Celebrating Life with Friends!

We thought it a great idea to take the train to the city of Tigre, an unusual river community an hour north of Buenos Aires.  It  was the weekend/summer destination of high society during the end of the 19th century who then abandoned it for the beaches of Mar del Plata.  Today it is still a popular destination for locals and tourists and the gateway to the 10,000k of waterways and islands which are all part of the Delta region.

An unaccompanied dog waited with us on the train platform, jumped on with us when the train arrived, stretched out to sleep on the floor in front of the doorway and then was booted off at one of the stops by a train conductor.  We guessed he then had to wait for the next train.
















One guide book touted the rivers as "coffee-colored", which we thought was quite a romantic description!  And looking back at the photos we took (and the great quantities of cafe con leche we have drunk in 3 months), we thought it a fine alternative to "muddy" water!   Many types of boats provide transportation of people and things, both public and private ... and we saw it all.



Here's the typical "taxi" which takes folks around the delta.  The ONLY means of transportation is boat.  So people, building materials, groceries and whatever are moved and sold from boats. 

We had a one hour taxi ride to the restaurant.  The boat stopped constantly, to deliver people to their homes or to guest houses and other restaurants.



























The pleasure boats ranged from the typical ski boat to the 75+ foot cruiser with three crew (in matching golf shirts).

























Crew is a very popular pastime as well, not only for teams and friends, but also for families.  Lots of rowing clubs and rental places.

Here's one of the merchants -- the local plant store.  We saw two grocery boats.



























All of the expats we know head by water taxi to Gato Blanco, probably the best known restaurant in the Delta for lunch.  We had a lovely time dining indoors that day and, although we would have loved to have eaten outside and watched the river traffic, it was the cold day of the month!  A parting gift in most Italian style restaurants in Buenos Aires is a complimentary shot of limoncello, the lemon-based liquor.

Sunday proved a warmer day and we headed for the infamous San Telmo street fair and lunch at Amici Miei again. Our friends Dave and Jamye joined us and then we walked to their house afterward to continue the party...dumpster diving along the way.  G found some great pieces of  old oak flooring, each exactly 1" by 4 3/4", which I quickly scooped into a plastic bag (awaiting an inspiration)......Jamye found an antique rusted biscuit tin with glass portholes...another great find!  Here's J attempting  the bandoneon......


Gad zooks!  Someone knew we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary!  Well, not really, but we found it serendipitous that this calendar commemorating the date was in front of the police training station, on our way to the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo.  Since the Museo didn't open until 2, we first went to a Peruvian restaurant, Francesco, for lunch to celebrate.  Wonderful ceviche and a favorite of J's guitar teacher!  And a fitting goodbye lunch to celebrate friendship!








And their last day in town, the guys played golf while the girls shopped and lunched at the French restaurant, Rabelaise.





Thursday's concert was at the recommendation of J's Spanish teacher.  Madrid flamenco singer, Diego El Cigala, was in town to perform at Teatro Gran Rex.  We had no idea what to expect and how we ended up so close to the stage on short notice was sheer luck, as the theatre held 3300 people and was completely full.
Having just heard so much flamenco while we were in Sevilla last fall, we were familiar with its plaintive, raspy wailing, but when it was accompanied by such great musicians on piano, violin, bass, and drums, it really became entertainment!  Diego was a soft spoken, thin man with shoulder length black hair dressed in what looked like a shark-skin suit and black patent leather shoes.  He is a polished entertainer who knew how to woo the audience!

Then Diego was joined by an Argentine pop singer (Andres Calamaro, extremely well known to the crowd), a local tango guitarist (Juanjo Dominguez) and a bandoneon player (Nestor Marconi).  The bandoneon is the essential haunting voice of tango, an accordion-like squeeze box with buttons rather than a keyboard.  Flamenco merged with tango and magic happened!  It brought down the house!  Well, 2 1/2 hours later and after 4 standing ovations and uncountable encores, we emerged from the theatre at midnight feeling very lucky to have experienced Spain meets Argentina!

