Warning! This is going to be a long post with lots of pictures. So, grab your beverage of choice. I recommend a bottle (or two) of Malbec. Enjoy.
For our 30th wedding anniversary we checked off a bucket list trip. We flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We got back yesterday and even as I write this its hard to believe we were there for almost two weeks.
Sacramento to Houston – 4 Hours
Houston to Buenos Aires – 10 hours
When we arrived, our driver, Adrian greeted us and we thought it best to change some money at the airport. The banker there told us not to exchange as much as we wanted to, instead he suggested we go to Calle Florida and look for people who yell “Cambio” which means change in Spanish. We finally got up the nerve to try it and it gave us twice the money……granted we had to go to a private room up a flight of stairs and negotiate, but so worth it. One time we followed our guy to the stairs, thinking we’d be going up, but the transaction was made on a white towel on the first step. Crime pays. LOL!
Anyway, we arrived, nested and went to the local grocery store “Carrefour” and bought the essentials.
We showered and set out for our first Argentine evening.
We walked down to Puerto Madero and sat outside and overlooked the harbor. We ordered gin cocktails. Mine was Basil and Jon’s was a citrus “naranja” orange cocktail.
We walked over to Lavalle Street to eat at a restaurant that I’d researched prior to our trip that was near our apartment. “La Estancia” is a parilla which is an Argentine Grill. They have assorted meats hanging in the window. We ordered the basket of meat which included Steak, Chorizo, blood sausage, short ribs and some mystery meat which we learned later were entrails! When we finished our meal, Jon placed the money on the table to cover the bill plus a handsome tip. In reality he placed 35 cents for a 5200 peso bill. We left thinking we gave our waiter a nice tip. Good for us. Down the street, about three blocks away, we hear “Senor, Senor” and he is tapping Jon of the shoulder holding his hand out with the 70 pesos and I was thinking he thought the tip was too big, so I said “Oh, no the rest is for you!” Through more charades and Spanglish we realized the bill was 5200 pesos, not 52. We fixed the error and all had a good laugh. FYI: 52 Argentine pesos is 26 cents. We even went back there during the week for a second meal. We went back to our apartment and collapsed!
Day Two
We had breakfast at the apartment and left early afternoon for Palermo. We had signed up for the The Wine Discovery of Buenos Aires.
https://www.winediscoveryba.com/It was a private lesson by Bertie and Aby. Somehow I thought his name was Birdie and that is what he’ll always be to me.
We learned a lot about Malbec wine and about the only wine native to Argentina, a white wine called Torrontes.
They paired each wine with a dish and our favorite was “Humita” a corn pudding.
Birdie told us of a place called “Eco Parque” where critters roam about freely so we thought we’d check it out on our way home. We got there at 5:50 and they wouldn’t let us in because they closed at six. So keep count, this was the first attempt. We walked around the area and then I realized I had to pee desperately . So after many failed attempts to find a bathroom we stopped at a restaurant called “Fayer” and got a table so I could use the bano. Jon ordered a bottle of our new favorite wine “Torrontes”. We drank a bottle and people watched. We met a black lab named “Esperanza” (Hope in Spanish) and her Mom. She, the mom, told us to take the 59 bus back to the Obelisk. Good Idea! We found the bus stop and rode the bus back to the center of BA. We now refer to that as the “Death Bus!”
Back in town, we ate dinner at El Gato (The Cat) an Italian restuarant. I had the Milanesa and Jon had the “I can’t remember what it was” so….not a memorable dinner, however the “Wine Discovery” with Birdie and Aby was amazing!
Day Three:
We started off our day on the subway. You get a “Sube” card (only one) scan it, then pass it back to your travel companion. 2 for the price of 1….Pretty Cool.
We got off on Bond Street, known for its tattoo parlors and then walked over to “El Ateneo” book store. Back in the day, it was a Grand Theatre which has been turned into a beautiful book store. No suprise, I bought an Argentinian cook book.
