2010 Blog Post #3 Palermo - Valentines Day - and More

Palermo Revisited

After all the rain, it's back to clear skies and hot temps. Palermo, a trendy area with more than it's share of restaurants and shops, is about 20 minutes from the Recoleta. While it gets all the write-ups in the travel magazines and the NY Times, it's not a neighborhood we would want to live in...rather plain architecture, broken sidewalks, a lot of graffiti (some of it art?)...

and more than it's share of dog poop. We find it rather drab during the day...but it comes alive at night...very Vegas. And while we hardly ever go there, this past week we went 3 times.

On Tuesday, we decided to go to the zoo. But, once there, we realized it was way too hot out for people and animals and, besides, with summer vacation, the grounds were teaming with kids. So, instead, we spent the afternoon window shopping...with the exception of this store, where I tried on shoes while David and shopkeeper Marianna had a very lengthy conversation which included an exchange of restaurant recommendations. He's such a porteno!

The next evening we went back to Palermo for a fish dinner (what...no beef?) with Kevin, Kirk and Rick.

And, to round out the week, we made our annual trek to Palermo's Mercado de las Pulgas (Flea Market), where I, as always, drooled over the chandeliers while David wandered aimlessly, bored beyond belief.

On Thursday, we had a great time with Karen (who I've known for 20 years) and her husband Gary. From Boston, here on business, they were able to get away for an afternoon. After a leisurely lunch...

we walked down the Avenida Callao...

checked out the grand hotels and old mansions on the Avenida Alvear, including the courtyard of the Hyatt Duhau...

and the 1916 French style Mansion,

part of the Four Seasons Hotel, with its restored frescoes, gold leaf, stained glass, and grand foyer.

February 14th...Valentines Day – I'm happy to report that it's a Hallmark holiday in Buenos Aires too. Flower kiosks...

heart-shaped boxes of candy, restaurants advertising “special” dinners advertised everywhere.

But we're excited just to spend the day in the park. So we pack up our new lawn chairs, books, and iPods and head over to Vincente Lopez Parque to soak up some sun and relax. But, alas, it's not meant to be. Because of all the rain we had last week, there are swarms of mosquitoes everywhere.

Since we always have alternatives, we spend the afternoon walking around Puerto Madero, BA's port area. We've been there before, so no photos are necessary...but we find a whole new area to explore on our way back to our apartment. After crossing Av. Corrientes and Florida, we take a detour to Plaza Lavalle, where we photograph the Teatro Colon.

The opera house has been under renovations for at least the 3 years that we've been coming to BA, if not longer! The grand “reopening” is scheduled for the end of May...we'll see!

In the same general area, we also check out the very stately Palace of Justice...

and a small park with a fountain and statuary...



that looks more like it belongs in Santa Fe, NM than in Buenos Aires, where the fountains and statues are usually on the grand side, like this one in the Plaza Carlos Pelligrini.

And to end the evening, we have a “romantic” dinner of cheese and crackers (we had a really big lunch) while watching TV.

Life Begins with Coffee

Whatever else happens, the day always begins with coffee...cafe con leche (with milk) for me and a cafe doble (double black) for David. It's very civilized...reading the BA Herald (the only English newspaper), chatting with the waitress, people-watching. We always go to the same cafes in the morning -- Josephina's on Sundays, Melody every other day -- and that's where we discuss the rest of the day - what to do, where to go, what to eat.

Lately, a lot of that discussion has been determined by the weather. After 7 days of heat and humidity, we're into our 7th day of almost continuous rain...some of it torrential. We bought ourselves 2 umbrellas and I got a pair of rubber-soled havaianas sandals to slosh around in. When it's just too wet out, we've been reading...at a record rate. David is addicted to his Nook, and I've finished 6 of the 7 paperbacks I brought with me. Luckily, we recently discovered a local bookstore with lots of English-language books (a rarity). While I canvassed the shelves, David had a lengthy conversation (mostly in Spanish) on local politics with the store owner.

When we're not reading, it seems food and friends continue to dominate our agenda. Whether it's an elegant buffet of appetizers and desserts at the Palacio Duchau Park Hyatt hotel with friends Jim, Claudia, and Tony...

or a casual lunch at a neighborhood restaurant with Kevin, Rick, Kirk, Jim and Elida...

the afternoons fly by.

Desserts often come with the meal so, in order to at least “maintain,” we reinstated our gym memberships from last year and started working out with Yamil, our trainer (also from last year).

We also walk a lot more here than when we're home. The Chabuca Granda Boulevard that leads to the Pilar Church is just 3 blocks from our apartment and, with it's cafes and open spaces, it's a perfect destination in the early evening.

For a change of scenery, last Sunday we took the bus to Barrio Chino (Buenos Aires' version of China Town) with our friend Gaby. It's compact (only 4 blocks square)...good for people-watching and buying snacks.

David is never without his Spanish/English dictionary, which he shares freely when the conversation stops for lack of the correct words.

