13.1.2013 Bulletin

by Marita
(Montevideo Uruguay)

Dear Folks,

As more and more people come on Sundays, the row of tables in front of Torrente gets longer and longer..... Since we are having such wonderful weather and can sit outside, this is by no means a problem--on the contrary! So you can be sure there will be plenty of room for you on Sunday.

1. Exceedingly good news: More and more people are passing on info to exchange, which is wonderful, since the point of this whole exercise is to, well, exchange info. So thank you so much to all those passing on info, and, to those who have been hesitant up to now, keep your eyes and ears open, take heart and let me know what should be passed on.

a.Cute house available for rent to expats for medium term rental (6 months only) in Parque del Plata, one block from the beach. This house would be ideal for an expat couple who wants to "smell the Uruguayan air" before making a decision to stay here permanently and/or take their time to look for a property of their choice either in Montevideo or on the coast.

Located in a very nice and safe neighborhood 6 blocks from Parque del Plata commercial area (open market, grocery store, internet café, bars, restaurants, hardware stores, abitab, post office, exercise clubs, clothing stores) and only 2 miles east of Atlantida, a major resort center on the Gold Coast (restaurants, bars, clinics, Tienda Inglesa, Tienda Disco, tourist hotels and hostels). Direct bus service to the airport or Montevideois only one block away. Pets are welcome.

Villa Aventura will be available on April 3rd at a very reasonnable rental price of U.S.$ 500/month (equivalent to U.S.$ 16.45/day) plus service charges (water, gas and electricity). It will come completely furnished down to dishes, cutelry, pots and pans, except for towels and linen and will be managed by an agent in case of emergencies. For a very detailed "Features page" and 14 pictures, please, contact Denis Dextraze, at dextraze@yahoo.com, cel.: 094-796017.

b. On the topic of taxes: "You might want to share that home and car taxes in Canelones can be paid online through local banks: http://www.imcanelones.gub.uy/?q=node/349

MUCH nicer than slogging to the intendencia to engage on the country's second-favorite sport (waiting).

Unfortunately, I see no such option for Montevideo."

c. The question last week about how

to prevent milk from going bad so quickly brought several responses:
The First: I keep milk at least a week with no problem. I am sure you check the date on the bag. I think the problem may be your fridge is not cold enough. Mine is set to 17 degrees and once in a while I have dropped it a bit but find my lettuce freezes so upped it again.

The Second: Use the method used by the pioneers in taking fresh milk across country: Drop a PURE SILVER COIN in the milk.

And the Third: With regards to the milk problem I have never had milk go off and suggest you may need to turn your fridge up a bit especially in this warmer weather. Alternatively, you can buy longlife milk which usually keeps longer in the fridge. When I was a child we always used to boil the milk to stop it going off.

2. Finding out what is going on (music, cinema, art exhibits) is easier if you check out the website www.cartelera.com.uy. Musical events are listed under
http://www.cartelera.com.uy/index_por_espectaculos.php

Of course, this is in addition to checking out the schedules for Teatro Solis or Sodre directly at their websites. Maps and broschures from the local Tourist Info Center were passed around, including one available there entitled "Agenda Cultural Montevideo 2013" listing events for the whole year. There is still one left, or you can pick one up at the Tourist Info Center in front of the City Hall in Montevideo on 18 de Julio.

3. Ice Cream is in season, and the chains La Cigale and Grido were compared. The conclusion was that some flavors are better at one, some at the other. Your own research is encouraged. However, the ice cream at Torrente was found to be very good, so perhaps you will want to begin your research on Sunday right at Torrente.

4. Word is that this Sunday is Jess's birthday. Come prepared to sing a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday, to which, if desired, can be added the story of the history of this, the world's most famous song.

5. The bad news is that locals are reported to have said we only have about 4 weeks of this wonderful weather left--then Fall will be upon us. So enjoy the summer! Carpe Diem (which, by the way, does NOT translate as "God is a fish").