and all of the eves in between are punctuated with the explosive sound and dazzle of petardos (commonly called bombas.)

Dramatic display

Fireworks vendors set up shop on street corners to sell a variety of products imported from Brazil and Germany. In our Parque Rodo neighbourhood, there's a ten year-old boy who does this in partnership with his younger brother, as a source of income during the school holidays. Their grandmother tells us that they save every peso and re-invest their earnings in new stock for the following year. They have become experts in pyrotechnics, and can describe the special effects inherent in each of the models they carry. Grandma takes great pride in the boys' growing business acumen. When we tell her that children are not allowed to buy - let alone sell - fireworks in Canada, she is shocked. "Your country must be very uptight," she says, casting an I-feel-sorry-for-you look in our direction.

Held together with a shoelace, waiting for repair

From the 25th floor restaurant at the Radisson Hotel, we admired a spectacular display of fireworks over the skyline of Montevideo just after midnight on Christmas Eve. There were bursts of red, green, gold, silver and blue exploding over the harbour, in the streets, and from every balcony in the city. It was an amazing sight. But the downside of this tradition was brought home to us very clearly the next morning, when we were jolted out of bed by an incredible BANG! and our power went out. Shards of plastic blown from the electrical meter attached to the facade of our house were scattered all over the sidewalk. Someone had apparently lit a firecracker, placed it inside the box, closed the door, waited for the boom, and then quickly dismantled the exposed, damaged guts of the equipment. Why would anyone do such a stupid, dangerous thing?

Our friend Jorge, who owns the hardware store just around the corner, explained that the culprit's motive was to steal copper from the meter. Copper can be traded for cash, and apparently it's common practice for drug addicts to engage in this activity as a means of financing their habit. The availability of fireworks at this time of year makes the "copper harvest" easy.

So the adults and children who sell fireworks for fun and profit and seasonal excitement are partially responsible for a lot of damage to electrical meters in Montevideo, and a subsequent high annual repair expenditure that's added on to individual household bills. I don't want to be a party-pooper, but I would suggest that some sensible government regulations prohibiting the casual sale of fireworks on the street would help to cut down on this type of vandalism. A word of advice to Grandma: try to get the boys interested in selling strings of coloured lights next year.

Around Parque Rodo

2010-12-28T17:53:00.002-02:00

The holiday season has been full of events and we've been busy enjoying the city's diverse offerings. Here's a sampling of some of the interesting things we've seen in our neighbourhood during the month of December.

Prior to Christmas, the Teatro Verano presented an evening of "Ballet under the Stars" featuring the Ballet Nacional Sodre directed by Julio Bocca. The outdoor venue is a fully-equipped bandshell style stage with stadium seating carved into a hill in Parque Rodo. The evening's program included Act II of Swan Lake, the Pas de Deux of the Black Swan, both beautifully performed with classical precision. The breeze ruffled white feathers on the dancers' tutus as a storm blew over, but a minor rainshower did nothing to dampen the spirits of the audience. I love the fact that this type of casual plein air venue and the reasonable ticket price (130 pesos) attract viewersto a performance that they might never take in at the more formal Teatro Solis or Sodre. The acceptable behaviour code is more relaxed for an audience seated in a large amphitheatre, a setting where it's perfectly okay to leave your seat to go and buy a Coke at the concession partway through the performance. There were lots of families in attendance, teenagers, seniors and babies, too. Everyone had a great time and by the end of the evening the sponsors had raised a considerable amount of money for a good cause, to benefit Montevideo's pediatric hospital Pereira Rossell.

Bird by Oiva Toikka

Another highlight of this star-studded season was an exhibition called "Northern Stars: 20th century Finnish Design" presented at the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales located at the south end of the park at the corner of Av. Tomas Giribaldi. This show, curated by the Museum of Design in Helsinki, included stunning textiles, ceramics, glass and furniture, objects marked by the ultra-sleek styling, nature-inspired forms and bright colours of the Nordic aesthetic. The installation featured large swaths of vivid Marimekko fabrics hung as room dividers in a stark white gallery, framing small groupings of exquisite clothing, chairs and kitchenware. If you avoided looking out the windows at the palm trees in the park, you had the sensation of being in a Scandinavian interior. I coveted the bird designed by Oiva Toikka, which cleverly suggested feathers by incorporating undulating veins of coloured glass.

Fabric design by Sanna Annukka 2008, Marimekko

Outside the hushed atmosphere of the art museum a bustling Christmas Market was going on in Parque Rodo, with stalls showcasing the work of Uruguayan artisans. Jewellery, candles, silk scarves, fine wool sweaters, leather work and wooden objects were displayed and sold. Often this type of show has low-level, homemade goods, but the quality of the work was excellent, as this craft fair was a juried show.

