Nanny and Paw Paw visit Uruguay!

What a whirlwind few weeks we've had!

But oh-what-fun!

Let me tell you about it!

Two Sundays ago, we tried to find an English-speaking church in Montevideo but after incorrect instructions, a late bus, a wrong bus, and a total of about three hours in transit, we gave up and got the boys alfajores for being such good sports. Yes, alfajores and not churros as the sign suggested. Oh well. The boys were happy and we got to see some new parts of the city. 

We homeschooled using a new and fun activity that week as well. Google put on an online (and free!) educational tool called Camp Google. For four whole weeks, Google provides intelligent activities for kids ages 8 and up (we modified a lot of it) and the boys watched the videos and participated in the interactive displays with Mike. Each week was a different theme, from ocean to space to the National Parks and so on. Even though a lot of it was over their heads, they had fun and learned a lot!

using the interactive under the sea submarine display

using paper towel tubes for a sonar experiment

counting coins for addition practice...not part of Camp Google but fun nonetheless!

Another day, while out for a walk, we stumbled upon another wonderful outdoor market. Fresh sausages, cheese, and produce were out for display in the lovely sunshine! So fun to explore and find new things in our new country!

 

The night before my parents got here, the boys and I made Paw Paw his birthday pie! (They arrived on his birthday.) His favorite is Key Lime but as there were no key limes (or limes for that matter) and no graham cracker crumbs, we did a Black Bottomed Lemon Pie instead! We didn't think he'd mind...
And the morning that they arrived, we woke up to a beautiful dawn and a hot mate of...mate! Mate is a traditional Uruguayan drink here which tastes a bit like green tea and tobacco. The term mate is for the tea and the vessel in which you drink from. Mike is hooked and it made for a great morning and foreshadowed a great day!
A friend here in Montevideo offered to drive all of us to the airport to retrieve my parents and after a bit of a wait (a lost bag that showed up later that night!), we welcomed Nanny and Paw Paw with open arms! My mom even made the boys huge candy necklaces which of course they loved!

 

That night, we opened all of our presents and snuggled and played and generally had a grand ole time! We celebrated Paw Paw's birthday with his lemon pie and he opened his very own mate and bombilla (the straw that you drink out of)!

Late that night, as my parents were exhausted and the boys in bed, Mike and I headed out for a traditional tango and dinner show! Uruguay rivals Argentina for their tango and we loved squeezing another date night in! We had a great time watching the traditional gaucho dances, tango, and the Afro-Uruguayan influenced cayambe. Add in a steak and Uruguayan red wine and we had a lovely time!

The next day was spent relaxing (Gabe and I had a cold) and unpacking and later in the day, my parents, Mike, and the boys headed out for a bit of sightseeing in the cuidad vieja, the Old Town, where the walled fortress once stood.

learning how to use a sippy cup ;)

Nanny brought tatoos!

On Sunday, we headed to the feria, the huge open-air market that spans over eight city blocks, and offers fresh produce, pasta, and eggs, as well as a large collection of antiques and other flea market type things. The streets are filled with the smells of street food, the sounds of vendors and patrons haggling, and the beautiful colors of the fresh fruits and veggies. We highly recommend it but plan ahead...you can easily spend half a day there!

waiting on the bus

tortas fritas...fried dough dusted with sugar!

an antique communion wafer press!

crammed into a tiny taxi on the way home!

laying out the best find of the day! beautiful, antique flow blue tiles from France, salvaged from an old Uruguayan house!

We also picked up some alfajores from a local and very famous bakery called Biarritz and that night we celebrated five months of traveling with five alfajores!

On Monday, Mike and my dad went back into Argentina to check out a couple real estate finds and my mom and I entertained the boys with flying airplanes at the local park, feeding the geese at Parque Rodo, and the collecting shells at the beach!

I still don't know how she fit that into her suitcase...

Michael practiced carrying Jack on his shoulders ;)

When Mike and my dad got home, they came bearing gifts! More alfajores and Argentine wine! And the cutest Copa America soccer jersey for Jack! We just need a Chilean one for MV!
And of course, there was lots of wrestling to welcome them home :)

Once the boys were home, we ventured out to the famous Mercado del Puerto, a huge warehouse-turned-parilla hangout that is filled with gorgeous architecture and delicious Uruguayan barbeque. It also houses the equally famous Empanadas Carolina, which makes, by far, the most delicious empanadas that we have tasted thus far. There are crazy long lines but if you order them early in the day like we did, you won't have to wait too long. We explored the mercado and then headed over to the Museo de Carnival before returning for lunch. Carnival is the biggest celebration of the year in all of Latin America but Uruguay's lasts for a whole forty days. The nights are filled with parades and celebrations and it was amazing seeing all of the displays in this museum. It was $4 per adult and worth it, especially for the free cup of espresso enjoyed on the outside patio while the boys ran around. After, we returned to Mercado del Puerto and ordered a huge asado of mixed, grilled meats and peppers and gave my parents a taste of authentic Uruguayan beef! When we were finished, all the vendors and shops had opened up and we did a bit of artisan shopping before heading home for long naps. All in all, a great day!

beautiful copper stools, ready to be filled!

the bonus here is that the vino is cheaper than water or Coke ;)

we got the boys a cuatro queso while we waited for our order to be filled

very busy at 11:30am!

a beautiful theater we saw on our way home

Before my parents left, we wanted to head out to Punta del Este, which is a very exclusive sea-side resort city about two hours east of Montevideo. It's home to blue skies, white sand beaches, plenty of sunshine, and lots and lots of millionaires. It's very exclusive and very expensive but a great place to spend the day shopping at the Plaza Artigas where you can find artisan crafts, collecting shells on the beautiful beach, and indulging in delicious dulce de leche ice cream! We ate chivitos for lunch, famous Uruguayan sandwiches filled with beef, ham, cheese, and fried eggs, and took pictures next to the famous hand on the beach then called it a day!

Nanny and Paw Paw's turn!

can you tell they are related? each getting out the very last drop of melted ice cream!

On their last day here, we headed back to the feria because I wanted to pick up a few more flow blue tiles (in case one gets broken of course!) and my parents wanted to antique a bit more. We had some more great street food and a had a lovely morning exploring the hidden gems in the sunshine!

seriously the most beautiful pasta I've ever seen...

While I cooked up the fresh pasta and meatballs for that night's supper, the boys enjoyed the sunset at the park and soaked up the last little bit of Nanny and Paw Paw for a little while.

This morning, they left and we had some pretty desolate little boys around here. And on Wednesday morning, very early, we leave to fly to our last country, Panama! We'll be home in a little under a month and into the arms of these two beloved grandparents and back into our beloved state of Texas! We had an amazing stay in Uruguay but we can't wait to explore what Panama has to offer!
Adios, Uruguay!