From the moment we touched down at Buenos Aires Airport, we knew that this would be a very exciting and action-packed week!  We grabbed a taxi to our air b&b in the Palermo District, an animated tree-lined neighborhood filled with cafés, restaurants and trendy boutiques.  Our host, Eugenia, was there to greet us and cheerfully provided us with information on eating, shopping, and transportation options.  As soon as we logged into wifi we made contact with Cristobal, one of our Chilean cousins.  He was in town until the next day and we had planned to meet him for dinner, along with Fabian, a family friend.  It had begun to rain after we arrived and by the time we had settled in and ventured out for some food shopping, the gutter at the end of our street had become a veritable river!  Fortunately, I was wearing boots, though Andre had to wade through the water barefoot with his jeans rolled up!  Our dinner plans failed to materialize because so many streets were flooded and it was impossible for Cristobal and Fabian to get taxis.  The storm was so severe that even the soccer match between Argentina and Brazil had been cancelled! That was our first night in Buenos Aires…

View from the deck of our apartment in Palermo after the rainstorm, Buenos Aires, Argentina

It had begun to clear by the next day so we began to explore our neighborhood. Palermo has a plethora of amazing restaurants, featuring ethnic food of all nationalities.  After lunch we decided to walk to the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA), an ultramodern structure filled with art from the 20th century on. Along the way we checked out the streets of Palermo.

An interesting building in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Another interesting building in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A Jewish deli in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

MALBA has an eclectic array of art, sculpture and photography, including an old mural that was rescued from a country estate, some vintage shots of Buenos Aires, and an exhibit by Mexico-based artist Francis Alÿs on the plight of Afghan refugees, part of which we had previously seen on display in Brighton, England.

MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A portrait of Che Guevara, MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sculpture, MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A mural found in a country estate, MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The weekend suddenly brought glorious weather and we took advantage of it with some outdoor activities, beginning with a walk to the Parisian-like Recoleta neighborhood.  We visited the strange but beautiful Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of Evita as well as other famous politicians, military heroes and other Argentine glitterati. We never thought we’d enjoy walking around a lot of dead people but this place is unbelievable!

Mural in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Evitia’s family tomb. Cementario de la Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Cementario de la Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A street in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

No visit to Recoleta is complete without a stop in El Ateneo Grand Splendid. Transformed from an old theater, it is one of the world’s most elegant bookshops.  First,  you must get past the jaw dropping beauty of the place in order to investigate their amazing book and DVD collection which spans 4 floors!

El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Perusing the fiction collection, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Panoramic view, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

On the walk home from Recoleta we stopped for a look at some 19th and 20th century European and Argentine art at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and by the time we reached Palermo again we stopped for a filling pasta dinner at one of the many excellent Italian restaurants there!

Sculpture in Plaza Francia, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Plaza Francia. Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sunday was another beautiful day, perfect for a long walk to the flea market in San Telmo (as long as one stayed in the shade!) To get there we had to pass through the city center and some famous landmarks: the ornate government buildings in El Congreso, the iconic Obelisco in Plaza de la República and historic Plaza de Mayo, the political, social and symbolic center of Buenos Aires.

El Centro. facing Obelisco, Plaza de la República, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Obelisco, Plaza de la República, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We would have liked to spend more time here but today our destination was San Telmo and its famous Sunday flea market. All of Calle Defensa is blocked off for endless stalls which sell just about any item you can think of.  I checked out all the straw hats along the way, a big hit on such a hot day, and finally bought one on the way back!  When we reached Plaza Dorrego, the heart of San Telmo, we met our new friend Fabian and his son Romeo, who joined us for lunch.

Feria de San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Lunch with Fabian and Romeo, Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo, Buenos Aires

The part I loved most about our visit to San Telmo was the tango dancing! We saw the dancers everywhere, ready to demonstrate their skills for a few pesos. But even better was the free tango show in Dorrego Plaza which was amazing!

Tango show in Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo, Buenos Aires

In addition to getting to know Buenos Aires, we had some business to attend to, such as purchasing insurance for our camper.  Our previous policy, which had been arranged by our customs broker last year, had expired and this year we had to figure it out by ourselves.  This turned out to be a more difficult and time consuming task than we had imagined!  The quest for car insurance took us again to El Centro, where there were more wonderful sights such as  Teatro Colón, the premier venue for the arts in Buenos Aires.  A block away is Templo de la Congrecación Israelita, Argentina’s oldest and largest synagogue.  Inside is the Museo Judeo Dr.Salvador Kibrick, which contains information about Jewish immigration into Argentina.

Ornate staircase, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Stained glass ceiling, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Front of Templo de la Congregación Israelita, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Templo de la Congregación Israelita, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We also walked down bustling Calle Florida, carefully avoiding the aggressive money changers, to Gallerias Pacifico, an impressive shopping mall that takes up one city block.  The ceiling is covered with magnificent murals created in the late 19th century by Argentine artists.  The building was abandoned for many years and was restored in 1992… fabuloso!

Galerias Pacifico, Calle Florida, Buenos Aires, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Panoramic view, Galerias Pacifico, Calle Florida, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Close by is the Catedral Metropolitana, a national historic site because it contains the tomb of General José de San Martin, Argentina’s most revered hero. We stopped in for a look on our way home.

Catedral Metropolitana, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We arrived and left in a rainstorm, managing to arrive at Puerto Madero for our ferry to Colonia, Uruguay before the downpour. We generally don’t spend a lot of time in cities, but Buenos Aires is one that we will definitely revisit, and soon!

On the ferry to Colonia Uruguay, Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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