A couple of weeks ago, after a U.S. steel plant across the river shut down, Windsor, Ontario residents finally got rid of the mysterious “hum” that had plagued the city for more than 10 years. According to the lead researcher into the hum’s source, the plant’s blast furnaces had been running at higher than normal …
During the summer, if my husband suggests we go away for the weekend, I know there’s likely a cycling event attached to the offer. This doesn’t really bother me. He’s passionate about cycling, which provides me with the male equivalent of happy wife, happy life. And these cycling events have happened in places that provide …
Last Thursday, my neighbor and I huddled onto the bus downtown, talking about – what else? – the weather. “I can’t remember it ever being this cold this late,” I said. “-21 wind chill in April? Give me a break.” He shrugged one shoulder. “In Dutch, we have an expression: ‘April does what it likes.’” …
During our two-week vacation in Uruguay, my husband and I spent 35 hours on long distance buses: west/east to Colonia del Sacramento, east/west to Punta del Este, and north/south to Artigas. Bus travel was cheap, convenient, and gave us a much better understanding of how the other half of the Uruguayan population lives, that is, …
“By the day after Christmas, you won’t be able to book a hotel, find a restaurant, or call a taxi. But right now, Punta del Este is very nice.” Our waiter has summed up our experience so far in this city that Uruguayans call the Monaco of South America. We’re here for the final three …
It was the Canadian ambassador’s idea. During the business portion of my trip to Uruguay, I met Joanne Frappier twice: once at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between my university and the Universidad Tecnologica, Uruguay’s newest university; and once with my colleagues at the Canadian Embassy in Montevideo. Her friendly, down-to-earth personality made …
Before I started my vacation in Uruguay, many locals gave me advice about where to visit. Although they all had their favorites, everyone mentioned Colonia del Sacramento, a UNESCO World Heritage site 180 km west of Montevideo. I was well ready to leave Montevideo’s hectic traffic and slightly frayed edges for the Uruguayan countryside. For …
All right, everyone. Fingers on your buzzers. It’s quiz time. In which country did the tango originate? If you said “Argentina,” you’re only half right. For full points, you’d need to answer “Argentina and Uruguay.” The two countries used to squabble over where it developed, but, in 2009, they applied together to UNESCO to have …
If you love to drink South American red wine, there’s a very good chance you’ve quaffed a Malbec from Argentina, or a Chilean Cabernet. But Uruguay’s claim to grape fame- the big, bold tannat – may not have arrived in a wine glass near you, especially if you’re Canadian. Part of that is because of …
Maybe it’s because I come from a landlocked Canadian province. Maybe it’s the rhythm of the waves, their constancy reminding me that while most things change, some things never do. Maybe it’s the Montevideans, who, like me, can’t get enough of walking by, playing near, or gazing out at the shoreline. But whatever it is, …
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