We walked over to Recoleta Cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. She is in the “Duarte” family vault. We just just found out today that they are going to charge tourists an entry fee of $7. It is a beautiful place to stroll and look at all the magnificent crypts. We had a bite to eat across from the cemetery then leisurely walked through a street fair. At this point our feet were screaming and we hailed a cab back to the Obelisk. To our surprise it was a very cheap mode of transportation. We cleaned up and headed out for our Saturday night “Argentine Experience” also in Palermo.
Note*** There were some things that happened that night that I won’t go into…..in print…….but we will be happy to tell you the story in person. You know how we love to tell a story.
We opted to take the pre-dinner wine/cocktail class. We learned how to make 3 very different and delicious cocktails. We went upstairs and sat with our group. There were 2 tables of 12 or so people. We learned how to make empanadas, how to order steak and to make mate’. The Argentine people, for the most part like their meat cooked medium to well. I ordered my filet “jugoso” which is medium rare, but in reality it is medium, so from then on I ordered it “muy jugoso” Mate’ is a tea drink that the locals drink with a straw called a bombilla. This drink is meant to be passed around and shared….not so much since Covid. We weren’t crazy about it. We also had a “salad” in air quotes, because it was a bowl of lettuce with a side container of about 2 Tablespoons of dressing. I think a great opportunity would be to open a Salad restaurant here. For dessert we had alfajores, an amazing, shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. We wore chef hats and it was a a really fun evening. I highly recommend “The Argentine Experience” in Palermo.
Day Four
I was looking forward to this day. The Antique Market of San Telmo and the food mercado are well known to tourism in Buenos Aires.
We bought fileteado gifts for us and for our friends.
Fileteado
Fileteado is a type of artistic drawing and lettering, with stylised lines and flowered, climbing plants, typically used in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Our gift to us was a placque for our wine bar that says VINOS. We bought other unique items and roamed around.
In my research I came upon a small restaurant called “Nuestra Parilla” in the Mercado. Supposedly, the best choripan in BA. It is true. We ate one with Salsa Criolla and one with Chimichurri and shared. We sat outside under an umbrella and enjoyed our choripan with a glass of wine. (the wine was 50 cents)
Choripan – Chorizo in bread (Pan)
While we were enjoying lunch we saw two adorable dogs and talked to their owner. They were some sort of beagle mix and their names were Pauncho and Sancho.
After lunch we came upon the French Quarter, little boutique stores with umbrellas hanging above you in multiple colors.
We also saw Tango dancers perfecting their craft in the street on a sheet of plywood.
We saw a statue of Mafalda, a beloved comic strip character in Argentina. Mafalda is written and drawn by cartoonist Quino. Mafalda is a six year old girl who reflects the Argentine middle class and progressive youth, and is concerned about humanity and world peace. And…..in true Jon & Debbie style we posed with each character on the marked Mafalda path.
At the end of the “walk” we found ourselves back at Puerto Madero and stopped for a cocktail. Later we went to the “Sushi Club” for dinner. We had gyoso, sushi rolls and a combo seafood dish with a small plate of salt that was set on fire. (I’m not kidding.)
We headed back to the Obelisk as the next morning was our 30th wedding anniversary and we were catching an early flight to Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls – Bucket List – Check!
Day 5
We had a very early flight to Iguazu City, about an hour and a half flight. Worth every cent! People who have been there said if you are in Buenos Aires you must go there. Great Advice. Words can’t describe the majesty and beauty of this place. It was 30 years to the day that we got married. It brought us both to tears.
click below for a short but amazing video:
https://mrsrobinsonsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Iguazu-3.mp4
We saw beautiful birds, coatis, and a hot dog stealing monkey. The weather was perfect.
Our flight back was delayed three times. We got back to BA at 2:00 a.m. We’d do it all over again.
Day 6
So the main event for this day was to go to Teatro Colon and see the opera La Boheme. Earlier in the day we visited Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, The Cathedral and Cafe Tortoni.
