Where We Be
| Tango in the streets -- now we know we're in Buenos Aires! |
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| Tango & the Historic District -- Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Okay, maybe it's touristy and a bit kitschy, but our favorite
experience in the historic district of Buenos Aires was seeing the
street tango on the pedestrian-only Calle Florida just outside the
Galerias Pacifico mall. The performers really seemed to be
enjoying themselves, and we thought they were actually quite
good -- especially the older male dancer shown in the picture to
the left and his younger partner. I can see why so many people fall
in love with the tango and want to learn it themselves. It's
passionate and full of personality and hutzpah. If I had something
other than two left feet, I wouldn't mind learning it myself.
We're relieved to say we have a comfortable apartment for the
week, so our Craigslist / Paypal booking actually worked as
planned. It's a cute little place with a double bed, a small living
room, kitchen, and bathroom. Not having to lug luggage, unpack,
and repack for a week seems like a luxury to us just now. My
Spanish got a workout during our meeting with the owner, a very
nice lady who only spoke Spanish and went to great pains to
communicate all the details of the apartment and the surrounding
neighborhood with us.
During our second day in downtown B.A., we went on a walking
tour of the historic center and covered a lot of ground, essentially
making a large loop through the city. At Plaza de Mayo, we were
both excited to finally see the Casa Rosada in person. We
imagined Eva Peron giving her famous speech from the balcony of
this distinctive pink building to her adoring masses. It was also
easy to imagine Madonna standing there singing “Don’t Cry for Me,
Argentina.”
We walked along Av. de Mayo to the Café Tortoni, the oldest and
most famous café in all of Argentina. Café Tortoni was the
intellectual center of B.A. since the 1800s, so there is a lot of
history oozing from its walls. Portraits of just about every famous
person from Argentina grace its walls, and there’s even a
photograph of Hilary Clinton dining there. Afterwards we saw the
Obelisk on Av. 9 de Julio, the "Widest Street in the World," before
returning home to our apartment, tired but happy.
experience in the historic district of Buenos Aires was seeing the
street tango on the pedestrian-only Calle Florida just outside the
Galerias Pacifico mall. The performers really seemed to be
enjoying themselves, and we thought they were actually quite
good -- especially the older male dancer shown in the picture to
the left and his younger partner. I can see why so many people fall
in love with the tango and want to learn it themselves. It's
passionate and full of personality and hutzpah. If I had something
other than two left feet, I wouldn't mind learning it myself.
We're relieved to say we have a comfortable apartment for the
week, so our Craigslist / Paypal booking actually worked as
planned. It's a cute little place with a double bed, a small living
room, kitchen, and bathroom. Not having to lug luggage, unpack,
and repack for a week seems like a luxury to us just now. My
Spanish got a workout during our meeting with the owner, a very
nice lady who only spoke Spanish and went to great pains to
communicate all the details of the apartment and the surrounding
neighborhood with us.
During our second day in downtown B.A., we went on a walking
tour of the historic center and covered a lot of ground, essentially
making a large loop through the city. At Plaza de Mayo, we were
both excited to finally see the Casa Rosada in person. We
imagined Eva Peron giving her famous speech from the balcony of
this distinctive pink building to her adoring masses. It was also
easy to imagine Madonna standing there singing “Don’t Cry for Me,
Argentina.”
We walked along Av. de Mayo to the Café Tortoni, the oldest and
most famous café in all of Argentina. Café Tortoni was the
intellectual center of B.A. since the 1800s, so there is a lot of
history oozing from its walls. Portraits of just about every famous
person from Argentina grace its walls, and there’s even a
photograph of Hilary Clinton dining there. Afterwards we saw the
Obelisk on Av. 9 de Julio, the "Widest Street in the World," before
returning home to our apartment, tired but happy.
| We loved the way these two danced -- they looked like they were having so much fun! |
| The balcony at top center is where Evita Peron -- and of course Madonna in the movie -- made her famous appearance |
| Attitude & passion -- crucial ingredients in tango -- and in life |
| Evocative image of a classy dance |
| The Casa Rosada on the Plaza de Mayo |
| Shade trees provide a pleasant path through Plaza San Martin near our apartment |
| Calle Florida is chock-full of upscale shops and downscale street vendors |
| The street we called home during our week in B.A. -- not that scenic but a great central location |
| The Obelisk is a central landmark in B.A. |
| The Plaza de Mayo just outside the Casa Rosada -- site of protests and rallies |
| Argentina's Congreso is modeled on the U.S. Capitol Building |
| Cafe Tortoni -- the oldest and most historic cafe in all of Argentina |
| We shared a cup of coffee and "churros con chocolate" at Cafe Tortoni |
| Fresh-squeezed-OJ street vendor -- what a great idea! |
| Av. 9 de Julio -- said to be the "Widest Street in the World" -- a challenge to cross! |
| B.A. has some outstanding architecture from the late 1800s |
| Statue in Plaza Lavalle in downtown B.A. |
| It's currently under renovation but the Teatro Colon is a beautiful building nonetheless |
| Wrought-iron balconies and intricate molding from Argentina's Golden Age in the late 1800s |
