Colonia must be mesmerizing on a warm sunny day, with gentle breezes rolling in off the sea… But we got it on a cold, dramp, dreary day. And we made the absolute best of it.

We happened upon a local parade — we think it was a religious or national holiday, but never did find out. Parents lined both sides of the street, sharing hot water from thermoses for their mate teas. Kids marched waving flags and school bands performed.

On the corner of Plaza de Armas, we had lunch at a restaurant called El Drugstore. This corner place was a welcome cheery respite from the weather funky and bright artwosk and hand-painted decor. Servinvg both tapas and full meals, the open kitchen has everything on display. I order an awesome four cheese gnocchi. The huge platter of food defeated us both! Our plan was to do more sightseeing after lunch, but the rain had other ideas. We wandered into another restaurant called Anjo Preto, ordered a bottle of red wine and talked about all we’d done on the trip.

Just as much as the historic buildings, the city is know for it’s vintage cars. Even without sun, they made for some cool photos.

And one final note to all the husbands-to-be out there… You may be really impressed by the awesomely versatile, water-resistant and lightweight North Face jacket your fiancé buys herself for the honeymoon. But going out and purchasing the exact same one only results in making you both look like complete tools. Not recommended.