Faith in Humanity Restored and Friends Arrive

Here starts last week's story.  We were sitting in the middle of a nice restaurant in Recoleta, when the waiter comes over and asks G if she had a purse.  Surprise, the purse which had been hanging on the back of her chair under her jacket was gone.  A couple of patrons had passed by her chair on the way out, and somehow the waiter thought something was wrong.  We raced outside but the "guests" were gone with the purse.  The great ending to the story was that a clerk in a "Kiosco" about 5 blocks away, called a week later saying he had found the purse in his cafe.  Everything was still in it, with a couple of minor exceptions (Kleenex? magnifying glass? friend's business card?).  So here's a picture of G and her favorite Kiosco worker!!!  The canceled credit cards were there, the important ID cards, the house keys ( locks had been changed 3 hours after we returned home).  She had absolutely no money in the purse, so all in all, aside from the hassle, all's well that ends well!  And she had already bought a new purse...

Bob and Katherine visited us from Portland.  We have had a wonderful time showing and sharing Buenos Aires with them. We waited until they came to tour the whole city in a double-decker bus (hop on hop off) to get the lay of the land. Here they are practicing on the street their tango steps at the La Boca neighborhood  stop, where tango is performed on the street for lunchtime patrons.

Jon and Bob played in a charity tournament at Olivos Country Club.  Great course and Bob missed the money by one stroke -- fourth place is such a pain.  But oh, the door prizes-- courtesy of sponsor UNILEVER!  Deodorant for men and ladies, laundry soap, dish soap, bar soap, shampoo and conditioner--a bag full of goodies!  The men were thrilled, as one could imagine. 

Another day we visited a well known tango hall called Confiteria Ideal.  After 3:00 in the afternoon, the seasoned dancers come to show off their skills  One must wait for the man to ask the woman to dance.   Most men were nattily dressed  and we were impressed with the older women's beautiful legs!   They take this form of dance very seriously.  The setting is the second floor  of the beautiful building with very high ceilings and tables around the dance floor--the light is dimmed but reflected in the many huge framed mirrors around the room.  We felt as though time had stood still and we were witnessing something very special.  Any tourist can go to one of the scheduled tourist tango shows, but we were glad to know about this special slice of life in every day Buenos Aires.

                                                       

After leaving the Confiteria Ideal,  we stumbled upon THE store that sells tango shoes for men and women.  We had fun looking in the window and trying to imagine ourselves in such interesting shoes.   And that was just the beginning!  Then we stepped inside for even more styles.   Even the guys debated about the red and black numbers....perhaps if one has the right shoes, one can dance!
































Part of the fun of La Boca are all of the photo opportunities for tourists to stick their heads through the caricature boards of tango dancers in full costume.   It was much more  fun to view them from behind!


































Another day we revisited the Temaiken Bioparque outside of town and saw some of the sights that we missed the first time, like the aviary with the large birds.  We were looking to find out where all of the tropical birds in one huge aviary were--didn't spot them, gave up and headed toward the exit.  The exit was covered by heavy link chains to keep the birds from escaping.  Here were these 10 birds perched quietly above the exit,  each curiously watching how we maneuvered the chains to exit.  We had a feeling they were planning their own escape and as they watched each one of us push the chains aside, they ducked their heads way down for a better look.  It was very comical!

We'll have more adventures to report next week.......

Random Thoughts

We are all interconnected and nothing proves it more than this full-circle episode that closed this week.

• Jo Carol, a real estate broker in Panama, introduced us to the apartment that is now our home.  At the time Jo Carol was dating Mario.  Jo Carol also introduced us to Lali, her close friend and musician/artist, and to Doug and Melinda, expats like us.

• At a guitar festival in Washington DC in 2008, Jon heard Maria Luisa, a professional guitarist from Buenos Aires, perform.

• When we came here, Jon contacted Maria Luisa about lessons.  We met and quickly discovered that Lali is one of her good friends, and Maria Luisa also knows  Jo Carol.  In fact, Maria Luisa had just visited them in Panama the month before we came to Argentina.  And the final connection was that Maria Lusia's brother was the director of the symphony in Eugene, Oregon, in the late 90s

•  Stay with us now......

