2025 Dec 7-13: Buenos Aires week 1

Arrived CABA (Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires) afternoon 7th. Checked into AirBnB in Palermo Hollywood, Bonpland 2082; left the kids there and went to return the camper. Took 4 hours because of the hyper-extended door. Kids flew away while we were at it.

OK so the apartment is great - right in the thick of an active district, everything we need, PLUS a swimming pool on the roof:

Dec 8 - explored the immediate neighborhood. Lots of cafes & restaurants, lots of tall trees, murals. Mix of old and new buildings, most on the order of 8-10 stories high:

Some really interesting shops, like this one - Paul French Gallery:

Dec 9 - more local, on-foot exploration. Favorite cafe - Vive:

Sunset on the roof:

First of many fabulous Leslie-home cooked meals:

Dec 10 - further afield, still on foot. Rosedal de Palermo, the municipal rose garden:

Dec 11 - Leslie has a hair appointment in Recoleta, time to figure out the public transport system. ChatGPT says you have to have a SUBE card. It’s wrong; like London etc, you can now use your credit card - from your apple wallet if you want, so basically your phone. Very nice.

The 93 stops in front of our building (good news/bad news - it’s quite loud, seems like starting about 5:30AM), goes directly to Recoleta in about 20 min. While she was there, I went to Clásica y Moderne, a traditional cafe with a bookstore inside:

met afterwards in Plaza Rodriguez Peña:

Walked to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a famous bookstore in a beautiful beaux-arts ex-theater. IMO an instagram casualty - scrubbed, full of Americans. No photos.

Then came Tango attempt #1, the protracted attempt. I had seen that there would be a Milagra, namely a demonstration & class, sponsored by the cultural center, in a remote plaza. I wasn’t sure I had it fully understood so we went to the center to confirm. Correct. Home for a quick bite, then on a tram bus for an hour out to the ‘burbs. We were going to arrive at 7 for an event scheduled for 6-9. Had to transfer to a 2nd bus, & after it wound around and entered a freeway heading further out of town, realized it was the right bus in the wrong direction. Fuckit. Got off, unwound, headed home exhausted. No tango yet.

Dec 12 - to the Japanese garden:

Tango attempt #2: we’d been told by the folks at Montecarlo, where we had lunch 3 days prior, that they would have a tango demonstration Friday night @ 8. Went for dinner, sat outside. The dancers didn’t show, but the musicians did:

the waiter was delightful, proud of his English, and these guys were into it, occasionally added some harmony:

The show ended abruptly when a bus hit a motor scooter. I guess the driver was captivated by the music. No one hurt badly.

Dec 13 - light day, laundry & homework. Daily Helado & sunset from the roof pool deck: