Special Post: Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral

Pediment with reliefs

Just when I thought I’d posted enough about Argentina for a while, I realized it might just make sense to share some of the photos I took of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral. This cathedral is the main church of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) served as Archbishop until last week.

I won’t (can’t) comment on the Pope (I’m not Catholic) but I can speak for the beautiful architecture of this very busy central cathedral in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo. The Casa Rosada, or presidential offices, is on the other end of the Plaza, which is the political heart of the city.

The cathedral has a neoclassical exterior but beautiful neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque interior. I fell particularly in love with the intricate mosaic floors that were laid in 1907 and recently restored. The main pulpits and chapels date to the late 18th century and are still splendid.

The Cathedral is also home to the Mausoleum of General José de San Martín, who of course freed the regions of Argentina, Chile and Peru from colonial rule.

I’ll be back with another post later this week! For now, hope you enjoy my photo tour of the cathedral.

The outside of the cathedral (I couldn't get a good picture of the entire façade - it was too big and there were too many things blocking my view if I went too far)

A view of the outside of the cathedral (with another building behind) from the Plaza de Mayo

The transept. Beautiful neo-Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

Neo-Renaissance style dome

The Mausoleum of San Martin

Stunning Venetian style mosaic floors

The detail! Can you imagine working on these floors?

A portion of the Plaza de Mayo (you can see a corner of the Cathedral on the right)

A portion of the Plaza de Mayo (you can see a bit of the Cathedral on the right)

These photos are from October 2011. For more on the Catholic and specifically Jesuit architecture in Argentina, view my post about the cathedrals of Cordoba and the Jesuit architecture I saw in Cordoba province in October 2012.

Fine Art (literally) on the Streets of Buenos Aires

Feb28

Mural by Cuban street artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada in the neighbourhood of Colegiales (and a taxi cab in front)

How would you like to live in a house that is, quite literally, a work of art? I think I might.

The second walking tour I took in Buenos Aires last month was a street art walk through several Buenos Aires neighbourhoods. I once again loved going off the beaten path into a few more residential neighbourhoods to discover the vibrant gems hidden on the walls of buildings, homes and public spaces.

Exterior of a building in Palermo

Before I talk about this little adventure, I have to emphasize what a different experience I had in Buenos Aires my 3rd time around. My first two visits were whirlwind trips that really took me to a few very specific, some very touristy, “must see” spots around the city. During the third trip, it was fascinating to also be in the city during the quiet month of January – it really felt like the entire (usually hectic) city was sort of taking a siesta, taking things easy – and I relished in wandering off the beaten paths. Of course, I have still only seen a minuscule portion of the city. Like New York or Paris, you really would need months – no, years – to get a full grasp of this city.

If I had to design an ideal vacation in Argentina, I would have to make it last at least a month: one week in Buenos Aires to see all of the tourist highlights, one week in the rural pampas, one week in another, smaller (but still sizeable city like Cordoba or Mendoza, and then a final week (or two…) again in Buenos Aires to go off the beaten track. I’ll definitely keep that in mind for when I have a few spare dollars lying around…

A door on a home in Colegiales

Anyways, for my second walking tour, I first had to find a brightly-painted home in the middle of a residential neighbourhood that I’d never been to before. It was the rendez-vous for the group. I asked for directions several times (Starbucks are everywhere, and their employees and patrons were particularly pleasant to me that hot, humid afternoon as they directed me to the right place) but I still managed to get spectacularly lost in the dizzying heat and ended up hopping in a taxi for a short ride (around some construction – that was what had been tripping me up) to the right spot. I then spent four hours with the English-speaking, Argentine tour guide and a group of tourists from around the globe wandering around a the tree-lined sidewalks of neighbourhoods in the city’s barrio norte.

There are a few good street art walking tours to choose from in Buenos Aires, and I just randomly picked Graffitimundo (link here).

Exterior of a shop in Palermo Soho

As we wandered from one spectacular mural to the next, our guide also took us through the history of street art, which was different than I expected. When many of us from North America, Europe or Australia think of street “art,” also known as graffiti or tagging, we usually imagine it as an illegal (or at best frowned-upon) activity peppered with shady characters and underground artists. But, go figure, in Argentina – a country that I have grown to generally associate with art, resourcefulness and activism – “graffiti” has been elevated to a higher art form. The magnificently coloured spray painted murals on buildings, homes, and in parks? I learned that all of the murals we saw on the tour were totally legal and in fact most prominent street artists are encouraged by many homeowners, business owners and others to grace their buildings and walls with the technicolor murals.