• Last week we stopped in an art gallery in Buenos Aires.  When we mentioned Panama, the son of the gallery owner went to his computer to show us a picture of his friend, the Panamanian ambassador to Argentina.  The ambassador is Jo Carol's friend, Mario.  When we met Mario for lunch, we learned that he had stayed in Las Vegas with our friends, Doug and Melinda.

• Lali had introduced us to the fantastic Argentine guitarist, Luis Salinas, and we have heard him perform three times in Panama. Last night we went with Maria Luisa and her husband plus friends Dave and Jamye to hear Salinas in Buenos Aires.  And Maria Luisa has known Salinas for a long time.  The picture is of Gretchen, Salinas, Maria Lusia and her husband, George.

Other thoughts about Argentina this week:

No one comes to Buenos Aires on their way to somewhere.  Buenos Aires is the same distance from the Equator as is Los Angeles (both at 34 degrees latitude). Cape Town, South Africa, is essentially at the same latitude as BA (Cape Town is at 33 degrees).

It doesn't look or feel like a Latin country, except in language.  In Argentina, the native population died from disease and the conquistadors.  An English friend of ours said Buenos Aires is more European than Europe.  With all the migration from the Africa and Asia, Europe is a truly multi-racial society.  When you walk down the street here, everyone looks like a native European -- Italians, Germans, Russians (ignoring the Asian tourists).  Black slaves were brought to Brazil to harvest sugar cane.  Argentina has no such industry, and there was no economic reason to bring African slaves here.  So the black population is relatively small.  Yes, there's a slight similarity to Paris in the age and style of some of the buildings..  But the greatest similarity to Europe is in the racial types of the population of Argentina.

Portenos love dogs.  And while at work, they hire dog walkers.  Regularly you see packs dogs, all leashed up and off to the park with their "walker".

We are surprised to see on downtown sidewalks many waiters carrying a tray with one or two porcelain cups with saucers. Coffee delivery (not in paper cups) from the corner bar to the building doorman or office worker is common.

Everyone smokes.  I learned that cigarettes are US$1.15 per pack.  Kids, old folks-- they all smoke.

Jay-walking is completely accepted.  Crossing against the light with a policeman standing on the corner is routine.  But watch out when crossing with the light.  Cars that also have the light and are turning into the crosswalk, may try to brush you while they roar past.

Very aggressive drivers, particularly taxis.  Everyone whizzes around with inches to spare.  We've only seen one fender bender, but opportunities abound.  They do use turn signals when they make a turn in front of another lane (ie on a one-way street turning left from the right lane).

Apparently monopolies are bought and sold by the government, both above and under the table.  There is immense wealth in Argentina.  Jon has visited two golf country clubs which match anything in the US.  But 1/3 of the people live in poverty.


Like the US, there seems to be little "centrist" politics.  Either you're far left and call everyone comrade, or you wear an army uniform and do what's necessary (torture, killing, disappearances) to maintain order.

The memory of the repressive military dictatorship in the 80s is still very vivid. Between 1976 and 1983 more than 30,000 Argentinians disappeared as a result of the dictatorship's oppression.  To the left is a memorial in a sidewalk in San Telmo to three militants who "disappeared". Many were simply flown out in the Atlantic and dropped.

Mothers of the "desaparecidos", wearing white head scarves, still gather every Thursday at 3:30 pm in front of the Presidential Palace, protesting the lack of progress in discovering what happened to so many.  The country first gave immunity to those who committed crimes during the so-called "Dirty War", then repealed the law and are now bringing former government and military leaders to trial.  The Kirchner government (Mr. and Mrs.) have opened more than 700 criminal cases, seeking justice for the "desaparecidos"



















The current government wants to make sure that Argentina lives on Argentine products.  For example, imported cheese in the stores is very rare.  Yes, they have cheeses with all the French names, such as Camembert and Brie.  But all are made here.

So no free trade and high tariffs on foreign products.  The cost of peanut butter is killing us.  Last week the Chinese announced that in retaliation for tariffs on Chinese products, Argentine soy oil would be banned in China.  Argentina has basically a rural farming economy and soy oil is the #1 export and China the #1 market.  Isolation keeps some jobs at home, but certainly causes serious problems in the long run.









