Don't cry for me........I'm in Buenos Aires!!!!
Oh--my--goodness!! What an incredible city!!!! I could have spent a week here!!!! It is the perfect blend of modern and colonial architecture. The streets were crowded with a mix of locals scurrying to work and tourists eager to experience the many beautiful sites this amazing city has to offer. I'm so excited to share all the beautiful places I've seen here that I'm having difficulty organizing my thoughts.
First, I'll describe a bit of my initial impressions of this massive city. Our guide told us that Buenos Aires is the ninth largest city in the world! It is divided into 47 districts, the largest immigrant groups being Italian and German. There are only a very few pureblood Argentinean people left and it is rare to meet one who lives in the city. It was immediately obvious that there are numerous means of public transportation to help people navigate the streets. There are 40,000 taxis throughout the city, a subway system, buses, trains, motorcycles, and bikes. Most of the streets are laid out in a grid which make it easier for tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. The widest avenue in the world is located in the middle of Buenos Aires. The Avenue Nueve de Julio is 440 feet wide from one building to the buildings on the opposite side of the street. There are 14 lanes of traffic that were filled with vehicles. Each city block is 100 meters long so it's easy to determine how far it is from one location to another.
One of the first areas we passed was a new and very upscale river walk shopping and dining area. The buildings have been converted from antiquated factory buildings. There was a gorgeous contemporary designed suspension bridge linking the two sides of the river and presented a great photo opportunity.
The hard scape is broken up beautifully by numerous parks and greenbelts throughout the town. Sycamore trees were planted in most of the grassy areas that divided the traffic. Kapok trees with gorgeous pink blossoms abound throughout, adorning the city with color. Enormous jacaranda trees with bright purple flowers also lined many of the avenues. Such a beautiful site. We noticed how bright and colorful the houses were painted. Our guide told us that most of the residents bought "leftover" pain from professional paints since it was far less expensive. Usually it was the bright colors that were left, consequently, the neighborhoods are filled with many different, brightly colored homes.
Many times when we stopped for a red light at an intersection, a street performer would jump out in front of the traffic. Most of them were jugglers trying to convince drivers to pass money to them through the windows. Not many of them were successful. We also noticed a number of dog walkers with lots of dogs on leashes. Many of them were walking 8-9 dogs, a few were walking up to 12 dogs, and one fellow was walking 15 dogs. What a sight!!! Not sure who was walking who in that case. We passed the obelisk, designated as the official center of the city, which was first established in 1536. It was at this location that the flag for the city of Buenos Aires was first flown. As we drove through this magnificent city there were many monuments devoted to the "common" people - union workers, men, women, children, as well as prominent historical figures. There was also a large flower sculpture which had lighted petals which opened during the day and closed at night. It was a dazzling sight. Buenos Aires is definitely the most beautiful city we have seen in South America.
Our first stop was in the La Boca neighborhood. This absolutely delightful area is considered the "Montmarte" area of Buenos Aires. It is quite similar to the Paris neighborhood for which it is named and is a wonderful place in which to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing through the handicrafts and enjoying a delicious cup of cappuccino or expresso. Many of the walls were decorated with sculptural reliefs. Some of them were of historical figures, like the Pope waving from a balcony, and many of them were whimsical characters. They were absolutely delightful. Tourists were lined up to take photos with many of them. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and could have easily spent much longer browsing in the area and enjoying a coffee.
We continued our drive through this exciting city. Our next stop was to have a coffee and snack at the famous Cafe Tortoni. I think I could move to this city just so I could frequent this restaurant. It was opened by a French immigrant in 1858 and is the oldest coffee shop in the entire country. The owner named the establishment after an area in Paris where the elites of Parisian culture used to meet. Cafe Tortoni has been frequented by artists, writers, journalists, musicians and intellectuals to inspire their creativity. Politicians have gathered here to plan their strategies. Locals meet here to play billiards, cards or just share coffee and conversation with friends. Currently, tourists and locals flock to this establishment to soak in the charm, beauty, and culture found within these walls.