Exterior of a restaurant, Tegui, in Palermo, Buenos Aires by artist cabaio

The art form first appeared in Buenos Aires in the 90s, when middle class youth were intrigued by the street art they saw in pictures and on tv shows of cities in the U.S. Artists from all over the world have since visited Buenos Aires to grace its walls with their work. We learned throughout the day that many artists have distinct styles and have evolved through the years. Some artists do commercial graphic design work and reserve their street art escapades as a side hobby, others are artists with studios, yet others are devoted street artists and only work on the sides of buildings, and even others are wannabe artists doodling around, hoping one day to make it big on the scene. We also got a glimpse into the fascinating culture and inner politics of the work and dynamics of painting on the street… there’s definitely much more to it than meets the eye.

Detail of Tegui restaurant building in Palermo

Detail of the Tegui restaurant building in Palermo

If you are at all interested in art or graphic design, I think that a walking tour like this is a must-do in Buenos Aires. It’s a city that has truly fostered its own brand of this constantly evolving art form. I was glad I took a tour because guides took me onto side streets, alleys and tucked-away parks where I would have never known to look. Also, this art form is not always permanent, though many pieces in Buenos Aires have been there for years; nonetheless, street art comes and goes all of the time and my guides were up-to-date about each neighbourhood’s masterpiece du jour.

Building in Palermo Soho (and a painted sidewalk, too)

If you don’t have time to take a tour, the neighbourhood of Palermo Soho has a lot of buildings with murals in its alleys (now alleys filled with little art studios and souvenir shops) in the central shopping district near Honduras and El Salvador streets. Many trendy boutiques and studios have commissioned or encouraged artists to paint their exterior walls, and there is even a bar nearby that offers workshops on making stencils and street art.

It was an interesting day and I learned a lot. It made me want to take more walking tours of street art, however, because I felt like I was only getting exposed to just a little bit of that culture in just a few select neighbourhoods. Alas, like I said earlier, Buenos Aires is a big city and I only had a little time. It was a speedy look into a many-layered art culture, but one that was worth braving the heat for nonetheless.

Eva Peron stencil in the bar/studio called “Hollywood in Cambodia”, Palermo Soho

The Little Things (or, trip #3 to Buenos Aires)

Feb5

A flowering shrub in the Buenos Aires botanical gardens.

As you may have noticed from my last post a few weeks ago, the little details of life have been getting me down lately. From not seeing my family in a very long time, to my husband disappearing for most of the day every day to agonize over his PhD thesis and return home at the end of the day utterly exhausted, to studying at home on my own every day because there are no cafes in town to go to, at least to change the scenery… well, all of it has added up and as a result I have been prone to getting a little more frustrated than usual over many small things.

Melon and strawberry Gelato at Arkakao on Santa Fe Avenue. (Don’t tell Italy, but Argentina has amazing gelato and ice cream.)

In the bigger picture, though, I know (and am grateful) that none of these problems are insurmountable, nor are they really, truly, a big deal. They are typical life problems – albeit a bit exaggerated thanks to my current living situation, cut off by 6,000 miles from family, friends, and home.

A stained glass window in a coffee shop in Recoleta

I admire some bloggers for often making posts that focus on simple little everyday things. In fact, when I think about some of my favourite blog posts that I have seen online, it’s usually the posts about tiny details and little bits of life that leave the strongest impression on me.

Shopping in Recoleta (the sun was caught at a strange angle!)

Last month, I visited Buenos Aires again (this was my 3rd trip to the city that I have now decided is my favourite place to visit in the world). Now, Buenos Aires isn’t exactly the city that most people would equate with “little things.” It is busy, messy, smelly, fabulous, grand, spectacular, and big in every possible way. But, when I think of the reasons I like it so well, it always comes back to the special little moments I have experienced there, often generated by its people. These little moments amongst a large, chaotic city are what make the city stand out in my mind.

Sweater from said shopping trip…

Like any other place in the world, you can find anyone there, including rude and obnoxious and mean people, of course. But I have found most of its people to be overwhelmingly kind, welcoming, and warm to me, and they tend to have a particular talent for generating beautiful moments and special little memories that persist in my mind much more strongly than even the most spectacular architecture or parks or art or places or sights in the city.

Fresh basil from an Italian market. I cooked some Italian food from ingredients I can’t find in Chile.