I bought a beautiful Jugart wooden box for 360 pesos, secured with a puzzle piece locking system in the shape of a bird. This petite treasure chest has a pleasing smooth surface and exudes a sweet sandalwood fragrance when opened.

On Sunday afternoons during the summer months, Parque Rodo is a non-stop fiesta, throbbing with the resounding heartbeat of Montevideo - candombe drumming. A form of music that originated in Africa, candombe was introduced by the black male population (read slaves) in Uruguay and appropriated by whites who made the art popular. Today the troupes are mixed, with both black and white, male and female participants.

The audience joins in as the hypnotic beat goes on for hours, alternating tempo and rhythm. Women get up and dance a form of samba with fast, fancy footwork. This is street ballet, with no strict rules or choreography, just a spontaneous celebration of joy. As the sun goes down, the party continues....

Deco Details

2010-12-18T16:12:00.003-02:00

The elegant style that originated in Paris and gained momentum following the1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, migrated to points south of the equator and had a strong influence on architecture in Montevideo. The 20s saw a booming economy in this city, and Uruguay was, at that time, one of the richest countries in South America. The new style represented all that was modern, sleek, and avant-garde.

The past was not entirely abandoned, as a growing interest in ethnography and archaeology brought elements from Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Mexican Aztec traditions together to enrich Art Deco style. The opening of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 revealed a wealth of beautiful objects that inspired European designers. Geometric shapes, stepped forms, repeated hieroglyphic patterns and series of overlapping planes were incorporated into surface decoration. The triangle, trapezoid, chevron, zig-zag and sunburst motifs appeared in architectural design as well as furniture, textiles, jewellery and graphics. Deco suggested luxury, and original works were often made from expensive materials such as silver, obsidian, ivory, marble, bronze, crystal, jade, turquoise and exotic woods. For a good overview of Deco sources and characteristics, see the Victoria and Albert Museum's virtual tour of a 2003 exhibition.

1920s dancer in marble and bronze, displayed in the window of a local antique shop

Palacio Salvo is considered a prime example of Art Deco/Gothic architecture in Montevideo. Located adjacent to the Plaza Independencia, this landmark building was designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti, and completed in 1928. At the time of its inauguration, it was the tallest building in South America. Originally intended as a grand hotel, Palacio Salvo is currently used for office space and apartments .

Palacio Salvo in downtown Montevideo

This bas-relief mural covers the front courtyard wall of a house on Boulevard Espana. The dockyard scene, rendered in a stylized Deco carving, is set off with a stepped frame border.

The lines of this Montevideo house are frequently interrupted, or slip beyond the edges of the main forms, techniques typical of Art Deco design influenced by Cubist paintings and Constructivist sculpture. The "pencil" suspended over the door adds a surreal element to the facade.

The main entry to this Parque Rodo apartment building is an imposing square doorway decorated with concentric circles of stainless steel. The effect is target-like, a definite symbol of machine-age moderne. As Art Deco matured into the late 30s, more man-made materials such as glass, steel, chrome and plastic were incorporated into designs.

Touring the streets of Montevideo is like walking through an architectural museum. I'm not sure the local population is even aware of what they have here, as it's common to see the most amazing buildings in a bad state of repair, or abandoned and vandalized. Just as organizations in North America offer Greyhound Rescue, it would be a worthwhile project to establish a Deco Rescue in Montevideo, aimed at preserving the elegant vintage houses that have heritage value, but desperately need an injection of cash for restoration.

Sunburst motif on a neglected Deco style facade

Tolstoy in Uruguay

2010-12-10T17:24:00.001-02:00

November 8th was the 100th anniversary of Leon Tolstoy's death, and in Montevideo, as in many other cities worldwide, the day was honoured with wreath-laying at a memorial and a special reception at the Russian embassy. I was fascinated to read in an article in the magazine "Galeria" that the great-grandson of Tolstoy lives here in Uruguay, at a home near Punta del Este.

Leon Tolstoy (left) and his great-grandson Sasha Tolstoy(right)

Sasha Tolstoy's connection to this country began when he was fifteen years old. His father Sergio, wanting to curb his son's unruly behaviour, sent him from France to Uruguay in 1953 to live with his mother's sister. Aunt Wryoubova's household included her husband - the Russian prince Gortchacow - and four daughters. Sasha attended school in Nueva Helvecia, where in addition to his academic studies, he learned how to milk a cow and make cheese. Four years later, his father insisted that Sasha return to France to serve in the military. He fought in the French army during the Algerian war, married, settled in Paris and raised a family there.

