When I woke up, my legs were still bright pink - I really managed to overdo it yesterday… Luckily it wasn’t too hot, so I could keep them covered with leggings as we ventured out.
This was our last morning in Buenos Aires for this leg - our ferry to Montevideo was in the afternoon. So after checking out we asked the Concierge for the best thing to do locally before we had to leave for the port, and he recommended the Opera House, or Teatro Colon.
I’d seen this in the guide books but didn’t think either Jemima or Kevin would have been interested, but actually Kevin (at least) loved it.
Opened in 1908, it was a riot of gold, marble and velvet, with tiled floors, stained glass windows and statues of composers wherever you looked. The English tours had sold out so we ended up on a Spanish tour, so my detailed knowledge is limited - but it didn’t matter, when it was such a feast for the eyes. A suitably dramatic building for an opera house! And it’s supposed to have some of the best acoustics in the world. We agreed if we come back to Buenos Aires on another trip, we’ll go to a performance.
Back to the hotel via a lovely coffee shop for some lunch, and then it was off to the port for our ferry.
Very organised immigration (you are stamped out of Argentina by one person then stamped into Uruguay by the person sitting next to them), and onto the ferry to find our seats. An easy and comfortable 2.5 hour journey - it had been a very small upgrade cost so we were Business on this leg, with slightly bigger seats and a better view - but as you couldn’t see anything except waves anyway, I’m not sure it made much difference.
It was raining when we arrived in Montevideo. A portent? Waiting for our Uber Jemima realised she’d left her phone on the ferry! I ran inside, all Spanish grammar forgotten: “my daughter, phone, on the ferry”! A nice security guard radioed someone, then sent me round the front, where a check-in lady, who spoke English, took me and Jemima back towards the ferry “but we’ll have to be quick, it leaves soon”. Just as we were in the tunnel about to board, she spotted a colleague walking the other way - with Jemima’s phone! The radioing had worked. Much relief and smiles all round, many graciases - and we weren’t even late for our Uber.
It was too late to go out by the time we arrived at our hotel, so we went up to the hotel bar for some tapas. It was Valentine’s Day so there were quite a few couples, but nowhere near as bad as the restaurant (which looked very formal, and full of tables for 2). It was a lovely room mainly full of happy young Uruguayans no, with good music and decent food. Then off to bed before exploring Montevideo tomorrow.
Jemima downloading her fourth Thursday Murder Club book in the hotel lobby:
Teatro Colon - outside:
The entrance hall:
The auditorium from the equivalent of the Royal Box:
The Court House opposite Teatro Colon, and a very weird building:
Empanadas!:
El barco (the ferry):
Hotel Montevideo lobby decoration:
The hotel bar:
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