I had one moment of mini-panic one day when I took the subte (metro) to a new part of town, where I was to join up with a walking tour. I got hopelessly lost on foot on my way to the rendezvous point, and asked directions in a Starbucks, and several ladies including a customer were very kind to me, explaining to me where I should go. But unfortunately, the road they sent me along was closed, so I walked down a different one, and got lost again. I was going to be late for my walking tour, so I finally saw and waved down a taxi – nervously, because I was told that you should only take Radio taxis in Buenos Aires and this was not a Radio taxi – and as bravely as I could told the driver where I wanted to go. Well, he treated me perfectly well, we had an excellent conversation about summer in Buenos Aires – construction season, apparently – and explained that I was having a hard time getting there because of the road closure, so he detoured around and we were there in time for my tour. He actually ended up charging me less than the metered fare.

The result of shopping on Santa Fe avenue: new shoes (they were on sale!) I love the shoes made in Argentina.

The best moment of the week, however, was in fact quite simple but actually grand in its own way. I needed to visit a library for my graduate research. I ended up visiting the Eva Peron Historical Research Foundation’s library and spent some time talking with its incredibly kind and helpful librarian. Along with my husband and another scholar, I spent the better part of the afternoon there. It was helpful, interesting, and enlightening to be there, surrounded by people who are passionate about actively preserving a part of Argentinean (and world) history.

A trip to Argentina isn’t complete without empanadas for dinner (we had them twice). Baked in a wood oven!

Most of the week was surprisingly simple: taking walking tours, shopping along Santa Fe Avenue in Recoleta and in Palermo, eating steak with my husband at a parilla restaurant with an outdoor terrace, eating facturas (glorious pastries) every morning washed down with really nice coffee, buying flowers from a sidewalk vendor, meandering through the Recoleta cemetery, through parks and a museum or two. January was the month that most Porteños take off for the coast for their summer holidays, so many locals told me it was quiet and slower than usual. The weather was warm and humid, though pleasant at night. On the last morning we were there, there was a fairly powerful rainstorm which I, naturally, got caught in and my clothes were soaked, but I didn’t really mind. It was, after all, the small, unplanned moments that made the week so lovely.

12 photos (and a few thoughts) from 2012

Dec31

January 2012: the Laurentians, Quebec

2012 was once again a year for me to cover two hemispheres, thousands of miles and plenty of airports and flights, and saw many dear family and friends (new and old) in between.

February: Montreal

I spent at least 24 hours in 14 different towns and cities throughout the year, spanning four different countries. I tred the interiors of 10 different airports, and took off and landed on approximately 20 separate flight legs.

March: Chicago

But I didn’t count up any of this – not until now at least. To me, travel is a part of my life. I don’t do it with the goal of keeping track or “collecting” destinations. I do it because I must, and also, a little bit because I can.

April: San Pedro de Atacama

One thing that I have gotten out of all of this is that nothing is perfect, and I wouldn’t wish a life that is so “up in the air” on anyone. I also can’t imagine who I would be as a person without it, because I have been so absolutely, irrevocably changed by it.

May: Buenos Aires

There is one key thing that I have learned from my travels this year, and it will change how I travel forever: this is that the most wonderful memories don’t come from following a guidebook list of sites to visit in a new city, or from taking a sightseeing tour or from running between the most famous landmarks of a city upon arrival. At least in my experience, the most vivid memories I take with me back home after traveling are those that come from the little, unexpected moments…

June: Montreal

When you unexpectedly connect with a stranger. When you stumble upon a charming artisan workshop off of the busy main streets. When you can finally order dinner in that language you’ve been trying to master. When you see or sense something that imprints itself permanently in your mind: the vivid colours of a flower stand on a busy street corner, a cardboard collector driving a horse and buggy in the veil of a dark night, a man dressed in a suit, tie, hat, reading a book while waiting for the light to change, the distinct dim orange lights of a South American city at night – so much darker than the bright white lights of our American cities, an invitation to a library in the top floor of a museum hidden from most of the public, the warm smell of a eucalyptus forest when boarding a plane on a runway in the early morning before the sun has risen.

July: Nova Scotia

I cannot convey everything I have seen and experienced on this blog. I also refuse to. Some things simply cannot be recorded and presented to the world in this manner. Some things you have to see or experience for yourself, otherwise, they lose their value when they are merely retold.

August: Antofagasta

What I do hope I have done is given you a taste of the world: a taste of the world outside your borders, outside of your familiar social circles, to places you may never have considered visiting. I know I have not done full justice to everything that Chile, Argentina, Canada, etc. and their people have to offer. One person, on one blog that publishes one post a week, cannot do it. However, I do hope that if you visit some of the places I’ve visited about this past year, you will find at least a few of my insights and a few of my experiences helpful.

September: Antofagasta

I also want to mention that my opinions do (and have) evolve and change over time. If I had to do this year – and this blog – over again, I wouldn’t have necessarily written about the same things, or posted the same images. But time marches on, and this blog is a time capsule of what I saw and what I was thinking at the time, and so it remains here, an archive of a year of experiences.

