We’ve been here for 5 days now, and it certainly feels more ‘European’ than Brazil! Having been colonised by Spain, and with a massive influx of European immigrants a hundred-or-so years ago, the influence is clear to see. We stayed in a flat for the week, which saved us money on meals and was in a great location. It was cheap, although it was missing a few essentials like bowls. This led to some inventive ways of eating cereal We’ve had a good amble around, enjoyed lots of empanadas and red wine, and explored-
📚El Ateneo Grand Splendid- An old theatre converted into a bookshop, it is indeed grand and splendid. Yes, we like going to beautiful bookshops and libraries and will continue to do so at every opportunity.
🪦Recoleta Cemetery- A huge cemetery filled with giant mausoleums, holding lots of dead politicians. Eva Peron is buried here, an actress, married to the authoritarian president, who helped give women the right to vote and became a martyr after dying at 33. They tried to turn a grave into a gift shop, a legal mess ensued, and I learnt they don’t like tourists taking photos of that grave.
🎭Teatro Colón- A world renowned opera house, opened in 1908 when Buenos was at the peak of it’s desire to be European and show off. In the golden hall, people exclusively spoke French, to show off and secure business deals and marriages. Two of the architects died at 44 during its construction; they made sure the next architect they hired was already older.
⛪Metropolitan Cathedral- looks like a Greek Temple from the outside. Pope Francis was archbishop here before he became top man in 2013.
🏛️ National Historical Museum – We learnt all about San Martín, Argentina’s national hero and revolutionary, as well as the country’s 20th-century history, including military dictatorships and the rise of Peronism.
🕳️ El Zanjón & Casa Mínima – El Zanjón was bought by a wealthy businessman who planned to turn it into a restaurant, but after discovering tunnels underneath, he changed his mind and turned it into a museum instead. The tunnels were once part of a stream that was blocked off in the 1800s and eventually used for storage and rubbish.
We love anything underground, but we’re not entirely convinced there was quite as much history here as we were led to believe! The owner also bought Casa Mínima across the road, supposedly the smallest house in the city. Turns out that isn’t true. It used to have a bar and a chicken shop!
🌈 La Boca – We took the bus to this famous neighbourhood, known for its brightly coloured houses. It was absolutely packed with tour groups and minibuses, but the little colourful buildings really are beautiful.
🚽 Museo del Agua – A toilet, water and sewage museum wasn’t exactly on our Buenos Aires bucket list, but apparently Buenos Aires is very proud of its pumping station! The building is covered in tiles imported from England because the wealthy locals living nearby were horrified at the thought of having a pumping station next door.
🍺 The Gibraltar – We spotted this place while waiting for our laundry and immediately realised it was trying to be an English pub. Leonie had fish and chips and we both had a Guinness. The food was surprisingly close to a proper pub meal. The Guinness, unfortunately, was imported and didn’t quite hit the spot.
We had planned to eat dinner in two different places anyway (but still together), so we headed around the corner to a steak restaurant where Michael had a huge, succulent steak. The chips were proper chip-shop style too.
🚤 Tigre – We took the train out of Buenos Aires to explore Tigre and the rivers and wetlands of the Paraná Delta. It was fascinating seeing how people live along the waterways, with boats being essential for getting around. Definitely a very different way of life!
And now onto Uruguay! 🇺🇾