I, on the other hand, mostly listen. I understand a bit less of what's being said...enough to get by. and that has gone a long way as I recently went to the National Theater to see a performance of Verdi's opera "Simon Boccanegra", starring Placido Domingo, simulcast live from the Met – with Spanish subtitles.

That's about it for now.... time to eat!

MA to LA to BA

It's mid-January, 2010...time to leave New England's harsh winter....

and head to Argentina again (this will be our 3rd trip in as many years), but we go via southern CA.

First stop - San Clemente, where we spend 3 days with our friend Rick, who takes us on leisurely drives up the coast to Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

We eat at seaside restaurants, walk the beaches and the boardwalks, watch the surfers and the sunsets. What a great way to chill out – we love it here!

Next, we head north to Huntington Beach, connect with Joan and Larry (great friends that happen to also be close relatives) and resume sightseeing...more boardwalks, beaches, and new restaurants.

We also spend a day in the Santa Monica hills at the Getty Museum...16,000 tons of Italian travertine stone, paintings by some of our favorites (Sargeant, van Gogh, Cezanne) and Depression-era photos by Dorothea Lange.

To top off the week, lots of David's family arrive from all over the US for a family social function. It's great to see so many family members together for such a happy occasion. Leah, our niece is the star of the event!

January 20, 10:00 a.m. we land in Buenos Aires. In no time, we go through customs and, within the hour, check into our apartment, where we will spend the next 3 to 4 months. I am sketchy about the time frame, as we have no return ticket...that's because David will not go back to the northeast until it gets warm (it's all about the weather).

We're renting the same apartment as last year. After some “cosmetic surgery” by the owner, it doesn't seem quite so “tired”...perhaps it's because it feels “familiar” this year, and we really like the location. So here we are...feeling, for the 1st time, like BA is not a vacation destination but, rather, our winter home. And, to that end, we anticipate that our blog will be updated a little less frequently than in the past 2 years...just managing expectations!

It's hot...very hot. High 80's to low 90's most days. Today it's going to be around 104 F... but dry. Absolute heaven for David – T shirts and shorts. After a week, his Spanish is coming back to him and he practices with accommodating Argentines every chance he gets. It's unusually empty here. Portenos (those who live in the city) have headed to the beach resort of Mar del Plata for vacation so the waits at restaurants and the lines in supermarkets are short and move quickly.

A typical day may include...

...a leisurely breakfast at the Melody Cafe, which we frequented last year. The two Gabriellas still work there and its really nice to have a breakfast “local.”

...lunch out with friends. We're only here a week and already we've discovered 2 new restaurants and revisited some old favorites.

...shopping at local markets for bottled water, Malbec, fresh produce (the tomatoes, avocados, and white nectarines are especially good), stuff for dinner (which we've typically been eating at home), and lawn chairs to take with us to the park.

... but not ready to sit in the park yet...it's way too hot, so we head off to Rick's to swim (really just relax in the pool at Rick's apt. building)

Most of our friends from the states are already here, or will be arriving in the next few weeks, and we will be catching up with our Argentine friends soon. So our community is strong, we are doing well, and we will keep you posted as life happens.

Hasta luego.>

Stay Tuned - Returning to Buenos Aires in January

Greetings All -

Our plans are all set. We will be arriving back in BA mid-January and staying in the same area of the Recoleta. This will be our third long term stay in BA and we are so looking forward to catching up with our friends and enjoying all the great things Buenos Aires and Argentina have to offer.

Blog Post 20: Feria de Mataderos & the Long Good-bye

April 5 - 11

It’s Sunday and we take an hour-long bus ride across the city to the Feria de Mataderos (Fair of the Matadors).

It's held every weekend and it’s more a local than a tourist fair. There are gauchos with horses,

music and dancing,




stalls with local crafts that go on forever,

and, of course, all kinds of fair-food (like cotton candy and popcorn-covered jelly things!).

David’s favorites are, of course, the empanadas!

After walking the entire fair, which takes a few hours, we grab a table outside and dine al fresco. Our meal is just okay, but the people-watching is a blast. And before we head back, David wants to make one more loop around one section of the fair. We do and there, standing by the empanada stand buying lunch for her family, is our friend Gabriela from the Melody Cafe!

This is truly amazing because the fair is huge, so to run into someone we know is miraculous! She introduces us to her family and, after chatting (in Spanish) for a few minutes, we begin the long walk back to the bus stop.

And so our last weekend in Buenos Aires comes to an end.

Now there’s not a whole lot left to do but have friends over for a “clean-out-the apartment” party, since we're storing our stuff with them in BA until next year.

We have a few more lunches with friends, spend an evening at a milonga (tango club) watching Angela dance, and I have my last art class. For those of you who've asked me to post what I've been working on, here it is:




It's not perfect...but I'm happy with it. Unfortunately it's still wet, so I'm leaving it with Kevin and will pick it up next year.


We had a great time here this year. We loved doing the blog…and loved getting lots and lots of emails and comments from all of you blog-followers. Thanks for connecting with us regularly…and thanks to all our blog-stars for making our stay so memorable!