October: Alta Gracia, Argentina

There is one thing that I am certain of: my daily life has been enriched by your visits, comments, emails, feedback, and suggestions. I am truly humbled by your visits – especially from those of you who are from Chile and Argentina to see what I am writing – and am very aware of your presence when crafting my posts. I think of your comments often – truly. Thank you so much for taking time this year to stop by.

November: Antofagasta

I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful 2013.

December: near Santiago

(Yerba) Mate Time

Jun14

One Saturday a few weeks ago in Buenos Aires, I was strolling the handicraft booths in the centre of the Palermo Soho neighbourhood and the sky was threatening rain (fortunately, I only felt a few drops). Many of the vendors were calm, however, despite the rain and slight autumn chill. I quickly realized why: most were prepared with thermoses, cups and gourds in their hands, filled with the comforting, warm yerba mate tea. Watching the vendors contentedly sip their beloved drink while chatting with shoppers made for a charming ambiance.

Yerba mate is considered in Argentina to be somewhat of a national drink. It is also widely consumed in Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, southern Brasil, and here in northern Chile.

I first encountered mate in the highlands of San Pedro de Atacama, where it was sold at the souvenir market and small grocery stores in both loose leaf and tea bag form. In San Pedro I also saw a variation of mate mixed with the coca leaf, called coca mate.

Here in Antofagasta, I occasionally see street vendors selling the traditional mate drinking vessel: a small hollowed-out gourd decorated with silver accents and a “silver” metal straw. Mate tea can be purchased at the grocery store.

The modest success of mate in Northern Chile is nothing compared to Argentina, where mate seems to be a part of daily life: mate cafes are common and it’s typical for people to observe “mate time” in the afternoon.

I couldn’t resist a funky store called Artentino in Buenos Aires and its colourful display of trendy mate cups. They had silicone collapsable mate cups for the mate lover on the go, funky metal cups and charming little decorated ceramic cups.

To prepare mate, the loose leaves are placed in the bottom of the cup. Then, warm water (not boiling) is added to the cup. Important to the whole experience is the silver (or metal) straw: this has a filter on the bottom end, so you can begin to drink your mate without extracting the mate leaves first. The metal straw is great for hot liquids because it doesn’t cool off the liquid or leave a strange aftertaste. I love the cute purple straw I got from Artentino (and it would be handy for regular tea as well)!

I like the taste of mate, but then again I love pretty much any tea. It is milder and slightly more bitter than your typical black tea. The flavour ever-so-vaguely reminds me of Chinese oolong.

The mate plant is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brasil. I noticed that Whole Foods in the U.S. sells packages of mate (for roughly 8 times the cost of a package here)! I also enjoy the Rainforest Mate from Mighty Leaf, sold in the U.S. and Canada, which has the nice addition of a fruity/floral flavour. I haven’t seen the cute mate cups in North America, though, have you? I suppose you’ll have to visit South America to pick up one of those!

{Mate pictured in traditional gourd cup: photo from Wikimedia Commons/Jorge Alfonso Hernández}

A Walking Tour of Buenos Aires

Jun5

Avenida 9 de Julio

When two friends and I were in Buenos Aires a little over two weeks ago, we took a walking tour and loved the experience. It was the first time I had ever taken a walking tour of a city – with an excellent private guide to boot – and I quickly realized that it has to be the best way to see a new place.

Buenos Aires is a daunting city to cover on foot. The size of the Capital Federal (downtown) is 80 square miles, or about 3.3 times the size of Manhattan. The entire city of New York (all five boroughs) is 300 square miles, while the greater Buenos Aires area is about 1100-1500 square miles; in other words, it is up to 5 times the size of New York City.* It certainly dwarfs the cities I know back in North America!

French and Spanish colonial influences mingle near Plaza de Mayo

Buenos Aires has also been compared to many other world cities. It is famously known as the Paris of South America, and it’s easy to see why, thanks to its adoption of French architectural styles in the early part of the 20th century. It has also been compared to New York. But, I think such comparisons are unfair. Sure, during the walking tour, depending on what streets we were on, I experienced major deja vu as the city reminded me of certain areas of Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Florence (!) and yes, Paris. But more than anything, it is its own city. A city that has embraced influences from all over the world but has made something from them that is completely its own. Distinctively Buenos Aires.

