Montevideo in the sun

Let it go
This is the result from the afternoon walk through sunny Montevideo, pretty much the same places as yesterday, just with blue skies. The buildings in the centre are impressive, even in their run-down state. It wouldn’t need much to polish it up just a bit, without turning it into a fake Disneyland. However, it all […] Read More

Colorful Uru-grey

Let it go
The forecast was right – it’s rainy in Uruguay. Right now it’s even pouring down. The city presents itself in a grey cover, and especially the beach view is depressing, low grey clouds over a brown muddy Río de la Plata. Montevideo however, tries to be colorful. I walked through the Pocitos neighborhood, down to […] Read More

But… where is the art…?

Let it go
I really like museums. Anything with photography, a Picasso or Matisse will make me happy. São Paulo seemed to have a lot to offer… the MIS, the MASP, the MAM, the MAC…. all interesting targets. I was however a bit confused about the MAC, the Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo. Judging from its […] Read More

Vila Mariana

Let it go
So here’s my new neighborhood: Vila Mariana. South of the centre of the city, it’s one of São Paulo’s most bohemian neighborhoods. When I found the place on Airbnb I mailed a friend and former colleague, who had lived in São Paulo for three years, to inquire whether this area was a good one. ‘Book it’ was […] Read More

Park of Ruins

Let it go
I went up to Santa Teresa today, on foot. I had stopped a cab and told him I wanted to go to the museum on top, but he refused with the word ‘mais alta’ or something. Ok, so it wasn’t raining yet, so I walked. Quite steep. I realised I was nearly there when I […] Read More

Beauty’s on the inside

Let it go
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian or Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião in Rio is, pardon my French, goddamn awful. At first. I had noticed that conical stub of a building already from my trip to the top of the Sugar Loaf and thought of it as some kind of massive Congress Centre, the likes of which have […] Read More

MAM

Let it go
Getting to the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro on foot ain’t easy. Unfortunately, the car prevailed again and the museum is somewhat cut off from its neighborhood by a huge 8-lane semi-highway to the city airport, and a huge crossing of other streets nearby. Only passage over to the MAM and the bay […] Read More