We planned to cook dinner at the apartment. One of my dishes is Spaghetti Bolognese. After we ate, I showered and was getting ready for the evening when the owner of the Penthouse stopped by to say hello. He is a very nice guy named Juan Jose who has an adorable dog named “Enzo”. Enzo is a Boston terrier who looks like “Otis Blount” our friend’s dog. We told Juan Jose we’d dog sit for him any time. He also wanted my recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese. Done.
We walked over to Teatro Colon, which was only a block away and settled into our seats. What a beautiful theatre. La Boheme is in Italian and had Spanish sub-titles.
So given all that and how wonderfully sung and well acted it was, we still couldn’t help ourselves. We turned to each and said…. “Come on Mimi, die already its been over an hour.” During the intermission of Act Four Jon got up to use the restroom and I thought I would use that time to get up and stretch my legs. I did some stretches, Jon came back and sat down. We noticed some debris on the floor and thought someone dropped a cookie……no…..turns out my shoe began to disintegrate. When Mimi finally died, we got up to leave and I felt that my shoe was not as supportive as it had been. I looked at it and it was hanging by a thread. Since it was during Covid I opted not to walk home barefoot, so I linked my arm through Jon’s. We walked very SLOWLY. We got back to our apartment and immediately threw my shoes in the garbage.
Speaking of garbage, we deposited our bags of garbage daily down the hall and into a closet. (this was per the instructions) Magically it was emptied by a garbage fairy the next day.
Day 7
So on this day we decided to check out the barrio known as Villa Crespo. In my research I found that it was well known for its Avenues of Leather Shops. Not so much……it had one block and they were pretty expensive even by Argentina standards.
We got on the subway and went to Caminito where the buildings are painted with vibrant colors and there are whimsical statues everywhere. We shopped around and had lots of fun. Jon’s eyes caught a really cute apron and there was a Spanish saying on the bottom. So with our Spanglish and another round of charades, the sales lady called over the artist/owner of the store. We asked him what it said and he misunderstood…….in a very loud and slow voice he said “APRON”. We knew what it was, anyway, we found out the saying was something like, “We will trade wine for a good BBQed steak.”
We looked at all the quaint restaurants and decided on one that didn’t have a singer, or tango dancers performing, it was a little more peaceful. At this point we knew how to order steak. Me: Muy Jugoso Jon: Jugoso…. My steak was not so good, but Jon’s was amazing. After another round of charades we found out the name of the restaurant. “El Ambassador” The owner and the waitress were delightful.
Caminito is one of the places we would definitely go back to.
Day 8
So if you are keeping track, we tried to get into Eco Parque again today. It was closed due to a National Holiday. There was a massive protest which started at the Obelisk (our place) and went over to Congress.
At this point we thought lets try to get into Eco Parque….and there was another protest going on there. We asked someone why there were protesting and there were many reasons, but the one that was most important was because they could. We slipped into a Bakery to step aside from the protesters and ordered a bottle of wine. That evening we went back to La Estancia where we had accidentally shorted the waiter $50 or so dollars. It was much better this time because we knew what to order and we knew how to pay. It really is a good restaurant. Its on Lavalle Street right off of Avenida 9 de Julio.
Day 9
Today we went back to Recoleta where the famous cemetery is and had lunch. Absolutely fabulous hamburgers and a couple of cocktails.
We then went into the mall there. I wanted to get Nikki a dress and myself a nice blouse from Argentina. Done! We walked over to the park where the Floralis Generica is. It was created in 2002. The sculpture was designed to move, closing its petals in the evening and opening them in the morning. Fascinating and beautiful. We layed down on a cement chaise lounge and took in the sites. The next time we go back, and we will, I want to bring a book and just hang out there for hours.
That night we decided we just wanted to relax back at the apartment and there happened to be a Futbol game between Argentina and Venezuela on TV. So, we stopped at good Ol’ KFC brought it back and watched the match. At one point we thought we would attend the game in person but it was VERY expensive. Anyway, I believe Argentina won 3 – 0.
