A Day Away: La Plata

With only a little more than 2 weeks before we leave Buenos Aires and head home, there are still things to do, people to see, and decisions about what to pack and what to leave behind...yes, we are coming back again and already have our return ticket for mid-January 2011.

And as much as we love the city, we think it will be really nice to get away for the day. So on Saturday, we catch a bus that takes us to La Plata, a city with a population of more than 700,000 and 60 kilometers southeast of Buenos Aires. My friend Lilian, who I met last year when we were both taking painting lessons, and her boyfriend Fernando, who lives in La Plata, have invited us to spend the day with them. Because they have a car and know the city well, we see so much more than if we were going there on our own.

Founded in 1882, La Plata is known for its parks, cultural centers, theaters and opera house, university complexes, beautiful old government buildings...

and especially for its Natural History Museum and Cathedral. Our first stop is the museum, which is flanked by life-sized saber tooth tiger statues guarding the entrance.

The museum, renowned for its collection of large fossilized mammals, was built between 1884 and 1888 (pre-electricity), and designed to maximize natural light. There are 23 rooms and glass ceilings everywhere, so light floods in. From the main entrance hall, surrounded by paintings of animals of the country, some now extinct...

we are delighted by dinosaurs that once roamed Argentina, and especially Patagonia, which is rich in dinosaur fossils...

whale jawbones and giant sea turtles found in the continent's coastal waters and oceans...

mummies (part of the only collection of Egyptian artifacts on the continent)...

and everyone's favorite, glyptodotes, huge predecessors of armadillos.

David and I love a good natural science museum, so this is a rare treat for us. Next, we all have lunch at a little Italian restaurant, one of Lilian and Fernando's favorites...

and then to the Cathedral de la Plata, the largest church in Argentina. Its architecture is neo-Gothic, complete with flying buttresses, 2 spires, 6 turrets, 200 pinnacles, and 800 needles.

Its towers rise to 367 feet...

the colors of the 37 stained glass windows are fabulous...

the soaring arches and carved wood choir seats are magnificent...

and it took over a century (1884-1999) to build. We have a wonderful time, and we are very fortunate to have had Lilian and Fernando to show us their city.

Little Surprises

It's fall here and the days and evenings are getting cooler. David and I realize we've got to get jackets, or something to keep us warm, so we go to Calle Florida, BA's pedestrian-only shopping mecca. Though we don't find anything to buy, we do notice a rather unremarkable mini-mall with a banner that reads “Galeria Guemes” and decide to go in.

We are caught off guard when we quickly realize it's not the shops but the architectural detail that makes this so remarkable. The interior is a mix of Art Nouveau, Gothic and neoclassical, and we're astounded by what we see.

It's only later that we learn its history...for almost 75 years, the building was allowed to deteriorate. Then, in 2005, it went through major restorations; the 2 glass domes, once covered with concrete, were restored...

layers of varnish were removed from the Italian marble...

and the bronze bas-reliefs over each elevator bank were polished.

We give up shopping and decide to head home, which is about a 30 minute walk. On the way, we wander into the Hotel Panamericano lobby in search of restrooms, only to find another unexpected photo op...a vast expanse of black and white marble flooring, gold leaf mirrors and art deco lounges.

Not surprisingly, after all this eye candy, it's the giant sign, maybe 6 stories high, on the Avenida de Mayo, the widest and most traveled street in the city (16 lanes), that predictably makes me roll my eyes and shake my head. There, big enough for everyone to see, is “Rey Charlie Sheen” (King of Comedy). Go figure!!

We've been here 3 months, and it's time I have my hair cut...the first time ever while in BA. I make an appointment with Gaston, who's come highly recommended, but when I get to the saloon on the appointed day, I'm told that his brother Mauro is the only cutter available. Ugh!

OK...so the good news is he speaks some English and says he understands that all I want is a trim...keep the length, snip the ends. The not-so-good news...Mauro, who I now refer to as Edward Scissorhands, decides I need an updated hairdo and, before I know it, 2+ inches of my hair is on the floor. I'm initially skeptical about the cut, but it's ultimately proven to be one the best I've ever had. Nice job Mauro!

And, not only does Mauro cut my hair, but he also “suggests” I “invest” in a good hairdryer, so I go to buy one. The shopkeeper has difficulty answering my questions (she speaks no English), so she starts canvasing customers to see who speaks both Spanish and English. No one...until Silvia walks in, proceeds to translate, and we spend the next 20 minutes or so chatting away.

We form an instant connection and find we relate on so many levels...it's like we've known each other for years. Since our first meeting, we've met for coffee...which in Argentina means sitting and talking for hours (in this case, 4 hours)...

and together shared the ultimate splurge...high tea at L'Orangerie at the Alvear Palace Hotel...

the Argentinian equivalent of tea at the Ritz.

David and I, and any of our friends who want to join us, also start the “tours and museum circuit”...tours we've always meant to take; museums we've heard a lot about. Together with Kirk and Jim, we go to the Museo de Armas de la Nacion, which houses a sizable collection of arms, including rifles and machine guns...

bombs, artillery and mortar shells,

gas masks for people, dogs and horses,

cannons,

dueling guns and David's favorite...a procedure manual for conducting a duel!