Starting before kindergarten, all Argentinians learn that the Malvinas/Falkland Islands belong  to Argentina.  It's the same as California being part of the US.  The Brits who live there are ignored, and there's no interest in trying to find some common ground for building a relationship.  The memorial in the city center to the 300+ Argentines who died in the 1982 war with the UK is guarded 24 hours, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington.

The school children all wear smocks, instead of uniforms.  They all look like they are ready for art class.  Don't you love the tie that is sewn to the shirt?

Freddo is one of the brands of ice cream stores that cover the city.  The photo is of the delivery "motos" outside one of the stores.  Home delivery of ice cream.  A novel idea! (Did we mention that we bought a scale for our apartment?)

Restaurants:  Two great discoveries this week.  One Very Italian and the other Very French.  Amici Miei, Defensa 1072 (in San Telmo and recommended by Martha) and Bardalaise, Libertad  (Recoleta)

Fall is Coming (in April!) & We're Off To SA de Areco and Lujan

We were very excited when our friends, Joe and Cathy, invited us on a day trip in their new car to a small town NW of Buenos Aires called San Antonio de Areco.  Once out of the city, we entered the heart of cattle, pork and poultry country.  The quantities of grilled meat and chicken that all consume every day begin their the journey here.  We were behind truckloads of  pigs and cattle more than once!


This town on a river was a gem.  We headed to the main shady plaza for the free visitor's tour.  This is the quintesential  guacho town--mostly one-story homes and shops, most restored to their former glory.  We immediately noticed all the people on bikes with baskets for their groceries.  This is clearly the way to get around the town.  There are apparently free bikes that anyone can use and there are numerous racks.  No locks needed; it is that kind of small town.  The tour leader even pointed out several sets of keys just hanging on a coat rack just inside someone's open front door, not three feet from the sidewalk!  We were impressed!  Since the door fronts mostly  butted up against the sidewalks, the homes are built around interior courtyards.

We visited a very old bar/cafe (complete with hitching post outside) with old men having a Sunday morning chat with the dapper bartender.  While none of these men were dressed in their gaucho clothes, our tour leader said that she had never seen her father-in -law in a regular pair of pants until her daughter got married.  He put on a suit for the first time and nearly cried because of the confinement!  The blousy gaucho pants tucked into boots are the norm.
 

The wall of dusty bottles behind the bar was part of the charm, as was "general store" merchandise of a bygone era.
 
After leaving the tour and sticking our heads into several quality shops of  saddlery, silver, weaving and handbags, it was time to have lunch.  We walked from the square away from the heart of town to a parilla (grill restaurant) on the river, recommended by our guide book.  Under the thatch-covered roof of the patio, we watched kids fishing the river and  families and friends enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon at this grassy sloped river park.  Many a large, stray dog sat patiently waiting at the tables of  patrons, hoping for a sample of the beef steak/chicken/pork that IS the Sunday dinner for so many.

Once back in the car, we headed back toward BA on a slightly different route to visit the town of Lujan, whose Gothic Basilica looks very out of place in a small, country town.  With a bus terminal sitting along side, it is clear that thousands of people make the trip to the Basilica on Sunday.  We compared it to the Vatican, with its huge public square filled with visitors and vendor after vendor of religious items.

After entering the Basilica during a filled-to-capacity mass, we paused on the steps where Jon asked a priest if this was a special event due to the numbers of people.  No, it was just Sunday..  there was even a sleeping dog who had found a place to nap next to a cold pillar INSIDE the church.  We turned to walk down the stairs, saw these signs, and left with a smile in search of the nearest heladeria (ice cream store).

5 Years and Counting.....

G: This week, on April 1, we celebrated 5 years of retirement and living abroad!!!!  One could ask, "Where did the time go?"  But we know exactly where it went!  Do we ever regret selling everything in Portland and beginning the next chapter of our lives?  Not for a minute!  The places we have seen, the people we have met, and the small things experienced have all added up to one big adventure!  Of course, not seeing family (and those adorable grandchildren) and old friends as often as we have liked is one of the drawbacks.  But to those of you who have come to visit us in Panama and are coming to visit us in Buenos Aires while we are here, thank you!