One location that left a particular impression on me included the Palacio Barolo, built in 1923 and at the time of its completion the tallest building in South America. It was designed by an Italian architect, inspired by the cosmology of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Palacio Barolo

Eva Perón is still present throughout the landscape of Buenos Aires, and nowhere is that more evident than on the widest avenue in the Americas, Avenida 9 de Julio, where on one side of an imposing historic building, her likeness smiles down upon the city and on another side she is pictured addressing the city in one of her famous radio speeches. We also visited her final resting place in the spectacular Recoleta cemetery, where hundreds continue to visit each day – nearly 60 years after her death – to pay their respects and leave flowers and notes.

I was fascinated by the beaux arts design of the historic La Prensa building, now the city’s Casa de la Cultura (Cultural Center). The building looked more like a French palace than a newspaper office!

And I could go on. The government buildings, opera houses, and miscellaneous apartments and mansions throughout the city are all spectacular and unique. And seeing them on foot allowed me to appreciate them and have time to reflect upon the history they have witnessed.

Looking up at the La Prensa building

We ended our walking tour at a (yes, again, historic,) cafe in Recoleta (it used to be the last cafe in Buenos Aires where travellers heading to the pampas, or interior of the country, stopped for a refreshment before their journey). Recoleta has long been the most well-to-do neighbourhood of Buenos Aires and looks like a mirror image of the 8th arrondissement in Paris. I felt like I was on the famed Avenue Georges V; all that was missing was the Eiffel Tower in the background. Having walked many miles that day, we indulged in a few goodies: we sipped glasses of rich, fruity red malbec wine (a decidedly Argentinean wine) while discreetly people-watching. Smartly dressed groups of friends and families were sipping wine or coffee and enjoying a late afternoon snack (dinner time isn’t typically until about 10-11pm on Saturdays… we were at the cafe around 6:30pm). With the wine we ate a typical appetizer consisting of cubes of cheese, cold ham, olives, and bread.

Flowers and notes on Eva Peron’s tomb in the Recoleta cemetery

*I found info on and comparisons of the size of Buenos Aires in this Travelocity message board post

Visiting the Casa Rosada

May30

To me, there is nothing quite like exploring an old building. There’s a reason I studied art history, after all, and that my favourite classes were on architecture. In Bologna, Italy, I climbed to the top of a medieval tower. In Lisbon, Portugal, I explored the ruins of an old cathedral. In France, of course I walked through Versailles and its stunning gardens. After all, visiting a historic building that was once witness to major historical events is even more exciting.

And better yet… how about a building that is still important and the working offices of the president of a nation? That, my friends, is the pinnacle of visits to historic places.

When I was in Buenos Aires in October, it was the weekend of the presidential election. Therefore, public tours of the Casa del Gobierno or Casa Rosada – the official offices of the President of Argentina – that are usually held on holidays and weekends were suspended. As I’m sure you can imagine, I was keen on visiting the interior of the majestic “pink house” during my second visit about a week and a half ago.

Unlike the U.S. White House, the president doesn’t actually live in the Casa Rosada. However, her working offices are located here, and she commutes by helicopter each day to perform her official duties.

We arrived on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Once in the building, visitors could wander in the beautiful atrium of the Casa Rosada, which houses a gallery of dozens of paintings that pay tribute to important leaders and figures in Argentinean and Latin American history. Visitors can also mingle with the dignified (and elaborately outfitted) presidential guards, who will gladly smile and pose for photographs.

We were led by a well-spoken tour guide around the many rooms that are open to the public. The interior architecture is stunning: a dignified mixture of classic Roman influences, Mediterranean tile floors, French marble staircases, even neo-gothic stained glass windows and doors… despite being witness to many turbulent political events and a key building in current political life in Argentina, the atmosphere of the building felt soothing and welcoming.

We were led through various galleries that paid tribute to prominent Argentineans, including a room with gorgeous paintings by famous Argentine artists depicting the various landscapes of the country, a long gallery that paid hommage to many of of the country’s musicians, actors, sports stars and performing artists, and a room dedicated to prominent scientists, academics and doctors. Visitors were allowed to step out on the iconic balcony where Eva and Juan Peron once addressed crowds (and, yes, where Madonna, in the mid-90s, was allowed to film that iconic scene for the movie Evita).

We visited a bright baroque-style room where the president takes the oath of office. Finally, we were allowed to step ever-so-briefly into the dignified presidential office. Seeing the desk and conference table where decisions are made every day was quite a special experience. Having recently read a biography of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, I particularly appreciated this visit to where the First Lady-turned-Presidenta works.

The tour ended with a climb down a staircase designed and gifted to Argentina by the French that resembled some of the marble staircases at the Louvre, and a peek into the plush presidential elevator. Interestingly, final stop of the visit was at the official entrance to the Casa Rosada. Most visitors assume that the front of the building – and most photographed side of the building – is the side that faces the Plaza de Mayo. This is where the balconies are located and visitors naturally tend to gather in the plaza. However, the front façade is around on the other side, built facing the port of the city.

