Walk, walk, walk …
Our flip flops take us to the old and centric neighbourhood of San Telmo, where old aristocracy used to live. On Sundays bustles thanks to its Antiques Market. When we realized there were a lot of steps to be walked, we decided to get some energy and eat, in the market, a yummy empanada, which shape reminds me of our Majorcan cocarrois, that you should try if you ever visit the island.
They have so many fillings, that makes it so difficult to choose one.
Strolling around the streets of San Telmo you’ll see the house where the little Mafalda and her two young friends, who made us laugh so much when we were kids, were born. Her statue is located in front of the house where her creator, Quino, lived. Not far, in the very heart of the neighbourhood, is the emblematic Bar Dorrego, which in the past used to be an old factory and warehouse where they’d sell in bulk.
It offers the nomads the opportunity to cool down with a freshly made lemonade accompanied with the typical and delicious media luna, which is like a croissant, while listening “Mi Buenos Aires querido”. You can even leave your print on its walls or tables.
I love the little boxes where they kept their goods.
What a surprise when you keep walking along the city and see a couple dancing tango, they’re WONDERFUL, this city offers you surprises in every corner.
The Pink House or Casa Rosada shows us the balcony where Evita Perón stood in front of Plaza de Mayo. A bit further down the avenue the Government Houses raise imposing, all these magnificent buildings mixed with the hustle and bustle of the city, a city that reminds me a lot of our capital Madrid.
I love the mixture we keep finding of colonial buildings and art decó ones, it is full of contrasts. Tell me, don’t you think this city does justice of its nickname when they call it “The Paris of Latin-America”? I, dear nomads, believe so, it is a very nice compliment and when you visit it you will see it is because of its beauty, as Buenos Aires is one of a kind.
After a little downpour our wet flip flops take us to Palermo, the Soho porteño. Porteño is the name they use to call the people from BA. To my joy in the plaza of the Old Palermo I find a few vegetarian restaurants, in such a big meat oriented country is such an achievement.
Krishna was the one we chose, as my lovely friend Lucas was the one who took me there, and I have to say it was a delicious option, the deco was very much Hindu, lovely.
After the gastronomic stop, no very typical I must say, and following the indications my friend Marco had given me, who is, I must add, in total love with this city, we went to Avenida Santa Fe. There is where this bookshop where we could also have desert was; I was so surprised, again, when I saw that it was really a THEATRE, the fabulous Ateneo Grand Splendid, converted into a bookshop in which stage we could have a tea with two alfajores filled with the very yummy and famous dulce de leche.
What a wonderful place! It is one of the prettiest bookshops I’ve seen in the world, in the city with the most bookshops of the world. It became one of my favourites. Somewhere else they might’ve converted it into an H&M or something like that, but here surrounded by books, it hasn’t lost its charm but increased it.
In those days I was reading “The book thief” by Markus Zusak, book that I loved, like all the works where the books themselves are essential protagonists. This one tells us the story of a girl who lives in the Nazi Germany; the family who adopts her feeds her passion, innate in herself, for the books. Meanwhile she writes and gives shape to her own very book.
I have a weakness about stories set during WW2, where they’d hide Jews trying to save them. Do you like these kind of stories?, if you haven’t read this one, I fully recommend it. Don’t cheat watching the movie first, you will enjoy it very much, or at least I hope you do as much as I did; as well as if you decide to visit the city of Buenos Aires, either thing you do, tell me all about it! I’d love to hear about all your opinions.
See you in the next Buenos Aires post!!
