The Day of the Gnocchi

Photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=200358&id=510568119&l=019e478485

Other than a "classic" Homerism remembered by my Simpson's-obsessed boyfriend, I didn't know very much at all about Uruguay. To be honest, I can't be sure I didn't think it was somewhere in Africa... However, the lure of the new passport stamp meant we couldn't pass up a quick trip to the country, especially as it's only an hour long ferry trip away from Buenos Aires.

As it turns out, Uruguay is a really lovely place. First stop on our whistlestop tour was the UNESCO world heritage site of Colonia del Sacramento. It's picturesque cobbled streets, artsy shops and rustic seaside eateries made for an excellent place to while away a day after the hustle and bustle of BA. We then spent a couple of nights in the capital, Montevideo, home of the first ever football world cup and, it transpires, a promenade uncannily similar to the one in Redcar (see photos). We also experienced the monthly Day of the Gnocchi, on which it is customary to eat the small potato and flour dumplings and almost every restaurant in the country is clamouring to serve you them. This worked out well, as Rich and I are both big fans of the dish and they're cheap as chips. The trip ended with a relaxing ferry ride back to Argentina, marred only by Rich's annoyance at the fact that our arrival, and the abrupt switching off of the on-board entertainment, coincided with a penalty in the football match he had been watching. My observation that it was an achievement just to be watching live football on a ferry in South America did not have the desired consolatory effect...