South America Discovery Tour & Cruise: February/March 2024
(continued)
The cathedral is located in the pleasant Plaza de San Isidro (left). We have a short time to explore the square which is in an area
of graceful mansions, many of which have now been taken over for commercial use. We have an excellent guide who provides extensive
commentary on the areas we pass through on the bus, and he is not afraid to include cynical comments on Argentina's politics etc.
The tour continues to the Tigre Delta, where we board a boat for our one hour trip
A glass enclosure covers the former home of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentina's seventh president, in the Tigre Delta
The cruise round the islands (that have no facilities, but feature some interesting houses), is both absorbing and relaxing. We are
back at the ship at 1:15pm, in time for a lunch of pasta and bread pudding in the Lido Market. We share a table with Ralf and
Rosamond, who bemoans the lack of anchovies in her salad. The afternoon includes a rehearsal of a muster drill. Dinner in the main
Dining Room includes salmon and chocolate torte - we dine with two American couples who make very agreeable dining companions. The
evening's entertainment is provided by Pampas Devil's Gauchos - a traditional South American show that includes the tango and dancing
with the throwing weapons, bolas
Thursday, March 7th
An emergency during the night, that required a passenger to be disembarked,
results in a late arrival into Montevideo (below). This delay causes our "Easy Montevideo" tour to be postponed to 12:15pm. We spend
the morning on our balcony, having coffee in the Explorations Cafe, and exercising by circling the ship on Deck 3
The first stop on our tour of Montevideo is the Plaza Independencia which includes the Artigas Mausoleum (above), which
houses the remains of José Artigas, the man who declared Uruguay’s independence from Spain
Teatro Solís in the Plaza Independencia is
Montevideo’s premier performance space
The 26-story Palacio Salvo was the continent’s
tallest building when it opened in 1927
The Executive Tower is the official workplace of the President of Uruguay
The tour's second stop is at the Legislative Palace (above and below) where we have time to walk round the building and admire the
gardens and statues
One of the bronze statues by Giannino Castiglioni that are located outside the Legislative Palace
The Legislative Palace is located in the Aguada neighborhood of Montevideo and was constructed between 1904 and 1925. The building
was inaugurated on August 25, 1925, in commemoration of the centenary of the Declaration of Independence