Argentineans are particularly good at making me, a guest and outsider, feel very welcome in their country, and visiting the Casa Rosada was no different. I can’t think of a better way of learning a little more about the fascinating history of this country than to step into the iconic building.

Dressed Up Somewhere to Go: Buenos Aires, Round 2

May25

Walking around Buenos Aires

Last weekend was a holiday weekend here in Chile, and needing a bit of a break from the unforgiving sun and barren desert landscape, two friends and I hopped on a plane and travelled across the continent to beautiful Buenos Aires.

We landed in a somber, late-autumn climate – with temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s F (18-20 C) – periodic rain, mist, and a few leaves changing color and falling to the ground.

We stayed in an apartment, an experience I’d highly recommend over a hotel to anyone visiting any city for more than a few nights. For one thing, it puts you in a more residential setting and gives you a taste of what it would be like to actually live in the city. There are also better restaurants, cafes and cheaper transportation options around residential areas than there are near hotels. Our apartment was a fabulous building from the 1940s, with incredible parquet wood floors, super high ceilings, chandeliers and white wood cabinets. In other words, it had tons of character.

Cafe culture in Palermo Soho

On our first morning, we beelined to a coffee place. it was a newer cafe on one of the city’s endless historical street corners. The coffee was great (my first real cup since leaving the U.S. in March) and the cafe had a lot of character, too: they sold fresh bunches of flowers and great pastries and cookies.

So why did I go back to Buenos Aires so soon after being there only about 6 months ago? Well, to put it simply, I can’t imagine growing tired of exploring its many historic streets, cafes, and browsing its eclectic boutiques. Plus, I had a great excuse to go back: in a little over a month, I’ll be starting a master’s degree program and writing a thesis centered on a topic that has to do with Argentina. This past weekend was a great way for me to start some research and I got more done than I ever imagined. I made some amazing contacts and picked up some fantastic information.

The city is huge: it’s the second largest city in South America after São Paulo and has endless streets and neighbourhoods to explore. Although shopping was not my main focus of this trip, I took a little time on Saturday morning to visit the quaint leather district, where you can buy leather goods and furs all made in Argentina, some designed right in the shops themselves.

An antiques store in San Telmo

What I like about shopping in Argentina is that I’ve found I get very personalized attention in the little shops. I got nearly as much attention from the sales ladies selling me a leather jacket in Argentina as I did back in the U.S. buying a wedding dress a few years ago. The women helped me find the right size and then choose the right colour, and the right fit and cut. They then instructed me about how to zip it up so it would look the best, and how to tie the belt neatly and arrange the collar so it fell the right way on my shoulders. Essentially, they taught me how to put on a jacket, which you would think I might know how to do by now, but I actually felt like I was learning for the first time.

I find that so many Argentinean women have a way of putting themselves together and value style and beauty in a way that many women in the U.S. and Canada seem to have forgotten. No matter what they are wearing, they look beautiful, neat, tidy and stylish. They are not a group of women who seem to fall victim to trends; instead, they carefully choose styles that suit their own body types. They also seem to be resourceful and use what they have in their own closets: although you can find a number of shopping malls and browse the same designers you’d find on 5th Avenue in New York in Buenos Aires, I never saw men or women flashing designer labels – they weren’t even wearing designers, as far as I could tell – but they still look spectacular.

San Telmo’s Sunday morning antiques market in Plaza Dorrego

While one of my travelling companions was shopping for her leather goods, she had overheard an Argentinean woman being told by a clerk that a certain style of coat is in fashion right now. “But I make my own fashions!” The shopper had replied to the sales lady.

I was also on a mission to pick up some Rhodochrosite. This beautiful pale-pink stone, often found swirled in with other minerals in patterns reminscent of marble, is only found a few places on earth, most notably, in Argentina. It is the country’s national stone. The stone is becoming more difficult to find, as most quality pieces are being exported and made into jewelry on the international markets by companies such as Tiffany. Nonetheless, we found a wonderful and very informative seller in the San Telmo Sunday morning market. It was a delight to stare at all of the cotton candy pink stones he had on display, and we picked up a couple of the pieces as gifts for friends and family back home.

Rhodochrosite

San Telmo is known for its opulent antique shops, especially its antiques market on Sunday morning. We drooled over a few of the many icy crystal sparkling chandeliers hung in endless display in these shops, lamenting the fact that they probably wouldn’t travel well in a suitcase. I prefer shopping in the little antiques shops on the side streets near Plaza Dorrego, as I have found that most of the picturesque stands in the central plaza itself are just that: mostly for show. The crowds are less dense in the shops and markets on the side streets, and that seemed to be where most Argentineans were doing their shopping as well.

