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.