Back in Montevideo, we settled back in for the two nights before we headed back North to the beachy area, La Barra. As we hadn’t explored the Carascos area of the city, we decided to venture back on the bus for the excursion.
Carascos is a more upscale and suburbia, with leafy streets with nicer homes. Several of the recommended restaurants are in the area, and we picked Manzanar (https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/Establishments/Uruguay/Montevideo/Manzanar.html) as it looked nice, casual and had an interesting menu. With meat being king in Uruguay (there are 3.5mil people and approx. 12m il cows), steak was well represented, but they also did sushi (weird combo).
We had a nice table outside facing the Sofitel, an massive old castle like hotel and the ocean past that for a nice sunset view. Ken decided to finally have steak and I stuck with a vegi dish and some sushi. Both were excellent and the vibe/people watching provided good entertainment.
The next morning we were back on the road for the 2 hour trip to La Barra. Arriving too early to get into the Airbnb, we decided to grab some lunch along the way. I did some intel on Google and found a Greek/Armenian place not far off the highway…and we were ready for some Mediterranean tastes. Hidden behind trees on a residential street was Garni, family owned/run and we were warmly welcomed with out reservations (it was 1p on Sunday). We loved our tapas plate of hummus, baba ghanouj, tzatziki, grape leaves and yummy breads, and by the time we left the place was packed. We timed it perfectly.
Our home for the next 6 days was kind of a tiny house (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/757759585469914794?source_impression_id=p3_1766877847_P3syWfCteqihVA4j) , located a 20 min walk from the beach, coffee and the little beach town, but a world away. The listing is true for the pics and description and we found it comfy, quiet and convenient.
The week was spent doing pilates (2x), Ken playing padel (a short walk from the house) and having fun at the beach. While we could walk to the beach, carrying the beach chairs and umbrella was not fun, so we drove the 5 mins and found parking (thankfully) each time.
The beach was buzzing with families, young and old, and it was refreshing to see everyone just hanging and enjoying. There was no loud music blaring, no apparent alcohol, no screaming children, just people enjoying the waves, water, sand and sun in a relaxed way. We joined the locals and loved bobbing in the warm water, catching the waves for a ride in and staying cool in the warm sun.
While there wasn’t a bunch of booze on the beach, there was the normal consumption of the country obsession Mate (pronounce matay), a tea beverage. Mate is sipped through a metal straw from a cup where the tea is steeped. They also carry a thermos with hot water to constantly top up the tea. If you are really fancy, you carry a basket with the cup and thermos. Mate has a bit of a bitter taste and weirdly isn’t sold in coffee shops. Everyone just makes their own and it is in almost every hand of the locals.
Our last night in La Barra, we decided to go inland and check out a winery located at one of the highest points in Uruguay. There aren’t any mountains in the country, but lots of rolling hills and Bodega Ballena enjoys great views of the coast and nearby lake. The dirt road from the highway took us up, up, up and at the top was an outdoor viewing area with tables set for some tasting.
Christina, our host provided recommendations for the wine and we loved the Tannat (specific to Uruguay) that was blended with Viognier, which was quite unusual. Kind of like combining Cabernet and Chardonnay…just not the norm But it made for an outstanding wine, red, full bodied and a bit spicy that paired wonderfully with some local meats, bread and olive oil. With the sun slowly disappearing, beautiful view and a fab wine in our hand, it was the great way to wrap up our La Barra experience.
Tomorrow, back to MVD and then on to Portugal.