When we entered the cafe our eyes were met with an array of sights and sounds. Parisian music played softly in the background while customers were enthusiastically engaged in conversations. The space was filled with a combination of small round and square wooden tables with marble inlays on the top. The wooden chairs were covered in leather and soft cushions. The walls were paneled in dark, rich wood and were surrounded with exquisite moldings on the bottom half and bright yellow painted walls on the top. Historical pictures of the town hung on the walls, along with photos of some of the celebrities who have spent time in the cafe. Pedestals located throughout the space were topped with busts of historically significant figures. There was a tableau of three famous Argentinean artists gathered around a small table in one of the corners where tourists were falling over each other to take their picture with it. The ceilings were filled with huge panels of stained glass. Chandeliers hanging from the center of the stained glass gave the area an elegant look. A row of large wooden columns lined the center of the room and helped to separate the bar from the dining area. There was an incredibly gorgeous long wooden bar built in the Victorian style and a mirrored shelving unit on the wall behind it to hold the glasses. It was a beautiful piece of furniture. Tiffany lamps were scattered throughout the coffee house, adding elegance to the atmosphere.
In the back of the restaurant there was a separate room which serves as a Cabaret theater. There is a raised stage with thick red velvet curtains for dramatic effect. Small round tables for two with wire -backed chairs provided a cozy seating arrangement and the dark walls and floral-themed velvet wallpaper gave the space a warm, romantic atmosphere. Can you tell I LOVED this cafe????
Once we left this lovely cafe we drove to the Cathedral at Plaza Mayo, where Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis, attended services for many years. Our guide told us that after church he would cross the street to walk through the park, buy a newspaper, and then spend the remainder of the afternoon delivering food to the poor. It was a beautiful church, with small intimate chapels devoted to various saints located along the outside walls. I crawled down the stairs to the crypt where some of the prominent bishops and priests were buried. I was the only one down there and it was a little eerie so I didn't stay long!
We returned to the bus to continue our tour. We passed the Casa Rosada where Eva Peron (Evita) stood on the balcony to greet the tremendous crowds that would gather to catch a glimpse of her. The balcony doors where she stood remain open and it still appears that she could walk out at any moment. I am absolutely amazed at how much she is still loved in this city. We visited the cemetery where she is buried in a vault. As we were waiting our turn to take a photo, a group of young adult male tourists were sitting on the raised cement platform in front of her grave. Our tour guide became visibly upset with the tourists and demanded that they stand up and not sit on the platform out of respect to Ms. Peron. They laughed and made some disparaging remarks but they did remove themselves. Must have been the daggers in her eyes that she was throwing at them! There are images of Evita everywhere. There was more than one tableau of her waving to the crowd from a balcony. There are certainly people here who are not admirers but it seems that the great majority of working people remain very devoted to her memory.
Our guide told us that we were now driving to the northern section of Buenos Aires where, historically, the "rich people" lived. Evidently, there was an epidemic of yellow fever in the late 1800's so the families of wealth fled to this area to escape the illness. The mansions in this area were magnificent. The residents of this area traveled frequently to Paris, France and fell in love with the architecture. Since they had a great deal of money they had the means to ship materials from France and recreate their homes in Buenos Aires. Consequently, this area became known as the "Paris of Latin America." These homes easily rival the mansions we have in Beverly Hills, California. They are absolutely magnificent. The stately, formal and imposing homes had a combination of brick, stucco, or stone exteriors. Balconies were defined by elaborate and intricate iron work. The mansard roofs, covered with gray slate tiles, were built in the steep, boxy, nearly perpendicular design found frequently in French country manors. The streets were lined with French-style gas lamps which gave the area a very Parisian atmosphere. Some of the mansions remain owned by private families but many of them have been sold and are now used as foreign embassies.
The most elegant shopping area in the city is located in the north, next to the "Paris" area. All of the major luxury stores have a presence here. Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuittan, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, Hermes, Versace, Dior, and Armani, among others have a presence in this shopping district. Thankfully, we didn't make a stop there (I think Bob paid off the driver)!
We learned that the Argentine tango was first danced in the brothels of the La Boca area of Buenos Aires. The tango was banned in Argentina due to its explicit sexual nature. However, the daughter of one of the rich and prominent families traveled to Paris and learned the dance. She loved it and brought it back home to teach to her friends. Once the wealthy families were dancing the tango it became quite popular and Buenos Aires became the center for the tango.
There is soooo much more that I would LOVE to add but I realize the most of you have stopped reading by now so I will stop. Buenos Aires is a fascinating city with many different, and diverse, neighborhoods. There is everything from shanty towns to extremely wealthy and elegant neighborhoods. It's definitely one of my favorite places we have visited on this trip and I hope that someday we will return. Now, we are at sea for a couple of days. Then, we have a quick, one-day stop in Santos, Brazil, followed by a stop in Rio de Janeiro for a few days to celebrate Carnival!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!
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