There is one thing I’d also recommend seeing in San Telmo on Sundays: some very talented painters can be found displaying their works just off of the central plaza. One of my friends picked up two small still life oil paintings, and I was mesmerized by one artists’ work in particular. Argentinean painter Juan Daniel Habegger had a display of breathtaking landscapes of the Argentinean countryside at different times of day. The vibrant reds and oranges in one picture of a sunset over the pampas caught my eye. I couldn’t think of a better souvenir than one of his landscape paintings of the lovely Argentinean countryside.

Painting by Juan Daniel Habegger, c. 2012 Buenos Aires

We finished our weekend shopping in the trendy Palermo Soho district. On the weekends in Plaza Serrano, artisans set up stands with funky jewelry and artwork. The friendly vendors sipped mate tea (the subject of a future blog post) while we browsed the bohemian wares. We enjoyed walking up and down Honduras street and oogling at the colourful and totally creative window displays of the shops. Many Argentinean designers and small designers’ co-ops set up shop in this area, so if you want to buy real, made-in-Argentina fashions, this is the best place I’ve found so far. We could have spent a whole day or two just in this area, but unfortunately only had about three hours, not nearly enough time to see everything! We also ate two great meals in this area, which I will blog about soon.

I’ve shopped in Paris, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal, and by far my absolute favourite city to shop is Buenos Aires. I was telling this to a woman about my age working at a shop in Palermo Soho who had never visited Paris or New York. She couldn’t believe me when I told her this. I think I enjoy it so much because of the diversity and creativity of the items that can be found: handcrafted, handmade, original and unique apparel, housewares, accessories and other goods are in more plentiful supply and more accessible to the average shopper in Buenos Aires, compared to the mass-produced goods slapped with a designer label and a high price tag in the U.S. or Europe. Not to mention, the fabulously-dressed Argentinean men and women are inspiring, to say the least, to watch while you’re contemplating how to improve your wardrobe.

The streets of San Telmo

Home Sweet Home

Feb7

I have been back in Canada for a few weeks, and as it is winter, I have often been inside with the television on at night. Flipping through my cable channels, I noticed that the darling of HGTV seems to be House Hunters International. I have sat through a couple of (okay, many,) episodes and determined that they don’t exactly give a full-fledged realistic account of what it is like to move to another country. In their defense, that is hard to do in a 20 minute tv show. In my experience, six months of blogging about it doesn’t really achieve that, either. Nonetheless, I see the appeal of the show. It provides a glimpse into what it’s like to shop for perhaps the most important thing you can shop for: a home… and in an unfamiliar, exciting new international location to boot.

I also think the fascination is also that it provides a look at how people live (sort of) in other countries. Travel shows have traditionally focused on the sights and attractions (or in the case of Anthony Bourdain, unusual gastronomic experiences that only someone with an iron stomach should attempt) of a location. House Hunters International gives you a peek into a very fundamental side of life in foreign places.

During my (now well-known) walks in Chile and Canada (and the short walks I enjoyed during my brief stay in Buenos Aires), I have spent a lot of time thinking about what the architecture of homes says about a place.

Montreal, Canada

Montreal is my adopted home. I have lived here for nearly a decade. One of the initial things that originally attracted me to this city was its architecture. While I find many American cities and towns have neglected their older buildings and architecture in favour of new construction, Montreal embraces the old.

Part of that is out of necessity: the city is an island and has only so much room to expand in, so naturally it is easier and more common to remodel rather than try to build something new in the little space there is available.

Part of it, though, I think is a mentality that embraces its past French, English, Scottish, Irish and its own “North American” heritage – with a healthy sprinkling of cultural influences from around the world. To disregard the architecture that reflects this treasured heritage would be to shuffle an important facet of Montreal’s history and identity to the side.

Antofagasta, Chile

A city with many residents who work in the mining industry, the population seems to favour modern, sleek apartments (built in the 1980s onward). What could be a boring skyline of cookie-cutter box-shaped apartment buildings is salvaged by the bright, hot paint colours chosen to adorn many of the buildings.

What caught my attention when I first arrived, however, was the sprinkling of Spanish Colonial style buildings throughout the city. Then, I noticed a few other styles. I started to see Italian influences and even British influences in a few of the older buildings. One of my expat friends told me that she was told there used to be more Spanish colonial and old mansions in the central Parque Brasil part of the city. Unfortunately, at some point, it seems many were demolished in favour of tall apartment buildings.

