Streets go on forever in Buenos Aries; at several kilometers long, we realised they must go through various incarnations before merging with another and becoming something else entirely. One day, just for fun, we set out to walk the length of Lavalle to spot it’s changes. These are our best days, meandering, pootling, – with no particular place to go. Who doesn’t love a good coddiwomple?

At it’s beginning, for a brief moment, Lavalle is gloriously green. People sit on the roots of a huge old tree and rest like royalty resplendent. But it quickly degenerates into grey and concrete; old ornate buildings are reflected in modern glass and chrome and air-conditioning units become momentary works of art, as they stretch to infinity.

Emerging from shops, money-changers (‘cambio, cambio, cambio’ and ‘para cambiar chicos’) and a business district, Lavalle crosses the Avenida 9 de Julio, which at 110 metres across is the widest road in the world.There is no hope of crossing it’s 16 lanes of traffic in one change of lights. Plaza Lavalle then offers another burst of green, more turn-of-the-century buildings, memorial statues and book stalls with an eclectic mix of titles – books on the intricacies of law rub shoulders with Danielle Steel novels, and books on parliamentary reform sit next to Dostoevsky. Lavalle himself surveys the scene from his pedestal.

After the widest road, Lavelle becomes narrower and the shops smaller. The chain-stores dwindle and family businesses become more evident. People are no longer dwarfed by buildings. Street-sellers hawk vegetables. Food-delivery men rest in-between orders. It’s a paring down, a narrowing in, a more human place. Sometimes a more desperate place.

But then Lavalle becomes niche and speciality-shops abound. It’s a magpie’s dream. Rolls of brightly-coloured fabric line the streets, protrude from hand-carts, and dominate shop windows. Cloth for clothing, bags, flags, backpacks and window shades. Cloth for any need. Haberdashers sell buttons, ribbons, and zips. There are stores for party supplies, stores that rent costumes. One store sold only toppers for wedding cakes! Now that’s niche.

We wonder if there really is a Mr Chirt!

And the speciality section of Lavalle has a final fling with a brief stretch of shops selling shop dummies!

We are now nearing the end of our walk and the street. For a moment it splutters in a run-down block or two, but recovers for it’s last stretch to rejuvenate with an almost hipster vibe. Dog walkers, revamped buildings, a pretty as a picture verdulera.*

We sit down with a small groan at a coffee shop and cradle lattes in our grateful hands. We’ve only walked around 5 kilometers but it’s been quite a trip!

Practical Stuff.

Los Galgos – a notable, can be found at the intersection of Lavalle and Callao 501.

* verdulera – greengrocer.