You name it, it's there...not to mention the requisite bust of General San Martin, the Liberator, whose face can be found most everywhere in the city!

So many guns, so little time!


Next day, a bunch of us tour the Palacio Paz...

a former private residence and the largest in the city.

It was designed and built between 1902 and 1914 for Jose Paz, founder of the Argentine daily newspaper La Prensa. The conservative paper was at one time ranked among the most widely circulated dailies in Argentina; however, it declined in popularity due to competition and the election of populist leader Juan Peron.

It is said that Paz, whose dream it was to become President of Argentina, built this palace to serve as the presidential residency. Unfortunately for him, he died 2 years before the palace was completed. Fortunately for us, much of the palace is now open to the public.

Room after grand room...

the reception salon...

the ballroom...

the gardens.

Interestingly, a section of the palace currently houses the Circulo Militar, an army officer's club...and because of Argentina's troubling past and the connection with the military, many Argentines have never gone near the palace, though its size, grandeur and central location within the city cannot be missed.

Next day, David and friend Michael take the bus to the Club de Pescadores for lunch. A building of historic significance on a pier overlooking the Rio de la Plata, it was built in 1937 and declared a national monument some years ago.

That brings you up to date. Stay tuned for our next outing, when we head out of town to the city to La Plata.

Fall is in the Air

The weather is still beautiful...but we're starting to see the first signs of fall. The leaves are beginning to turn, the days are getting shorter (it's dark around 7:15), and the temps are more likely in the 60's and 70's than high 80's, which is OK by us. And, overnight, white slacks are out...sweaters and jackets are in.

We have an early afternoon brunch at the Faena Hotel's outdoor garden with Matina and Steve, who are leaving to go back to the states.

And, as April progresses, we'll see more and more of our friends leave...Julie and Bob have already left, our personal trainer, Yamil, is moving to Brazil,

a bunch of us have a good-bye lunch for Kevin...

and, next week, Rick leaves too.

So, you ask, what will we do for fun? Well, for one thing, we've decided to take our dentist's advice and get fitted for night guards (though I think when she suggested it, she meant we should get them through her). But the price is right here (a fifth of what we'd pay at home) and when we ask our friends if anyone can recommend a good dentist, Kevin suggests his DDS, Sergio and offers to schedule the appointment for us.

When we arrive at the dentist's office at 7:00 p.m., as scheduled, there are 12 people already sitting in the waiting room! Fortunately, within minutes the secretary calls our name, has us complete a form, and escorts us into an exam room where the dentist is waiting. It sure helps to know people...thanks Kevin.

Now, we love our dentist at home, but we've never laughed as much as we did during this dental visit. David goes first...

and we immediately realize that the DDS speaks only a little English. Luckily, his secretary is more fluent in English. We get full dental exams, but mostly we chatter back and forth, complete one another's sentences, laugh, have impressions made (boy, do we hate that dental goop), and laugh some more.

He tells us our night guards will be ready in 10 days and, after an hour of mostly hanging out, we say goodbye. But when we walk out of the exam room into the waiting room, we see that at least half of those 12 people are still there...and realize that the doors between the rooms have been open the entire hour and everyone is looking at us. Now I doubt they heard / understood much of what was being said, but I guarantee they heard all the laughter...who knows what they were thinking!

Fast-forward to April 1st...Marnin, David's college roommate, and his wife Ellen arrive for a week-long visit. It's great to see them, and as they are first-time visitors to the city, we start off with coffee at La Biela (a classic European-style cafe) ...

and spend the next hour exploring the Recoleta Cemetery.

We walk down Avenida Alvear, through some of the grand hotels, past some of the embassies, and finish with the 1st of several dinners together.

We also turn them on to Volta, our favorite ice cream parlor, where we have an (almost) nightly fix.

I swear, no more deserts once they leave.

Next day, we meet at noon and, for the next 6 hours, walk around much of the city...past Congresso...

down the Avenida de Mayo...

past Cafe Tortoni...

and arrive at the Metropolitan Cathedral in time to see “the changing of the guards” at the mausoleum where the remains of General Jose de San Martin, Argentina's national hero, reside.

On Sunday...Easter Sunday...we think perhaps things will be shut down tight. However, that's not the case at all...we soon find that the city's hopping (no pun intended)...especially in San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in BA, where we spend the day exploring the markets...

and taking in the colonial architecture, cobble stoned streets, old bars, old churches, and faded elegance.

On Tuesday, we go to the Evita Museum. The building is a beautiful Renaissance-style residence on a quiet Palermo street that Eva Peron “appropriated” and transformed into a shelter for women and children though, now, the museum is dedicated to Peron herself and her connection to the Argentine people.

We have a wonderful week with Marnin and Ellen...and spend our last evening dining in Puerta Maduro.

And then it's back to “business as usual”...or is it?
Stay tuned.