Our day began with a walking tour of “Cementario de la Recoleta” — the cemetery of Recoleta, a famous burial ground set aside by the town council of Buenos Aires in 1822.
This was an easy walk for us, just a block from our hotel. Our local guide, Carla, was a spellbinding storyteller who first gave us the background of why this cemetery is the burial place of Argentina’s elite. She then went on to give us the story of Eva Peron before showing us the mausoleum that holds her remains.
We then boarded a bus for a drive down this city’s embassy row — mansions of 19th century cattle barons now used as diplomatic show-pieces — and on to Avenue Nueve de Julio (Avenue of the 9th of July, the Argentine day of independence), which is purported to be the widest boulevard in the world.
We were deposited at Plaza de Mayo, the square overlooked by the Presidential Palace where presidents (and famously, Eva Peron) come to the balcony to address the masses, and the square where grandmothers of The Disappeared come to protest.
Also adjacent to the Plaza de Mayo is the Catedral Metropolitana where a certain Argentine priest, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was Archbishop of Buenos Aires for 15 years before being elected Pope Francis in 2013.
Here too is the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, considered the father of his country and instrumental in winning independence from Spain. An eternal flame and military honor guard stand watch here in this cavernous Gothic cathedral 24 hours a day.
Back on the bus, we were driven by the stadium of the Club Atletico Boca Juniors, Argentina’s premiere football team. A short distance away we arrived on Caminito street in the La Boca neighborhood.
In this colorful slum near the waterfront, newly arrived immigrants “just off the boat” lived together in a mix of musical and dance cultures that, more than a century ago, gave birth to a style known as Tango. We received a history lesson, demonstration, and private “lesson.” The fact that Mary and I didn’t trip over one another is testimony to the excellence of the teachers.
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| Our instructors. The photo of us dancing is far too embarrassing to post. |
After some time to explore the extremely touristic wares of the artists, craftspersons, and souvenir hawkers of La Boca, we were back on the bus and headed once again downtown. Some returned to the hotel, but most of us opted to be dropped at Teatro Colon, the grand opera house of Buenos Aires.
The Colon (“Columbus”) is considered one of the top opera houses and classical concert venues in the world. Completed in 1908, at the height of the “Gilded Age” of Buenos Aires, it was constructed in European style sparing no expense. It is truly spectacular.
The walk back to the hotel was very pleasant and allowed us to soak up the ambiance of the city. We also stopped to soak up some gelato and some craft beer along the way.
In the evening our tour director arranged for those of us who wished to take taxis to a local “milonga,” a Tango bar. This is not a show or tourist attraction, just a neighborhood bar with music where ordinary people come to tango. We were instructed on the non-verbals to look for — men ask a woman to dance only with a particular “look” from across the room. It is absolutely bad form to speak until after the dance has ended, and no matter how bad the dance partner turns out to be, once the partners have accepted the dance must be concluded. If the partnership was mutually satisfactory, the couple may stay together for the next dance, as well. But almost all of this is negotiated through body language.
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| We weren't supposed to take photos here, but I snapped one shot anyway. |
The crowd was mostly people in their 60s and 70s. Tango is not so popular among the young. There were quite a few couples there, but by no means were husbands and wives only dancing with each other. A woman, probably 50-ish, began chatting with our tour leader, curious about us. She gave her name as “Maria Buenos Aires,” which we all agreed was probably not her real name. She offered to dance with men in our group and to help teach them, even though she is not really a Tango instructor. I declined, but a couple guys in our group did take her up on the offer — much to the shock and surprise of their wives!
The beer and wine were inexpensive (you get what you pay for in terms of quality), and the whole thing was kind of a kick to watch. But because we have an early flight tomorrow, we were back to the hotel by 9 p.m.
This was an easy walk for us, just a block from our hotel. Our local guide, Carla, was a spellbinding storyteller who first gave us the background of why this cemetery is the burial place of Argentina’s elite. She then went on to give us the story of Eva Peron before showing us the mausoleum that holds her remains.
We then boarded a bus for a drive down this city’s embassy row — mansions of 19th century cattle barons now used as diplomatic show-pieces — and on to Avenue Nueve de Julio (Avenue of the 9th of July, the Argentine day of independence), which is purported to be the widest boulevard in the world.
We were deposited at Plaza de Mayo, the square overlooked by the Presidential Palace where presidents (and famously, Eva Peron) come to the balcony to address the masses, and the square where grandmothers of The Disappeared come to protest.
Also adjacent to the Plaza de Mayo is the Catedral Metropolitana where a certain Argentine priest, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was Archbishop of Buenos Aires for 15 years before being elected Pope Francis in 2013.
Here too is the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, considered the father of his country and instrumental in winning independence from Spain. An eternal flame and military honor guard stand watch here in this cavernous Gothic cathedral 24 hours a day.
Back on the bus, we were driven by the stadium of the Club Atletico Boca Juniors, Argentina’s premiere football team. A short distance away we arrived on Caminito street in the La Boca neighborhood.
In this colorful slum near the waterfront, newly arrived immigrants “just off the boat” lived together in a mix of musical and dance cultures that, more than a century ago, gave birth to a style known as Tango. We received a history lesson, demonstration, and private “lesson.” The fact that Mary and I didn’t trip over one another is testimony to the excellence of the teachers.
The Colon (“Columbus”) is considered one of the top opera houses and classical concert venues in the world. Completed in 1908, at the height of the “Gilded Age” of Buenos Aires, it was constructed in European style sparing no expense. It is truly spectacular.
The walk back to the hotel was very pleasant and allowed us to soak up the ambiance of the city. We also stopped to soak up some gelato and some craft beer along the way.
1 comment:
When you get back home, show me that "tango look."
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