Montevideo, Uruguay + Trondheim, Norway
It's half way through February ALREADY, can you believe it? Did you guys love our Valentine's Day vacations last week? And how was your V-day, by the way? Do you love love like Lulu or could you leave it like Alison? Connect with us on that, or any topic, really, we'd love to hear from you!
Alison is obsessed with the new wireless headphones she got from Amazon to prep for a Couch to 5K. She also got a fanny pack, so look out, running world. Lulu is obsessed with going to bars where they know her name. This probably extends from her love of Cheers. You know, "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name"...which right now for her is West Bank Cafe and Brass Monkey.
Alison's wish for an "Alexa" comes true immediately, when Lulu offers her an Echo dot, or perhaps she'll gift her Google home mini, either way she is being generous. Lulu is wishing for laundry in her apartment. City living makes having clean homes so much more of a chore than those in suburbia even realize.
Montevideo is the capital and the largest population of Uruguay. This is not the place for vegetarians. Lulu guesses this is because of all the readily available cattle. Their main market, Mercado del Puerto, is referenced as a “historic market with meat restaurants.” So if you have trouble with the Spanish pronunciations of Lulu’s destination, just call it Meat City. Lulu is staying at the Alma Historica Hotel, where the most luxe amenity is a pillow menu. Each room and suite is named after a "character of Uruguayan culture". She’s booked the Don Carlos Suite. Lulu rents a Mercedes CLA from VIP Cars, though she will be needing to be driven at some point of her day, fortunately Montevideo has Uber.
Lulu’s first stop is at Fuente de los Candados which literally translates to "fountain of locks", though you could throw the word love in there too, as it is one of those destinations for loved up tourists and locals alike to place a lock with their initials on, hoping it brings a lifetime of love. Lulu found some fancy locks to bring with her made by Marla Aaron. (Side note: everyone on the Marla Aaron about page is eating something, a cookie, a greens juice, pizza...this is Lulu's kind of work environment!) She finds their number locks and their letter locks, and is going to get “1” “0” “K” yellow gold locks, which will cost her about five grand. So perhaps instead of love this will bring success to 10K Dollar Day? Can't hurt to go with the superstition.
Looking for a caffeine fix, Lulu heads to The Lab, which looks very scientific with beaker-centric decor accompanying very particular brewing processes. For lunch, Lulu heads to Garcia for the best steak in the world for $25, plus some vegetable sides and a really expensive bottle of wine. Lunch of champions.
Once her need for steak has been satiated, Lulu heads off to explore The Andes Museum which honors the memory of the 29 Uruguayans who perished in the Andes in 1972, when their airplane crashed on its way from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile. This is the story that was featured in the movie Alive, which post-plane crash involves cannibalism. Lulu is stressed after hearing this story, and is worried that her anxiety may flare up on the plane ride home. She googled whether you can buy Xanax in Uruguay. In her search she discovers that in 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to pass a law legalizing the recreational use, sale, and cultivation of marijuana. You can buy one of 2 strains that are controlled by the government. And you have to register. So Lulu goes in search of another anxiety-reliever and discovers Muse. This “Technology Enhanced Meditation”, costing 349.99 for the Muse S model, is a soft band you wear around your head that has EEG sensors, providing biofeedback to help guide you in meditation. A calm mind signals peaceful weather sounds, while an overactive mind plays storm music, so you are reminded to bring your focus back to your breath. It’s like Pavlovian training for meditation...and humans. They also have guided meditations available via their app.
Not needing her meditation gear quite yet, she heads out on this winery tour, which is only $84, but Lulu decides to buy out the 15 person max tour, dropping $1200+ on wine, wine lessons, and more wine. Feeling like a sweet treat, she visits Alfajores to try some alfajores which is like a cookie or cake like sandwich with jam or dulce de leche between the cookies, then dipped in chocolate. A national staple, sampling (or devouring) these sweets is a must! Dinner at Primuseum features unlimited wine for $60, as well as a live tango show and tasting menu of local foods!
Now, Lulu is imaging that this day is taking place on March 8th or 9th, because the Backstreet Boys are performing at Antel Arena on those days. She’s buying a $350 ticket to the show, plus the $500 upgrade to a meet and greet pass. While she’s excited to sing along to the Backstreet Bots, her true heart lies with New Kids On The Block. So she is going to attend the concert wearing a Vintage New Kids On The Block T-shirt and a Vintage 1990s New Kids On The Block jacket. That’s not weird, offensive or annoying, right? Right?
Alison decided on this location because this very week, some of the Nordic countries' leading chefs and restaurants assembled in Trondheim for the launch of the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2020, the first time it has ever been held in Norway! Even if you can't snag an invite to the event, you can still dine at Speilsalen, the on-site restaurant of the Brittania Hotel, where the Michelin gala dinner is being held, which is as decadent as it gets after a a multi-year $160 million renovation. Alison stays at the Brittania Hotel in their Deluxe Suite, which includes a buffet breakfast, fresh flowers and fruit in your room, and in addition to the ever-present hotel hair dryer, they provide a hair straightener. For those who travel frequently you know this is a GAME CHANGER. Alison likes to be prepared, so she poured over the information she found in the article - 29 Things You Should Never Do in Norway.
"Don’t Invade A Norwegian’s Personal Space"
"Avoid Making Eye Contact All The Time"
"Don’t Eat With Your Hands", "Don’t Worry About Leaving A Tip"
"Don’t Bother Complaining At Restaurants"
and oh so much more.
She may not have to worry about following these "rules", as she barely leaves the hotel. When Alison reads that the residents of Norway are "generally humble, egalitarian, and introverted, and they get self-conscious when commended", and that they "often keep to themselves", she thinks, this is the perfect place for Lulu! She decides to fly her out to join her, though buying a business class seat on an American Airlines flight day-of cost about six grand. Seeing as it's included, Alisons and Lulu grab breakfast in Palmehaven, one of the hotel's on-site restaurants located in what was an orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very large form of greenhouse or conservatory. After a lovely breakfast they head to the hotel's spa, where Alison has booked for both her and Lulu two facial services - a BIOTEC Line Eraser and BIOTEC Radiance Renew - and a four-handed Swedish massage. After that incredible spa day, it's time to leave the hotel for a bit.
They head to the Trøndelag Folk Museum, which if you've been to Colonial Williamsburg, just picture the Nordic version of that. The open air museum has over 80 buildings, castle ruins, and a wonderful view over the city and the fjord. They have to get back to the hotel in time for the 8pm seating for the Chef's Table at Speilsalen. Their 10-course menu comes with an aperitif, wine pairing, mineral water, artisanal coffee and petit four. It costs around $400 per person, which takes Alison just barely over her $10,000 budget. But since she brought Lulu along with her, she's going to ask for the $5.21 she needs to cover their dinner tab.
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