When we bought our condo in Panama in 2005, we never thought we would leave, except for an occasional trip back to the States.  But last July, we rented our condo for a year, enabling us to travel to South Africa for two weeks, rent an apartment in Sevilla, Spain for 3 months and now here we are in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires about half way through our 4 month visit to Argentina.

It has been an opportunity of a lifetime to live in  interesting places and become a local, even if it is only temporary.  Interspersed were trips to Oregon,  Philly, Maryland and DC, North Carolina and even Panama.  Odd to visit your adopted country and not stay in your own place, but we enjoyed being with our friends while we were there.

This week we visited the colorful neighborhood of La Boca and went to two museums:  Maguncia Museo de Papel, Grabado y Estampa and the Museo de Bellas Artes de la Boca Benito Quinquela Martin.  Benito Quinquela was an important Argentine painter, born in the late 1800's and died in 1977.  It was the first we had heard of him, but found out that his huge works hang in Madrid, Paris, Rome, NYC and Tokyo, where he spent time in the 1920's.  It was the neighborhood of La Boca where he was adopted as an orphan that influenced his work.  The harbor's ships are painted in strong colors in many of his paintings.  Other scenes include the rise of buildings during the boom of his era.  The museum houses the works of many of his contemporaries, as well as his studio and apartment on the top floor.  He was also the subject of many sculptors and painters; these works are scattered  throughout the museum.  And the collection of whimsical, carved bowsprits-- figures hung on ship's bows-- was delightful!

J: Yesterday we met with 13 other Expats at Lai Lai Chinese Restaurant in Belgrano.  From 1:30 until 5:00 pm we ate, drank, traded stories and laughed.  When someone asked the organizer, Bonnie, why she picked this particular restaurant she said it was because they would put up with a large raucous table of gringos.

Today is Easter Sunday.  After late hours watching Final Four semifinal games last night, we still managed to get out early to catch a taxi to Av Belgrano and St Andrews Presbyterian Church.  Locked up tight!  With a big announcement of the service  in English NEXT Sunday.  We met another couple in front of the church and traded confused shakes of the head.  So the alternative was the Convento de Santo Domingo in San Telmo.  One priest was sitting in a pew in a chapel reciting the Mass while a single older woman across the aisle gave the responses.

Next we headed down the street to the San Telmo outdoor antique market.  What an assortment of Stuff!  The weather was chilly but bright sun, and the crowds reflected the nice weather.  The photo of this guitarist was taken in 2006, but he was still playing at the same corner today.  A few blocks away is Walrus Books, one of the English language bookstores in town.  Mostly used books, but selected with intelligence, care and discretion.  Not a John Grisham anywhere, but a copy of  Salinger's Franny and Zooey caught my eye.  Also we looked at (but didn't buy) a trilogy of Galeano's called Memory of Fire.  It's a collection of short writings documenting the history of South America since the first people.

Now we are taking flowers and bubbly to a neighbor's home, where with six others we will share an Easter afternoon dinner. Then back home for Opening Night, Sox vs. Yankees.  Go Boston!

A Road Trip to the Andes

G: This week we took a vacation from our vacation by jumping on a double-decker bus. The main attraction was the fully reclining seats, good for the 19 HOUR trip to San Carlos de Bariloche near the Chilean border. A blanket and a pillow made for a comfy ride and once the sun set, we were into movie mode... I watched 4 in a row... interspersed with a snack and dinner, delivered to our seats by the porter. And then it was lights out and we slept until daybreak.



When we woke, we were still in the Pampas, empty, barren, flat Nebraska-like country. But gradually the hills increased, we followed beside a large lake for an hour, then a snow capped volcano appeared (like the pre-eruption St Helens). Our anticipation did not disappoint.

The mountains around the lakeside town of Bariloche were basking in sunshine when we reached the bus depot at noon and it was pushing 80 degrees. During the winter months, this is a ski paradise for South America, but it is also an all-year destination for outdoor recreation due to its numerous lakes and streams. It reminded us a little of the Pacific NW and Canada (it sits at latitude 42) Not only are there several kinds of fir and pine trees, but cypress, cedar, willow, poplar, maple and birch. And landscaping generally includes extensive roses and lavender, still producing flowers in the early fall season. Alongside the roads in full bloom we saw foxglove, poppies, wild roses, lupine and blackberries--everything in Oregon, so we feel right at home!