San Pedro de Atacama & villages in the Atacama desert, Chile

When we went to the interior of northern Chile in the general area of San Pedro in the Atacama desert, we drove through a few tiny villages scattered throughout the desert.

Some of their houses were focused on the essentials: a cool, cozy place to rest away from the afternoon heat.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

And then there was Buenos Aires. It reminded me of Montreal in a sense because of its willingness to embrace its past styles of architecture and incorporation of many, many architectural influences: Spanish, Italian, French and everything in between, they were all there…

…all tied together with their own romantic Argentine flair.

I am determined to go back, in large part simply to focus on wandering around and looking at all of the buildings.

The splendid and at times tumultuous history of this city – and all cities – is written on the very walls in which its residents reside.

*Note: Thank you all for visiting and leaving so many kind comments last week. I am glad you are enjoying the blog, seeing as I certainly enjoy writing it. I will be back in Chile soon with more new stories of my adventures in a much warmer climate than where I am now!

First Lady to President of Argentina

Dec15

The Casa Rosada

I am nearing the end of my series of stories about our trip to Buenos Aires in October. However, my posts would absolutely not be complete without mentioning what was perhaps the most significant event of our stay: election day. Argentinians headed to the polls to cast their votes for president on the Sunday we were in Buenos Aires. Over 54% of voters cast a vote in support for the incumbent candidate, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (“La Señora Presidenta,” Cristina, Cristina Fernandez, or simply “CFK”), wife of the late President Néstor Kirchner and Peronist Justicialist party member.

Throughout our stay in the city, we ran across endless billboards supporting CFK’s run. Her campaign marketing spread a very cohesive and strong message: billboards declared her to represent the fuerza (power) to the people, to Argentina, to the workers, to youth, to women.

Indeed, CFK seems quite powerful. The 58 year old has had quite the political career: she was a lawyer and then elected to the provincial senate. From 1995-2007, she was repeatedly elected as National Deputy as well as Senator all while being First Lady after her husband was elected President in 2003. She then ran for President when her husband’s term was up in 2007 and was subsequently elected with a strong majority. Her husband unexpectedly passed away in October 2010.

Many have said that her popularity blossomed and she really came into her own as political leader after her husband’s death last year. Like with all politicians, particularly those who are members of Argentinian parties that inherit the legacy of Juan and Evita’s Peronist party, feelings are mixed. However, from what I have read her supporters have agreed that she has made good progress with regards to social equity, earnings distribution, increased rights to immigrants and refugees, supported education initiatives, and more.

Buenos Aires skyline

I watched her inauguration speech, which she delivered this past Saturday, and could appreciate much of what she said: she said she wanted to find alternatives to economic troubles that are currently plaguing the world so that Argentina will thrive instead of suffer, continue to improve the educational opportunities to all children, strengthen Argentina’s ties with the rest of Latin America, and better represent the people.

Bus of CFK supporters on Corrientes

I was in our hotel in Buenos Aires about 7 blocks from the Casa Rosada when the election results were announced. She won over 54% of the votes, miles ahead of any other candidate. I instantly heard loud celebrations in the streets. Supporters on foot, in cars and busses, carrying banners with her name and likeness, the flag of Argentina, the image of the ubiquitous icon Evita and the name of the various parties and groups supporting her candidacy flooded the streets. A number of helicopters started hovering over the city to keep an eye on things, but the celebrations seemed generally civil to me.

Many of the citizens of Buenos Aires were walking towards the Casa Rosada. Alex and I couldn’t resist the excitement: we walked out onto the brilliantly lit, exuberant Av. Corrientes, littered with papers that all day had been handed out urging voters to support CFK. We were only brave enough to go 2 blocks from our hotel and stood under the magnificent obelisco on the spectacular intersection (“The Champs Elysées of the Americas”) of Corrientes and 9 de Julio watching a mishmash of CFK’s supporters head further down Corrientes towards the Casa Rosada, Argentina’s “White House”.

(above: video I recorded on Corrientes of random supporters beeping horns and waving flags)

CFK stepped on the balcony to wave to her supporters that night after giving a rousing televised speech thanking her family and her supporters. Alex and I watched this from the safety of our hotel room, impressed by her ability to energize the crowds with strong messages while maintaining a genuine, friendly tone. No colorblocked power suits for Cristina: she was dressed in a tasteful lacy black top, her hair down and with her famous heavy black eye makeup.

Cristina Fernandez Kirchner – Source: Presidency of the Nation of Argentina

Postcards from Amanda

A chronicle of travels in Chile, Canada and beyond | www.postcardsfromamanda.com

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