Plaza Matriz

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.

Around Parque Rodo

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.  Read more about the history of drumming here. 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....

Sunday Market

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.