There’s a strange familiarity to the Uruguayan capital…
The quiet appeal of Brussels
Brussels would be at the top of very few people’s must-visit lists. It has a reputation of being a bit stale, fuddy-duddy and political. But actually go there, and it’s really likeable – full of slightly unusual museums, excellent pubs and a general sense of cosy contentment. It’s the sort of place that, once you’ve been, you’ll happily go back to time and time again without any real desire to see anything new.
Montevideo’s place in the pecking order
Brussels, of course, is known for being the headquarters of the EU. And, on the way into the city from Montevideo’s airport, spotting the HQ of the EU’s rough South American equivalent – Mercosur – is the first indication that the Uruguayan capital may have similar tendencies.
Like Brussels, Montevideo is never going to be top of anyone’s South American bucket list. When there’s Iguazu Falls, Torres del Paine, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos, why would it be? It’s not in the top tier of cities, either. The food scene of Lima, the natural beauty of Rio and the sheer chemistry of Buenos Aires are going to be higher up the list.
Vinos and tapas in Montevideo
The first night in town involves a lazy, fairly aimless stroll that leads into a joint advertising “vinos & tapas”. It’s an instantly appealing place – some high stools, some cosy couches, shelves of wine bottles climbing the walls and, more interestingly, a tasting system where you can load some money on a card and self-pour sample-size measures from a wide line-up of bottles.
It provides the first major Uruguayan surprise – that the wine is really good. Chile and Argentina may be the go-to South American countries when picking a bottle of wine up in the supermarket, but Uruguayan wine – like the country itself – falls under the radar. Hardly any of it is sold outside of the country, which is why many of us will have never encountered the tannat varietal. Originally a French grape, Uruguay has adopted it as its own. The deliciously smooth wines are there, the national pride is there, but the international marketing efforts most definitely aren’t.
Montevideo’s museums
The next day, venturing into the city centre provides more surprises. There are several museums that hit the small-ish, quirky and genuinely interesting bracket.
The particularly fascinating Museo Andes 1972 is about a plane crash in which survivors lasted months high in the Andes, eating the remains of those who died.
The Mercado del Puerto
And it’s this open-hearted love of all things meaty that finally seals the deal. The Mercado del Puerto changes an instinct that Montevideo is quietly lovely into a firm belief that it is fantastic. The market is sprawling with food stalls, most of which have unfeasible amounts of chicken, steak and jumbo-sized sausage sizzling away on massive, smoky, open air grills. The scale and sensory overload is staggering, and skipping breakfast suddenly seems like a brilliant plan. In the Brussels of South America, it is time to get fat…