Tolstoy memorial in Montevideo

Following the death of his wife Marie-France in 2000, Sasha returned to Uruguay and established a fishing supply store in Montevideo. He had pursued big game fishing as a serious hobby in places such as Africa, Panama, India and Alaska and combined his travel experiences with notes on the intricacies of the sport as the subject of 14 published books. If you wish to meet the great-grandson of the literary giant, on January 7th, 2011, Sasha Tolstoy will be signing copies of his latest work entitled, "Como pez en el agua" at La Posta del Cangrejo in Punta del Este.

Sasha Tolstoy attended the opening of a special exhibition of family artifacts and previously unpublished photos of Leon at the Russian Embassy in Montevideo.

Sunday Market

2010-11-24T16:19:00.002-02:00

Each neighbourhood in Montevideo has one day of the week designated as market day. Plan on rising early when it comes, as vendors start setting up at dawn on a closed-off portion of the street, and the assembly of stalls and unloading of trucks is not a quiet process. Market day is loud, but the general racket is worthwhile if you're looking for good prices and a festive community atmosphere full of colour and action. Pocitos' Sunday "feria" features fresh foods - fruits, vegetables, cheese, fish, eggs and meat from local producers.

A special on merluza attracts customers to the fish stall

Catch of the day

Great selection of cheeses, pretzels, pickles and nuts

Greens

Free range eggs

Garlic braids

A Chinese couple is selling deep-fried dumplings

When she hears that we're from Canada, the dumpling lady is delighted. She has relatives living there.

Strawberries are the seasonal favourite, a real bargain at this price

Success in the kitchen begins with fresh ingredients, so we purchase enough produce for salads, side-dishes, main courses and desserts. We're just about to head home with the grocery load when I spot a planter filled with parsley, thyme and rosemary, a narrow one that will just fit on my upstairs windowsill. It's the urban substitute for my former backyard herb garden, a bit of green to nurture on a sunny rooftop and add to the soup now and then.

Behind the scenes

2010-11-15T15:59:00.005-02:00

Teatro Solis

Foyer lined with Italian marble columns

Teatro Solis sits like a19th century grande dame in fancy dress, overseeing the corner of Buenos Aires and Bartolome Mitre streets. She's a friend, a charming companion who played an influential role in the history of Montevideo and in our personal decision to move here. It was Solis who introduced us to the Montevideo Philharmonic, violinist Hilary Hahn, conductor Zubin Mehta, Brazilian composer Pixinguinha and the Chicago Symphony Youth Orchestra. An evening spent with Solis has always been a rewarding experience filled with rich sound, dazzling colour, and the excitement of discovering a range of new artists and unique modes of expression.

We took the guided tour of Teatro Solis this week and got to know her better with a glimpse behind the scenes, an aerial view from the third balcony and a thorough account of the history beneath the building's impressive surface.

Teatro Solis was conceived in 1840 by a group of Montevideo shareholders who wished to build a fine opera house for the city, while incorporating adjacent commercial and residential spaces to generate revenue. Their ambitious entrepreneurial project was constructed between 1842 and 1856 using the very best materials imported from Europe. The grand opening of Teatro Solis took place on August 25, 1856 with a performance of the opera "Ernani" by Verdi.

Stage in the Sala Principal

Our tour guide Ignacio pointed out the original features of the building's interior that add Old World elegance to its fabric - the Empire style Baccarat crystal chandeliers assembled at the Osler factory in Birmingham England, the Carrara marble columns shipped from Italy, the gold leaf decoration of the upper foyer, and the ceiling painting in the main concert hall, bearing the names of 11 famous writers and composers. These historic elements were preserved and restored while extensive renovation of the building's structure took place between 1998 and 2004. The theatre's stage was improved to accommodate the needs of contemporary productions and the hall was upgraded to meet modern acoustic and safety standards.

The theatre has four balconies above the main floor, with a capacity of 1500 seats. Today it is a government-owned facility operating with private and public funding. Ticket prices are always reasonable, with the best concert seats offered for 100-160 U pesos ($5.00 - $8.00 U.S.).

Balcony seats

At the top of Teatro Solis' roof, there's a red lantern that dates from the mid-1800s, a time when the skyline of Montevideo was not populated with tall buildings. On evenings when performances were held, the light was turned on to announce the fact to the citizens. The tradition continues, and the sight of the illuminated red lantern still invokes the expectation of attending an outstanding, thrilling performance. We've been visiting Teatro Solis regularly for the past two years and haven't been disappointed yet. To launch your own virtual tour of Teatro Solis click here.

