We have done sooo much walking these last couple of days. I do enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but my feet are staging a protest and are refusing to take another step! (at least until tomorrow).
We have seen lots of really cool things in the city though, so I suppose all the walking has been worth it. Yesterday started out with a tour of Casa Rosada. It was really cool to see the inside of the presidential building. Everything was very ornate and decorated lavishly. I will someday share pictures with you.. It just takes SO long to upload them, so today you will need to use your imagine with my sparse details, or google image these things, or be patient and wait.
Next we set off down the cobblestone street toward the San Telmo neighborhood. The street itself was beautiful – being lined with old European style buildings like you find throughout the city – many with flowers or plants growing on the balcony. There were vendors along both sides of the road selling pretty much everything you can think of… Scarves, hats, purses, toys, figurines, etc. We also saw street performers playing instruments or dancing the tango. It was all very cool. Through the sea of people, Amber spotted someone wearing a Twins cap, but by the time I confirmed she wasn’t seeing a mirage, Twins boy was too far away to bond with. Pigeons swooped at our heads and flew toward our faces a little more than I would prefer during this leg of the trip.
After the fair at San Telmo, we went to the La Boca neighborhood. It was originally the port and inhabited by immigrants. It is also the most colorful neighborhood you will ever see! Seriously – it is like a box of crayola crayons threw up on the buildings – but in the most fun and delightful way. There were also lots of statues all around , hanging out of windows and standing on balconies. I am even starting to reconize some famous Argentine people, such as Eva Peron, Carlos Gardel and Diego M. We also saw the soccer stadium that is the home of the Boca Juniors. There were so many stray dogs in this part of the city. Our usual game of “don’t step in the dog poop while you walk down the sidewalk” was much tougher than usual.
We ended the night with a trip out to eat for pizza. Famous pizza. I cannot believe how busy this restaurant was. I wasn’t sure I’d make it through the crowd to be seated! The pizza was really delicious, but I also couldn’t believe how much cheese was on it! I probably don’t need any more dairy until 2014. We were also delighted to drink pepsi out of real glass bottles!
Today we also did a lot of walking. A lot. We started out with breakfast at Cafe Tortoni, which is probably the most famous
cafe in Buenos Aires. It is super old – famous people used to go there and write tangos. There are tall ceilings with stained glass. Wood paneling is on the walls and the tables are marble. We got the recommended hot chocolate and churros (a sugared pastry to dip in the hot chocolate). The brought us little silver pitchers with hot milk and chocolate so we could mix it ourselves. SO good!
We went to the new port, where I took a picture of the 3M building for my sister in law. We then walked a little bit in the ecological preserve. The most amazing part is that temperatures hit 60! At one point I didn’t even need my fleece or my scarf! It was a miracle for sure. We had a picnic lunch at a park and then laid in the grass.
Tonight we saw a drum concert. Although I did not see any cymbal players doing sommersaults like Rachel on the Michigandrumline, it was still very fun to watch And listen to. I took some video that I may share someday. We loved it until the crowd loved it a little too much and got a little too mosh-pit-like for our liking. We pushed our way through the mob and escaped with our lives. We are a little sad that so many people disobeyed he no smoking signs there, and wish we would have packed febreeze.
We are now letting our legs rest after so much city exploration. We will see what new adventures come tomorrow!
These are a Few of my Favorite Things 