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Published: March 18th 2008
Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento
“I have travelled much and afar in recent times and have enjoyed unearthing the secrets of many cities, discovering them through other eyes, for I am blind. Yet in my dreams I am always in Buenos Aires.”
~ Jorge Luis Borges Over the past four days, Paul and I have really gotten to know Buenos Aires. Not really, of course, but we feel as if we know it. We’ve walked for miles, moved from neighborhood to neighborhood on foot, studied maps, tucked maps away and wandered freely, spent time in eight or ten truly happy parks, taken cabs and ridden the Subte (metro), sighted approximately a million street cats and dogs, eaten more than our share of steak and gelato, and seen as many sights as possible in a very short time.
At first I was overwhelmed by the size of the city. BA is large, and it feels large (unlike some large cities that feel compact and accessible). By our third day in BA, however, I came to love the city. Paul loves it too. In fact, we rank BA right up there with our favorite cities--London, San
Parque Tres de Febrero
Carolyn and Paul, a “typical” American couple at Parque Tres de FebreroFran, and Chicago. We love BA because every barrio has its own distinct personality and because we always leave every barrio wanting more. So much to do, so much to see. Much too much for four short days. We’re very much looking forward to coming back.
Here’s a little of what we’ve been up to so far …
Thursday, March 13
We flew into Buenos Aires’ Ezezia Airport, where our friends Jason and Patricia met us. They took us on a driving tour of “typical” (™ Jason) city sites, which gave J & P a chance to show off their mad driving skills (honk, swerve, and maneuver through some of the craziest traffic on the planet). Bravo, J & P! We walked along the waterfront, ate lunch at Patricia’s father’s favorite restaurant, El Parrillon de Recoleta, and strolled through Parque Tres de Febrero. When we tried to check into our hotel later that day, we found out that the place was overbooked. With J & P’s help, we moved to a new hotel (and got quite a few concessions thrown in due to their stellar bargaining skills). Bravo again, J & P!
That evening, Paul and I
Jason y Pato
Jason y Patricia, a “typical” Amer-Argentine couple drinking free limoncello shots at El Parrillon de Recoleta walked through Retiro and Recoleta (known as the “Paris of the Americas”) along Avenida Alvear, where we saw the five-star Alvear Palace Hotel, stately art nouveau mansions, and the Four Seasons (haunt of the rich and famous). We stopped by the Four Seasons bar (a little too snazzy for our liking, but swell to see all the same), then ate GREAT pizza at Deja. As we ate, Paul’s dog lay by his side (“Paul’s dog” that night was one of roughly 800 BA dogs that adopted Paul).
Friday, March 14
We boarded a one-hour morning ferry to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. In Colonia, we walked 3 miles up the beach to Real de San Carlos in 90+ degree temps, then caught a bus back to the barrio historico. In the barrio, we walked along cobblestone streets and checked out Uruguay’s oldest church, Iglesia Matriz (dating from 1680) and the quiet, tree-filled Plaza Mayor. Such a lovely, peaceful town—we highly recommend that you visit for a day if and when you go to BA.
Back in BA, we walked along the super-crowded Avenida Florida, where we saw many a phenomenal building, including the stunning Galería Guemes and the
Flowers!
BA has tons of parks full of beautiful trees and flowers. Spend an hour in a BA park, and you almost forget you're in a big city. coolest Burger King ever (no, we didn’t eat there). As Paul darted into a bank to get some cash, I was accosted by a man who was determined that I would buy a playing card-sized painting of waterfowl. (Note: It’s difficult to explain to someone a lifelong aversion to waterfowl-related art when your Spanish is limited to the ability to count from 1 to 30 and order beer.) Finally, after 10 minutes or so, Paul emerged from the bank and we escaped the would-be artist/successful stalker.
That night, Paul and I ate at the super-fancy Palacio Español, where we enjoyed great steak and wine and my favorite kind of champagne (free!). We ended the night with gelato, and I’m happy to say we accidentally ordered kid-sized cones. I like to think I’m here in BA for the amusement of the locals …
Saturday, March 15
Paul and I walked through two gorgeous parks--Parque las Heras and Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays (home of about 5,000 species of plants and about 5,000 cats)--then continued on to Palermo Viejo along cobblestone streets. We made our way to Plaza Serrano, shopped at the outdoor markets, and passed the house where Jorge
Gomero Trees
These trees are all around the city. Their root systems are fabulous. Luis Borges spent part of his childhood.
From Palermo, we returned to Recoleta, then walked to El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore, hands down the loveliest bookstore we’ve ever been in (it’s housed in a former cinema inspired by the Opéra Garnier in Paris).
Later, we walked from Recoleta to Plaza San Martín, then headed to San Telmo, where I was almost hit by a cab while standing in the street to take a photo. Post-ordeal, we dined at the famous La Brigada and allowed el mesero to talk us into getting two large cuts of meat instead of one to share. (At one point, Paul dropped a big hunk of meat on the floor and shrugged it off, saying it was just “excess beef.” Honestly, that just cracks me up.
Try this at home--Every time you drop something, nonchalantly refer to it as “excess,” thus labeling it inconsequential and beneath your notice. The act of dropping things will become quite enjoyable, and the fallen items themselves will become pleasures to not bother beholding. Seriously, try it. It’s fun!)
After dinner, we headed to dark, atmospheric Bar el Federal, where we drank amazing Malbec for about $1/glass and
Cobblestone Street in Colonia del Sacramento
A lovely town--well worth a day during your next visit to BA took in the lively vibe. Paul and I spoke Spanish exclusively for most of the evening, which involved Paul talking to me while I looked on confused. Another great night in BA. San Telmo is probably my favorite area of BA. So beautiful. So much spirit.
Sunday, March 16
We started the day by touring la Recoleta cemetery, which is often compared to Père Lachaise in Paris (Recoleta is rather grand, but it seems much, much smaller than Lachaise). We saw Eva Perón’s mausoleum along with seemingly everyone else in the city, then shopped at an open market on the neighboring Plaza Francia. (These outdoor markets are the best—Michele and Heather would LOVE them.) Afterwards, I had to have my coffee fix (Argentinean coffee is just as fabulous as Italian coffee) at the local Havanna (BA’s version of Starbucks).
From Recoleta, we headed to Tribunales. We passed the superb yet completely empty Teatro Nacional Cervantes, then walked by Teatro Colón, which, sadly, was covered with scaffolding. (Many of the city’s buildings are undergoing renovations in preparation for Argentina’s 2010 bicentennial.) Along the way, we crossed the Avenida 9 de Julio, the world’s widest street (400 feet wide),
Colonia Shoreline
Trees by the shore in Colonia del Sacramento then walked up Avenida de Mayo.
We took the subte back to Plaza de Mayo, then walked to San Telmo (where we dined the night before), the Sunday home of musicians, street performers, artisans, and antiques vendors.
That evening, we walked to Palermo and dined at a crowded outdoor café alongside the Plaza Serrano. Afterwards, we went to Cabernet, a candidate for our favorite wine bar ever. We lingered for a couple of hours as people came to dine as late as midnight and one am (on a school night, no less). Around two am, we grudgingly left, as we had to catch a flight to Bariloche the next morning.
Bye-bye BA! We’ll miss you.
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