For the first two nights we stayed at Villa Huinid, a hillside resort sitting above lake Nahuel Huapi. It was a 20 minute walk along the lake to the center of town. Away from town, the road leads to the super-exclusive resort in this area, the Llao Llao Hotel (pronounced Jao Jao).

We wandered the grounds and facilities of Villa Huinid and met Debora, director of the Spa. She charmed us with her enthusiasm about the area and gave us helpful hints on where to go and what to see. She said we must go and "touch the lake", which we did that same afternoon, not knowing if the wonderful weather would continue. We were struck by the crystal clear water. I have collected a pound of beach glass and lots of feathers, primarily hawk.

J: Since it was a national holiday, all the stores in Bariloche (primarily selling chocolates and ski wear) were closed. But we found a nice Italian/Argentine restaurant for veal cutlets.

A rental car allowed us to visit Llao LLao on Lago P. Moreno Oeste. This luxury resort is very similar to the great CCC hotels in the US National Parks. Huge, tasteful, lots of deer antlers, stone and natural knotty pine everywhere. Incredibly situated on a high point with water on all sides and a golf course below. They are obviously used to tourists wandering through their public spaces and welcomed us. Here we are posing at the view point.  Llao Llao is the light building to the right of my shoulder.


We spent the night at the more modest Estancia del Carmen on Lago Guiterrez…and had a lovely lunch in their restaurant, Las Morillas — cierva (venison) with spetzle and raviolini de cordero (lamb ravioli).

The next day we drove two hours south to El Bolson. The grandchildren of the 60’s hippies are alive and well and selling incense holders in El Bolson. They have a very large crafts market on Saturdays.  Couldn’t talk G into a tie-dye skirt.--been there, done that! And she told me to keep walking when we passed a group sharing a cigarette with a very distinctive odor.

G: From El Bolson, we came back to Bariloche and spent the night at the other end of lake Nahuel Huapi at the town of Villa La Angostura. No, it wasn’t bitter. We decided we needed help finding a room for the  night as we couldn’t find the lake and had no detailed map of the city.   The tourist office held the key to both the room and a map.  The Hotel Angostura  looked quaint from the outside and one look at the umbrellaed tables overlooking the lake in the late afternoon and G was smitten. We were shown to a corner room, dressed for the 60’s.  A most unusual color of bath fixtures—a  yellowish green that matched the daisy motif tiles…but the view from the window made up for the  room’s short comings. Down the slope to the lake were huge lavender  plants, roses galore and hawks sitting in the  tree tops. This sunset picture is completely unedited and is the view from our room.When we went to the dining room at 9 pm for dinner, we discovered we were the only hotel guests…but the young men on duty were adorable and spoke great English. Again we tried the venison steak, berry sauce, and polenta and beef tenderloin with  roasted potatoes. (Here we will mention that vegetables as a side dish are never offered ..…  salad sometimes, but as a separate course.  I  began to miss my veggies and vowed to return to BA and eat them at least three days in a row.)  Both dinners were tasty but the portions were for hungry linebackers!

Leaving early from Villa la Angostura,  it was time to begin the infamous  unpaved road to San Martin de Los Andes, the northern  most city on our adventure.  It was  a mere  120 kilometers from La Angostura, but we were told by several people that the vistas would be worth it.  And the weather was gorgeous and dry roads meant no ruts or mud to contend with.  The many lakes and rivers we saw were worth the dust we ate!  





G: We followed alongside Lago Lacar to its narrow end where San Martin de Los Andes sits.  An unusually designed town, the whole waterfront of the lake is a park Cross the street along the park’s edge and the tidy inns begin, interspersed with houses and small businesses.  Nothing over 3 stories—everything built in a rustic style, most often from logs.  And whole blocks with roses planted along the sidewalk, all in full bloom.  J drove exactly to the right inn—just a half-block from the waterfront.  Small, quiet and all of the comforts of an apartment.   Most welcome was the floor's radiant heat. (Why don’t we install it more in the US?)  It is getting colder at night now—high 30’s.

