My knowledge of this country, with an unusually high ratio of vowels in its name, pre-trip, didn’t consist of much more than a little football trivia. It used to be pretty good – had won some world cups in the past (the first world cup in 1930 as hosts, and the Charrúas {sky blues} upset Brazil in 1950). And now they were pretty good again – reigning  South American champions, having won the Copa America in 2011, for a record 15th time. Ranked as the 6th best team in the world, with, in Luis Suarez, one of the most lethal strikers in world football, if only Arsenal had managed to sign him last summer! What makes that all so remarkable is that Uruguay only has a population of 3.25 million (1.75m in 1930), (Wales has a population of just over 3 million!) Only 5 other teams with a smaller population than Uruguay have ever even competed in the World Cup: Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Jamaica, Wales and Trindidad & Tobago.

Enough about football facts, none of the pictures I took in Colonia have anything to do with it anyway! One of the highlights of Uruguay is Colonia del Sacramento, and being only a one hour ferry ride from the port in Buenos Aires, it is a logical destination for many tourists. This town of cobbled streets and vintage cars is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Colonia was originally a Portuguese smuggling port, designed to disrupt Spanish trade across the Río de la Plata in Buenos Aires.

I stayed a couple of night in Colonia, before getting back on the boat to Buenos Aires, it is great entering countries from the sea – the way it used to be done, before the purgatory and misery of airports and aeroplanes. This is what I shot here…

Vintage VW Beetle, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Sunset from the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Dusk from the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter) at dusk, Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Vintage Chevrolet, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Vintage Car, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Vintage Car, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Vintage ‘Opel’ Car parked in the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Vintage Car in street of the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Restaurant Sign in the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Late evening light in the Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Sunset over the Rio de la Plata, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Sunset over the Rio de la Plata, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Lighthouse at twilight, Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay

Barrio Histórico (Old Quarter), Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia, Uruguay