Buenos Aires 26/27.1.11 dresses 22 again 24,25,26,27

26.1.11 and 27.1.11 Buenos Aires Argentina and the Tangos Dress 22 (again) 24,25,26,27

Somehow Dress 22 did not download yesterday so I’m putting a new tango Dress 22 into this post

Dancers in La Boca

Two days was never going to be enough for this city, we always expected that we would want to come

back for more and we do. I also think I’ve finally sorted out importing the pictures so let me know if this format is better and works.

Dress 24

Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada

Casa Rosada where Evita addressed the crowds and Madonna sang to 4,000 extras in the 1990s during the making of the film Evita is here and it is still the focus for demonstrations and public formal addresses. The cathedral and old viceroy buildings surround the square which was built in to celebrate the May revolution and independence.

Dress number 25 is Sau

 who with her husband make silver jewellery, we bought earrings.  Every Thursday and Friday there is a small artisan market in the shaded café patio of the old viceroy government house in Plaza de Mayo. Her Tee shirt is from one of the other stalls The web site is www.patiodecabildo.com we spent a very restful hour with great coffee, practicing our Spanish.

As first time visitors from Northern Europe we were at once familiar with the architecture, Italian Neo                                                         -Renaissance movement, Art Nouveau, Neo-Baroque. 

In the early 20^th Century the city council determined that Buenos Aires should become the Paris of South America appointing Haussmann the architect responsible for the wide boulevards and planning for Paris to re-design the city.  This was done including underground railways and impressive mansions and public buildings. There are also many cool parks, green squares.

The last 60 or so years has seen much political unrest, rampant inflation, the 76/83 ‘Dirty war’ when ‘000s of people disappeared and regular rioting and demonstrations (there was one whilst we were there on the 26^th) However, there is wealth, industry, much investment in the poorer areas of the city and a very visible large middle class.  The shops are London standard except for the Harrods block, it closed in the 1990s’ and stands in the centre of town completely empty a vast empty retail space, no squatters, no graffiti or damage just abandoned.

There are no-go after 5.00pm areas and we certainly didn’t wear any valuables during the day but it is a very exciting, vibrant, big, cultured city.

Eva Peron Duarte - Evita

Any tour to Buenos Aires will take you to the Vault of the Duarte familia and Evita the second wife of Juan Peron.  This means that there are a large number of people all heading for the same small building; this is not good in 32C however we saw it.  The cementerio de la Recoleta opened in 1819, one can easily see the coffins within I trust we showed the appropriate respect.

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Tango

We saw the very poorest of areas – La Boca- situated next to the old docks and the first area that the immigrants lived. It’s still very poor and is the home of Tango. Dresses 26 and 27 are worn by couples who dance in the street for pesos we saw many outside restaurants and bars.   The tango was danced as a come on in the bordellos and only in the 70’s did it in anyway become a respectable dance, it’s now fashionable again with the young and not just for tourists

To watch tango we went to El Viejo Alemacen – the Old Grocery shop- the building has been there since the 1800’s.  The show was excellent so dresses 26 and 27 are from the Tango dancers.  The show was very intimate a small low ceiling building with 6 musicians including 2 playing a sort of concertina called a bandonlon, there was an elderly very experienced feature singer and bandolin player both of whom received rapturous applause and a standing ovation.

In two days you can only get a taste of such a large city so we decided to taste the other famous aspect of Argentina Beef and their Malbec wine (groan). We went to the recently restored Puerto de Madero and had the tenderest of steak.

Buenos Aires is certainly on the list for a return trip Me on the sun deck saying goodbye to Buenos Aires