Tango – an embrace.
I asked the magician next door if he tangoed. ‘Not really’ he replied, but he did say there was a practica* a few meters from our front door every Thursday evening. ‘Can anyone go?’, I asked, ‘just to watch?’ ‘Sure’, he nodded. So exactly a week after Marabu, we presented ourselves at the Club General Belgrano at Cochabamba 444. The door was wide open and … Continue reading Tango – an embrace.
Barracas.
Half way through our stay, we wanted to ditch the guidebook and do our own thing. The barrio of Barracas isn’t mentioned in the Lonely Planet – isn’t on the tourist radar at all, as far as I can tell, which seemed good enough reason to go for a walk there and to go with the flow. Once a wealthy barrio, Barracas was hit by … Continue reading Barracas.
Tango: Sex with a capital ‘S’.
My sister once said to me that Ricky Martin was sex on legs. I think tango is sex on four legs. Smouldering. Sensual. Sophisticated. Sex with a capital S. Our first milonga was at Salon Marabu. ‘Oh, that’s a bit,’ … said Cynthia, as she held her nose in the air. We didn’t know it then, but it was. Women dressed to the nines. Killer … Continue reading Tango: Sex with a capital ‘S’.
Plaza de Mayo.
At first sight this plaza didn’t float my boat. No character, I thought. Just a big space with a lot of grandiose buildings. The Casa Rosada presidential palace, the Catedral Metropolitana and the Cabildo to name but a few. Lonely Planet touts it as the city’s historic heart. I couldn’t feel it. But we went back. And then we went again. With each visit we … Continue reading Plaza de Mayo.
The Notables.
I got quite excited when I heard about the Buenos Aries ‘cafe notables’. There are over seventy of them. Historic places recognised for their tradition, architectural value, local relevance and cultural significance. I love a theme, I love a challenge, and while I knew I probably wouldn’t make it to all seventy, it never hurts to have a dream. San Telmo has five classic corner … Continue reading The Notables.
The Collectivos.
San Telmo is great. But we didn’t come to Buenos Aries only to sit on Plaza Dorrego. Our thoughts turned to getting around the city. The buses – collectivos or bondis in the local parlance – seemed to be the way to go. They are loud, rough around the edges, but reasonably reliable, dirt cheap, and ferry six-and-a-half million passengers a day. We bought Sube … Continue reading The Collectivos.
San Telmo: The Sunday Feria.
On Sundays San Telmo goes for broke. For one day a week it’s the place everyone wants to be. The feria began in 1970 with just a handful of stalls, an attempt to save the area from re-development. Now the antique market takes over Plaza Dorrego and artisan stalls the surrounding cobble-stone streets, for several blocks. Bandoneon players, tarot-card readers, simit sellers, orange-juice and sugared-peanut … Continue reading San Telmo: The Sunday Feria.
San Telmo: Our ‘Barrio’.
We flew for 12 hours, but I feel like we’ve come to a different planet…. We begin to settle in. We’ve been here for almost two weeks now and the apartment feels like home. We are at least getting used to its quirks. We meet some of our neighbours. The magician who lives on the other half of the ground floor with his girlfriend and … Continue reading San Telmo: Our ‘Barrio’.
We’re in Buenos Aries!
First impressions are important. My heart sank a tiny bit, as it also jumped and did a jig. Sank at the slight grunginess – but soared at the height of the ceilings and all the lovely original old features. We had just arrived at our next home. We’d live in this old colonial building in San Telmo, for the next three months. I wanted to … Continue reading We’re in Buenos Aries!
The DMZ With Mr Thinh.
We’ve just set off on our first far-away adventure since Covid struck. Rather perversely my thoughts turn to our last big trip, to Vietnam. I somehow didn’t have the heart write about it then. Now I do. So while I gather my thoughts about Madrid, and as we move on to Buenos Aries, I look back on Hanoi with so many good memories. I cannot … Continue reading The DMZ With Mr Thinh.
Wondering Woman 