It was a beautiful day Monday for taking pictures.

Atlántida started in 1911 as a summer playground for wealthy Montevideans, and the architecture reflects that.

Along the Rambla La Mansa:

There are a number of whimsical houses, including this one that I’ve never seen occupied on the Rambla La Brava:

And then there’s Edificio El Planeta.

First, a quick Spanish lesson: el planeta means the planet, and it seems like it should be la planeta. There a few Spanish words that don’t play well with rules.

Built in the 1930s in just one year (did Uruguayans once work fast?), it served as Planeta Palace Hotel until 1954. It looks like a ship preparing to steam out to sea, and was very fancy in its day, with private baths, hot water, and heating (heating? In Uruguay?). After the hotel’s closure, it was divided and sold as  propiedad horizontal (i.e., condos). It was declared a national historical monument in 2005.