Adios amigos and amigas! Hasta el proximo ano...until next year.

Blog Post 19: Won't Make that Mistake Again!

April 1 – 4

It’s Wednesday…David has his last Spanish session with Diego, we go to lunch with a friend, and I go to painting class. Rather an uneventful day.

Thursday, however, is quite the opposite. Early afternoon we leave our apartment and just around the corner, we see barricades lining the streets. Crowds are gathered and we realize today is the funeral for Raul Alfonsin, Argentina’s President from 1983 to ‘89, who died earlier this week. His was a landmark Presidency, as it symbolized the return of democracy and ended more than 7 years of a repressive military dictatorship that left thousands of people dead or “disappeared.”







He is being buried in the Recoleta Cemetery, only 5 blocks from where we live. While we don’t see the actual procession, we’re right outside the cemetery with throngs of people as the eulogy is being given...the Jablons witness a piece of Argentinian history!

That evening we have dinner with Angela, who David met at his Spanish class, and who turned us onto our personal trainer and our gym. We see Angela at the gym 3x per week as she warms up the personal trainer for us!







After dinner, she heads home and we walk back to our apartment building. The doorman lets us in, we go to the elevator, push the button for our floor, and nothing happens. Not a problem, or so we think! We speak to the doorman, who tells us the elevator isn’t working and won’t be fixed until tomorrow! He suggests we use the service elevator to let ourselves in through the back door of our apartment.

Sounds logical…but we never carry the key to the back door of our apartment. So using the service elevator won’t help. And since there’s no staircase to the front door of the apartment (only the elevator, which opens directly into a vestibule where you can access our apartment and one other) we are stuck. More specifically, we have no place to sleep.

Shoot…now what??? As we leave the building we realize there are only two options…bother our friends (who have their own guests in town) or go to a hotel…so we choose the latter. It’s already 1:30am when we check in, and we have no luggage. Can’t imagine what the desk clerk is thinking!





Since friend Jim lives around the corner from the hotel and we’re wide awake, we go over to say “hi” (although the party he had is winding down) and get some toothpaste before calling it a night. It’s really so easy here (when your friends all keep the same crazy hours) .

The next morning, the elevator has been fixed and the 1st thing we do is put the back door key on our key ring. Our friends tell us they have all had this happen to them…welcome to the club! Won’t let that happen again!

Blog Post Number 18: San Isidro & Tigre

March 27 – 30

The weather is still great…sunny with daytime temps around 75. And even though the days are getting shorter (gets dark around 7:00) the evenings are still warm enough to walk around in shorts.

With less than 2 weeks to go, we’re thinking we will have to do a “practice” pack soon to see if all the stuff we’ve bought over the last 2+ months fits in our 3 small suitcases and 2 knapsacks. David, who usually insists we only travel with carry-on luggage, has resigned himself to the fact that, due to airlines weight restrictions (baggage, not people), there’s no way we could have avoided the check-in process…so we might as well make it easy on ourselves and check it all.

Our weekend is quiet, but we have plans to see our friend Jorge on Tuesday. We met Jorge on last year’s cruise; we kept in touch with him after we returned to the States and have looked forward to reconnecting with him in person.

March 31

Jorge picks us up at 11:00. He has offered to show us some of BA’s northern suburbs and our 1^st stop is San Isidro…just 20 kilometers outside of the city and you’re in another world. San Isidro lies along the Rio de la Plata and was once a weekend destination for BA’s wealthier families. Today you can still stroll along the original tree-lined cobblestone streets,

past large homes,

the occasional eye-catching store front,

through San Isidro Cathedral, which dates back to 1898,

and into Mitre Square, where an artisans’ fair is held every Sunday.

The original San Isidro train station dates back to the late 1890s; it was remodeled in 1995 but its original style was preserved.

From San Isidro, we make a brief photo stop at one of the riverside restaurants

and then drive to the Puerto de Frutos (Fruits’ Port) in Tigre. Situated on the Rio Lujan, it’s the gateway to the canals, islands and waterways that comprise the Delta area.

Shops and stalls line the river bank,

but we think the coolest things are the transport boats loading and unloading wood to be used for docks and pilings.

All this touring makes us hungry so we head over to Kansas, our favorite "rib joint" for lunch.

After lunch, we drive past elegant boathouses built at the end of the 19^th/beginning of the 20^th century and still in use today.

We follow the Victoria Walkway, a promenade on the banks of the river, toward the historic El Tigre Club, a fabulous building once used for Gatsby-like dances but now the site of the Tigre art museum.

Closed today, we promise ourselves we’ll visit it next year with Jorge and then take one of the motorboats for a cruise through the Delta inlets and waterways.

It’s getting late, so we say goodbye to Jorge and board the train that takes us back to the city. After a leisurely day…quiet sun-drenched streets, waterways, palm trees…it’s a shock when we get off the train during rush hour...hoards of people everywhere! We walk the 20 minutes to our neighborhood, where the pace is slower and we have time to reflect on a wonderful day.

Thanks Jorge.