(Salvo Palace, Independence Plaza, Montevideo, Uruguay. Walter Rawlings—Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty Images)
I have just returned from Montevideo where I have a home and where I had gone to help a friend buy an apartment or a house. He got to Montevideo ahead of me and had already seen a number of apartments when I arrived.
Perhaps I should explain that Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay, a little pie shaped country crushed between Brazil and Argentina with a great Atlantic coastline. Very underpopulated. Three million people and a million and a half in Montevideo, a beautiful old city with modern sections stretched along the River Platte. The Platte is 40 miles wide at this point so it is like being on the ocean, and the city stretches along an esplanade with many beaches.
My friend saw some tiny one bedroom apartments in modern buildings, some with water views, and then saw a house with me that another friend was just finishing remodeling. The tiny apartments and the very large old house were both about $140,000. My friend immediately changed his mind and wanted a house. And got one very shortly with the help of my excellent real estate agent. A beautiful old house just remodeled into a gay guest house. Five bedrooms, each with a different wall mural, everything redone. And he got it for $110,000.
Brazilian money is pouring down into Uruguay at this point and I guess this blog is to encourage you to come down and buy a great house. Get a group of friends and come down. You'll love it. It's like the 1950's.
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Also, since I seem to be in a promoting frame of mind today, here are some examples above of portraits painted by my very talented nephew Ethan Winslow. Have a child's portrait done now before they get older. Or your lover's. Or your own. Here is mine below with my dog Sophie. I do look like this. Honest.
If you would like a portrait done, please email me at davidsgaydish@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with Ethan.
One of the places I enjoyed the most in Uruguay was Plaza Independencia. It is at the heart of Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja (old city). This broad square, lined with palms, is dominated by a huge statue of José Artigas, Uruguay's greatest hero. You can pay your respects to Artigas at his underground tomb beneath the statue. Then I booked a Buenos Aires rent since you cannot go to Uruguay and not stop by Argentina. The latter is much bigger and cosmopolitan. I loved them both though!
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