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Showing posts from February, 2011

Let's start the day with a medialuna!

Medialuna To start the day with a medialuna is very nice indeed. My favorite is the buttered medialuna (half moon) which I found tasty though probably packed with calories, but who's counting? Vegetarian  Burger My "healthy" restaurant chain of choice in Buenos Aires is the Green & Co. where for about 40 Argentine pesos, I could get a combo plate with vegies, shrimps or salmon, and sprinkling of rice. They also have vegetarian burgers, tartas, ensaladas and wraps. There's a branch at the famous Galerias Pacifico (shopping mall) on San Martin and Calle Florida. For  afternoon breaks, I indulged on empanadas . I like the chicken empanadas best. It goes well with a nice glass of white Argentine wine. Here's a link to the recipe for this favorite Argentine snack. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-empanadas-recipe/index.html Empanada There are empanadas with fruit fillings instead of meat. I find these at Mexican

Café Crawl - Buenos Aires

Café Tortoni A trip to Buenos Aires would not be complete without a visit to at least one of its "cafe notables".  When in Paris you make a pilgrimage to its famous cafés on the Left Bank like Café de la Paix and Deux Magots or to Fouquet's on the Champs Elysees, you do the same in Buenos Aires.  Wax figures of Jose Luis Borges, Carlos Gardel and Nadia Café Tortoni is the oldest café in Buenos Aires. It has been around since 1858 and its regulars included  Jose Luis Borges - the  poet and short story writer, the poet Nadia and Carlos Gardel, the singer and actor who made tango music famous worldwide. Their wax figures stand in one corner of the main dining room.  There's a theatre at the back of the café where tango shows are presented nightly. When I visited recently, there was a line at the door. The Tortoni is on Avenida de Mayo, a short walk from the Casa Rosada. The Bar at Florida Garden I would not order lunch nor dinner at these cafés. The food

And the March Continues

For three decades the Madres de Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of Plaza de Mayo) have been marching around the Pirámide in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires in memory of their missing children. The number of mothers are dwindling as the years pass yet those who are left persist and persevere with their quest for justice. Plaza de Mayo from the Casa Rosada In the the 70's (1976-1983) during what was called the Dirty War, thousands of Argentinians were kidnapped, tortured and killed by agents of the military dictatorship. Some of the abducted children were given to military families. There has yet to be a full accounting of the "desaparecidos" (the disappeared) although a civilian commission investigation puts the number at about 11,000 desaparacidos. Other sources claim the number to be as high as 30,000. The Madres keep the memory and spirit of their missing children alive through their weekly march and other projects including free education and health care services

A Bookstore Like No Other

The El Ateneo bookstore in Buenos Aires is truly one of kind. It is housed in the former Teatro Gran Splendid which originally opened  in 1919. Books and music CD's/DVD's are displayed on what was once the orchestra section and in the balconies. Some of the theatre boxes are used as reading area and the stage with its burgundy curtains intact, has been converted into a café. One can't help feel like a star when drinking coffee on stage with visitors' cameras clicking away. The theatre is carefully maintained and sports a fresh coat of paint. Gilding highlights deco carvings. The fresco on the dome shaped ceiling can best be viewed and appreciated from the higher balcony. It was the work of Nazareno Orlandi, an Italian painter. Escalators in the center of the theatre on the main floor lead to the Juniors' section in the basement. While browsing through the rows of books I found this bestseller: Comer, Rezar, Amar . This bookstore  is definitely not to be

Artistic Icons Define Buenos Aires

Obelisco The Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio (9th of July Avenue) has been the symbol of Buenos Aires since 1936 when it was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the  city. (The 9th of July is the independence day of Argentina.) In the new millenium, two important architectural works were donated to the city and have become the defining icons of modern Buenos Aires. Floralis Genérica One of these, the Floralis Genérica, is a steel and aluminum floral sculpture designed and donated by local architect, Eduardo Catalano. The petals open in the morning and close at sunset except on certain days of the year when it remains open all day long. The Floralis is in the Palermo neighborhood on Plaza Naciones Unidas at Avenida Figueroa Alcorta, next door to the public law school which is an architectural destination on its own with its imposing neoclassical façade.  Puente de la Mujer The whitewashed Puente de la Mujer (Woman's Bridge

A Mugging Experience in Buenos Aires

Last Saturday as I was waiting for the green light to cross the street on Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires, I felt a sudden tug at my neck and when I looked behind me, I saw two men running away from me as fast as they could. I realized they had taken my gold necklace and leaf pendant. It was broad daylight, around 3:30 p.m. and I was following the neighborhood walk recommended by Frommer's which starts at the Casa Rosada and ends at the Congreso. I was on my way to Congreso when the robbery happened. There was another person standing there to my left and I told him that the robbers had just grabbed my necklace and he said he didn't see them.  When I think back to that moment, I believe this same man was part of that group because he had earlier tried to distract me.  I noticed he was fidgeting with his empty plastic bag and I thought what on earth is he doing? No one was crowding me but I was surrounded. And I didn't notice that the man standing to