The cool fresh morning air was just right for a walk to the Che Guevara  Museum ,  the restored barn where Che spent the night with his friend  on their motorcycle adventure of South America  in the early 50’s.  Remember the movie, Motorcycle Diaries ?  We will watch it again to see if San Martin or any of the other sights we have seen on this adventure look familiar to us.

 J:  A bit more about food in Argentina.  Mixed or tossed salad isn’t recognized.  The standard menu offers salad with your choice of three ingredients from a list of six or eight (or more than three for a premium price).  Lettuce is not assumed, it's just one of the choices.  Then the salad arrives, usually in a metal bowl, with your three choices carefully arranged in separate piles.  Maybe lettuce on one side, tomatoes on another, and the third quadrant with shredded carrots/beets/onions or…..

Argentines are infatuated with ice cream.  There are many “Baskin-Robbins”  type stores, with a remarkable selection of flavors.  Often there is a list of different chocolates, then a list of dulce de leche varieties.  G’s favorites so far are lemon cream pie and fig with cognac.  All would put gelato in Italy to the test.

Agua con gas.  I think the Argentines prefer "bubbly" water.  So in the stores they sell large plastic bottles (probably 2 liter) topped with a plastic selzer spout and trigger.  Neat deal, since the fizz stays still the last drop.  Now why doesn't the US have this?

Breakfast:  Every cafe, bar, restaurant, deli, pizza shop offer one thing for breakfast: medialunas (half moons).  They are small croissants, usually with a sugar glaze.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention that breakfast on the bus was coffee and medialunas.

The airplane ride home was almost as long as the bus trip over.  First, they canceled the flight we were scheduled to take, so we sat at the airport for three hours waiting for the next flight.  Then the next flight arrived one hour late.  But we're back in BA and happy to be home.

Pizza, Pasta and Parilla

J:  Food in BA.  The three "P"s.  Pizza, pasta and parilla (grilled meats).  And that really covers it.  We have found some great Thai and Indian restaurants, but 90 percent of the local eateries offer the three "P"s.  And Argentines generally do not enjoy spicy/picante tastes.  Last week we had ate at a Mexican place, and asked it the dishes could be "poco picante".  The waiter proceeded to explain that spicy food bothers his stomach, but promised to see what he could do.  My enchiladas arrived seasoned with probably half a bottle of hot sauce. And the waiter brought us another bottle of hot sauce, just in case.

And the next P: parks.  New York City's Central Park could take a lesson from the extensive park system in BA.  We went to a free outdoor concert last Sunday at the Rose Garden.  Beautiful surroundings for some very traditional tango music.  The concert became a sing-a-long for most of the audience (gringos excepted).  And the park was filled with bikers, rowers on the lake, in-line skaters (including an in-line hockey match), kick boxing tournament, and even an aerobics class with lycra leaders on a stage and hundreds following along.  I think, like NYC, the confined living in apartments makes the Portenos (the nickname for residents of BA) flood to the open green spaces.  And the massive trees are unlike anything we've seen in the world.

And the last P:  knowing your place.  The people here were taught well in kindergarten about forming lines.  At bus stops, the waiting people look like they are in the army, single file along the curb.  And the strange thing is that the bus stops serve multiple bus lines, so that when a bus arrives, your place in line is irrelevant, since a random group will want to board the particular bus.  Then there are the lines at the supermarkets.  For some reason, grocery stores provide about 25 percent of the cashiers you would find in a US store.  So everyone waits patiently -- always.  And the "express line" (less than 20 items) will extend back down an aisle to the center of the store (even when only one or two full carts are waiting in the regular checkout stands).

The Living & the Dead

G:  Weakened from last week's illnesses and short on sleep after marathon TV viewing into the wee hours to see the Alfombra Roja (Red Carpet) show followed by hours of Oscar presentations, the week began with an adventure to locate an area which is known for its second-hand stores since someone reported seeing used golf clubs for sale.  Jon has rented clubs once and he thought it would be wiser to buy a set.

After much walking and inquiring, we decided we were on a wild goose chase, so we entered the Palermo Soho neighborhood for the first time, which offered one to three-story buildings, quaint shops and restaurants on cobbled streets lined with tall shade trees.  We had a lovely lunch at La Salamandra-Dulce de Leche y Mozzarella Bar (!)  Why this strange combination of flavors was an important addition to its name baffled us!

The menu offered interesting salads, some with fresh mozzarella, pasta dishes, and the usual meat entrees.  Cafe con leche was served with the usual small glass of cold water along side.  And the complimentary "sweet" this time was a Chinese soup spoon with a giant dollop of dulce de leche in all its wonderful glory.  This sweet, spreadable caramel treat is to Argentina and some other South American countries what chocolate or Nutella might be to Americans. They sell it in jars in the supermarkets and make the most sinful ice cream, a myriad of desserts and the famous alfajor cookies filled with dulce de leche and dipped in chocolate.  What's not to like?  Did we say we bought a scale to weigh ourselves periodically?

Tuesday we went to an Expat book exchange at a woman's home very near to us.  It was as much social as practical.  We were back home within the hour with enough new-to-us books for another month!  But always fun to see the interior of a grand scale apartment with its 14-ft ceilings and decorative plasterwork!  We don't have that!  When one's spouse has been transferred here from the US for work, the living is SUBLIME! 

And that night we had an impromptu invitation to a music venue for live jazz.....

Wednesday we bused with  Expats to Temaiken Bioparque, an hour out of town.  It is undoubtedly the most beautifully designed zoo we have ever seen. Mature plantings of shrubs,  flowering vines and huge trees of many different species.  The flow of the paths, the shaded resting areas along the way ( everything neatly manicured and maintained) and the exhibits of animals, birds and the aquarium were top-notch.  The use of mature bamboo, both growing and structural (for pergolas, fences, furniture, etc.) was very creative.  And then the wildlife!  A 5-star WOW!  We pretty much had the place to ourselves since this day started out
raining hard, but cleared to blue skies by mid afternoon.  We were all giddy children for the day, high on such an amazing place!  And no shortage of photographic opportunities!

While Jon went to collect his new pair of prescription glasses and our weekly housekeeper, Arse (!), was tidying us up (she irons our sheets to perfection with a cheap, no-steam iron that I can't seem to iron a top with....), I walked the 4 blocks again to the most interesting, well-known above-ground cemetery anywhere--the Recoleta Cemetery, right in the middle of our neighborhood, and a neighborhood of its own, if you will.  Probably the most famous "inhabitants" are Evita Peron and her family, but what is most interesting is the architecture of the mausoleums and what was popular/in fashion for commemorating the rich in whatever particular period of time.  It got this one wondering who the show of wealth is for?

Sadly enough, the deterioration of the cemetery is proceeding at a faster pace than the restoration work--broken glass, collapsing stained glass ceilings which provided  antique sky lights, rusted gates, and even some rotting caskets and urns exposing their contents was overwhelming wrenching this time...yet I was drawn to the rich detail from a photographic standpoint and kept shooting picture after picture until I had been there 2 1/2 hours and taken 250 photos...  Aside from the deterioration of many of the individual sites, I was angered and agitated by the brooms, buckets, cleaning supplies, used wood planks and other custodial supplies that were "stored" inside of some of the vaults, leaning against caskets.   And who would toss empty water/soft drink containers in a cemetery just anywhere?  It is so disrespectful to me!    No doubt a tour  leader would zip a group from one famous resident to another and back to the bus,  leaving little time for my type of exploration.  I noticed there is a free English tour offered--I may go back and ask some questions!!!  Needless to say, I returned home emotionally drained to edit my photos and share them with Jon...

We are very happy this week to have confirmations of visitors:  Bob & Katherine from Portland mid-April and Stevie from Albuquerque mid-May!  We're beginning the individualized itineraries for the "Nickel Tour"!!!
 
Bookstores:  Soho Libros, Costa Rica 4562 (Palermo Soho)
                    Walrus Books, Estados Unidos 617 (San Telmo)

Restaurants:  El Salto de las Ranas-taquerita/bar/restaurante,  Rodriguez Pena 1169 (Recoleta)
                    Moliere, Juncal (Recoleta)

Music Venue:  Nortorious, Aveneda Callao 966  (Recoleta)