Day 10
This morning it was a little rainy and when there was a break in the weather we decided to just go for a walk. We ended up walking toward Congress and were in search of stores that sold spices to bring back as gifts. No such luck, but we saw some interesting sights and some very cute dogs.
We stopped into this cafe with theatre memorabilia. I ordered what I thought was a tenderloin sandwich…… turns out it was Bologna and Cheese.
Day 11
We had been looking forward to this day. It was a river boat ride down the Paranha River on the Delta. It starts on the Rio de la Plata which looks more like an ocean than a river. It is just amazing.
When you get to the Delta, homes are built on stilts and there are no roads there. The only access is by boat. Groceries by boat, drinking water by boat, taxis for boats…….a totally different lifestyle but some of the homes are very sketchy and others are mansions….(on stilts) Awesome. That ride on the river ends at a town called Tigre. There is an amusement park, casino, restaurants and many Artison shops. We got some empanada plates there and some mate cups for gifts. We want to go back there someday and spend more time in Tigre.
That evening we went to a restaurant we had read about called “Guidos” It has an unusual menu, in that you don’t know what they are serving. The only question they ask you is “Red or White”. It is an Italian restaurant so you do have that as a clue. Here are some amazing Food Porn pictures for you.
Day 12
On Sundays in Buenos Aires there are Fairs (Ferias) and Markets. We read about one in the Barrio of Mataderos. It was a good hour or so out of town, so we took the subway, a bus and a cab. It was a cultural event.
All the people of the barrio come to the town square and dance. Some danced in their traditional folk costumes others in their regular Sunday clothes
There were market stalls for food, artisan wares, and many other interesting “stuff”. We ended up buying a clock made by a father and son, Miguel and Miguel which is beautiful and is now proudly telling the time in our kitchen.
We bought little casserole pots to cook Humita in….sadly he only had 5 so we will go back again someday to get more. We had tamales for lunch and some very tasty Cervesa. We made our way back into the center of Buenos Aires, rested up and went out for a fancy dinner that evening. I had the best steak since our arrival in Argentina and Jon ordered pork. We also ordered Provoleta which is a fried cheese that you eat as a dip. Delicious.
That night was Oscar night. We watched the first 40 minutes or so in English dubbed in Spanish.
Difficult to do……. so……then Jon figured out how to get it just in English and on the bedroom TV……we started watching just in time to see the slap heard around the world!!!
Day 13
We decided to see China Town or Chino Barrio as it is known in Buenos Aires. Birdie told us that is where most of the fresh fish is purchased for restaurants in BA. We found a great little Asian restaurant on the corner and settled in.
Next to where we were seated on the wall were some very large Chinese letters. I decided to take a picture of Jon inside of the restaurant. His reaction after seeing the picture was “Why are my eye bags the size of breasts?” 30 years…….LOL
For the second half of the day we went back to Palermo Soho, by cab, to see Plaza Serrano. It is a part of the barrio that is very chic and has many restaurants, bars and clubs. We sat outside and had a glass of…….you guessed it….Malbec. We wished we didn’t have to say goodbye to Argentina the next day. Although we loved our place in the Obelisk area, Palermo Soho would be really nice especially with friends in a house.
Next time……
By the time evening came we were rather tired and thought let’s just order a pizza to take back to our apartment. There was a placed called “Kentucky” that fit the bill. When we ordered the guy behind the counter asked what name he should put it under. I said “Debbie” He said “Divi” “I said, No, Debbie”. He said “Divi?: I said……”Si!”
Our Last Day
With it being our last day we decided to give Eco Parque one last try. So, we got on the subway and headed over to Plaza Italia. We walked up to the gates……Locked ! There was a park ranger near by and she came over to us. She said “I am sorry the Parque is closed for a private event.” We said “Are you kidding me?” She explained it was for a birthday party. So after three tries No Luck!
Next time…..
We went back to the apartment and packed and said our goodbyes to the City. Later in the day our Driver Domian took us back to the airport. We have fallen in love with many places that we have visited in the world but this one……stole a piece of our heart. We will definitely come back to Buenos Aires. Mi Querida.