Champagne is served on the terrace of the theatre

The Day of the Dead - a photo essay

2010-11-04T18:35:00.001-02:00

November 2nd is a national holiday in Uruguay, as the country celebrates "El Dia de los Difuntos." It's not a morbid occasion at all, but a time of remembrance and togetherness as families visit the cemetery to tend the graves of their deceased relatives, reflect on their lives and pray for their souls. We walked to the "Cementerio Central" and were pleasantly surprised by the orderly and well-maintained gardens that lie behind the high walls of the site, creating an oasis of quiet green space in the middle of a busy city. In contrast to the rundown Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires, Montevideo's central graveyard offers a peaceful sanctuary that is neither eerie nor depressing.

An observance that is part Roman Catholic ritual, part African and part Aztec, the "Day of the Dead" is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia as well as Uruguay. In other parts of Latin America, the day is marked with picnics in the cemetery, and the Hallowe'en tradition of going door-to-door asking for treats. In Montevideo, bouquets of flowers are placed on the graves and families gather at home to enjoy a meal in honour of the deceased.

The central tree-lined path leads to a sepulchre

Marble pieta inside the sepulchre, framed by ornate stained-glass windows

Family members bring flowers for the gravesite

A feline resident

The high walls surrounding the cemetery contain niches for funerary urns

A ladder is provided for cleaning and decorating niches

A yellow bird perches on a statue

A moment of quiet reflection

Birds of Paradise adorn a family tomb

The south gate of the cemetery provides a vista of Rio de la Plata

A Tale of two Prisons

2010-11-01T17:33:00.001-02:00

Montevideo is a city full of old architectural stock, ranging from fine, stylish examples that have been beautifully restored to decrepit uninhabited wrecks that have sadly deteriorated beyond repair. There is a municipal Heritage Committee in place which works to preserve the best of Montevideo's historic buildings and oversees the restoration process as they are adapted for contemporary use. Two penal institutions in Montevideo have been recycled to serve new audiences and facilitate different functions.

Punta Carretas, a former prison transformed into an upscale shopping mall

Carcel Miguelete, now Espacio de Arte Contemporaneo

Visting these former prisons in their current roles as commercial space (Punta Carretas) and public art gallery (Miguelete) raises questions about how much of a building's history can or should be eliminated in a rehabilitation program. Does history deserve a memorial as the passage of time and changing community needs alter both the physical edifice and its function?

Punta Carretas Shopping is all glitz, chrome mirrors and natural light, a mall that's designed with shops on four levels of inviting vertical space. There are high-end merchants here, offering diamond tennis bracelets, the latest Reezig running shoes, European cosmetics, Egyptian cotton sheets and deluxe stereo systems. Once inside the former prison walls, the desire to buy is almost irresistible; it's the consumer who is held captive by slick merchandising, quota payment plans, seductive displays, contests and credit card discounts. No visible chains, other than the chain stores that inhabit malls everywhere. There are some guards, but they're friendly ones who will gladly direct you to the movie theatre, supermarket, food court or anywhere else you might want to go.

What is missing in this luxury shopping complex is the story of the place itself. This is the site where Uruguay's notorious left-wing urban guerrillas, the Tupamaros made a daring escape in 1971 by digging a tunnel to freedom. Many of those former inmates are still alive, most notably the current President of Uruguay, Jose Mujica. Shouldn't their story which includes political protests, bank robberies, hostage taking, and murder be remembered as part of the city's history? The average visitor, gliding up the escalator in the refurbished palace of consumerism, would not have a clue about what took place in Punta Carretas a mere 40 years ago.

The other ex-prison, Miguelete, has been converted into a public art gallery with much less intervention in terms of the layout and construction. The pentagon-shaped building is surrounded by an imposing seven metre high institutional wall. Inside, the cells now serving as gallery spaces are essentially intact, complete with original doors, barred windows, security pass-throughs and heavy-duty locks. There is a catwalk connecting both sides of the second storey, and the exercise yard is still dominated by guards' look-out towers. Despite the modern facade and new interior lighting, this art gallery suffers from a heavy, constrictive atmosphere lingering from the building's past. Though adequate for video installations in small dark rooms, the facility lacks the wide open spaces required for display of large-scale works. The repetitive rows of cell/galleries with only one entrance severely constrain the pattern of exhibit design. The layout never allows a flow of visitors through the building, and the viewing experience is interrupted by the back and forth movement to and from a central hallway. The exhibition I saw (Post-it City) read like a series of separate, disjointed words, rather than one coherent statement. I came away with the uncomfortable feeling that the artworks themselves were incarcerated.

Somewhere between the surgical removal of history in a building and the strict preservation of it, there is the right balance that allows for a brand new contemporary use, while retaining respect for the past.