Biblioteca Nacional

This is the National Library which stands on the site where Eva and Juan Peron lived. I don't remember all of the details, but I think the library was constructed by one of the dictators who took power while Juan was exiled in Spain. Later when he returned and took power again he put Borges in charge of the library in some demeaning post. I don't remember exactly and probably should check my facts, but like all things Argentina, there is more than meets the eye here.

Avenida del Libertador

This is a busy avenue that runs from Retiro up through Palermo. Ritzy, shiny, high rises with doormen line the avenue.

Montevideo

Colonia, Uruguay

Kiosko

This is a newspaper stand on Calle Tucuman near Ayacucho. They are literally all over the city. While they make maneuvering the already crowded sidewalks more difficult, I do like them. It's nice to see lots of newspapers, magazines and sometimes books on display. Also, many newsstands are decorated with fileto, a typical Argentine painting style, as is this one.

It's Coming....

Well, actually, it's already here. There is one Starbucks that opened in Buenos Aires last spring. It is VERY popular, which kind of worries me, since cafes and coffee culture are so much a part of life here - I hate to see that disrupted and replaced by caramel macchiatos.

Graffiti

More graffiti, this one from Avenida Callao. I think it is on the wall of a school. It says, "Ideas cannot disappear", or perhaps, "They cannot disappear ideas". I tend to think it's the first, but it might be both.

Memory of the Disappeared

This plaque is on a busy sidewalk on Avenida Callao. It is a memorial to 4 people who were detained and disappeared by the military in 1977.

Basilica

I stumbled across this church (literally) as I was walking home from Palermo, post-vertigo attack. I was medicated and still wobbly. The sun was setting and dusk was settling in. The church and open plaza were a relief as I tried to make my way home avoiding pedestrians and rush hour traffic.

Graffiti

This is in Palermo. It says "plants don't sin".

Carlos Likes Ice Cream Too

This is a corner in Palermo (I'm not sure if it's Soho or Hollywood). Carlos Gardel, legendary tango singer who died in a plane crash at a young age, causing women around the world to mourn and some even to commit suicide. It is said that Carlos sings better every day. Here's Carlos enjoying an ice cream.

Pay Phone

I haven't noticed pay phones here, but this one on Avenida de Mayo really stuck out. It is pretty wild, not only in shape, but in the way it is decorated.

Pizza Delivery?

I caught this bicycle from La Continental, one of my favorite pizza shops, outside a shop in San Telmo. Nothing like low-tech, environmentally friendly pizza delivery!

Bar - San Telmo

I love these corner cafes, or bars. They are all over the city. They usually are very cozy, have old male waiters in bowties and aprons and have patrons sitting in the window reading, drinking coffee or chatting. They are the epitome of Buenos Aires life for me. This one is in San Telmo

Kiosko

This is a kiosko on Avenida de Mayo. One of my favorite floggers, or foto bloggers, a French ex-pat who has a site called Buenos Aires Daily, has started posting weekly pictures of kiosks. They really are works of art, with all of the brightly colored packages lined up on display in small spaces. Not to mention, the stuff on display is totally yummy, like chocolate and potato chips!

San Telmo Street Fair

This is the San Telmo Street Fair on Defensa near Avenida Belgrano. The cute little guy looking at me through the fence seemed used to posing for pictures.

Obstacle Course

This is a sidewalk on Santa Fe, near where I live. The newsstand cuts off half of the sidewalk, and you can see three people ahead, with arms linked together, creating a human barricade. The sidewalk is relatively empty, being Sunday, but you can imagine how difficult it would be to navigate through this course on a regular day with 10 times more people. (Note: notice the lovely picture of Obama on the cover of Rolling Stone).

Nature Taking Over

This is an old building on Calle Alsinas, south of Plaza de Mayo on the way to San Telmo. I love the way nature is taking over. The building is deserted, but plants are growing out of the cracks and anywhere they can. Soon the building will become a forest.

Graffiti

There is graffiti everywhere, which at times is ugly, but at other times is inspiring or even artistic. Lots of stencil art and stencil graffiti as well. This is on Avenida de Mayo, one of my favorite Avenues, that is lined with old stone buildings, evidence of a more glorious past. This particular graffiti says - "Las Calles Son Nuestras" - the streets are ours, and there is another one that says "sigue impune", which I guess refers to someone who has not been charged with an alleged crime.

Obelisk

This is el Obeliso - the Obelisk, that is at the center if 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world(22 lanes) and Corrientes. The Obelisk is the site of most protests and celebrations. It's been decorated and even covered with a huge condom. It is one of the symbols of Buenos Aires.

Diagonal Norte

From Plaza de Mayo, there are two great avenues that head at diagonals - one to the north and one to the south. This is Diagonal Norte that heads to the Obelisk, which you can see in the distance. I love the big stone buildings.

Gotham City

This is an amazing building Hernan showed me after we went to San Telmo a few weeks ago. The building has these huge stone figures all over the sides with gargoyles on the top and lots of art deco decoration. It is very Gotham City, like the building where Lois Lane and Perry White (and of course superman) would work.

Recoleta Cemetary

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by the Recoleta Fair to buy a bag I saw when I was there with Popi. It was a beautiful day so I decided to take a walk through the cemetary and see if I could find Evita's grave. I didn't. When my camera batteries died, I left. But I did stumble across this very scary looking mausoleum with cobwebs all over it. It was way back in an isolated section of the cemetary and was really kind of creepy.

Oasis

I passed this beautiful flower stand yesterday on the way home from school. It is on the corner of Lavalle and Callao, a very busy intersection, but it was like an oasis in the center of the city.

Where is the men's room?

One of the things I found very funny last year was that I had a hard time distinguishing between the men's room and the ladies' room, it was even more difficult if I had been drinking wine. This wasn't just a language thing because if they had just been labeled "damas y caballeros" or "mujers y hombres", I wouldn't have had any problem. But it seems Argentinos like to be creative about labeling their restrooms. Here is an example from the little cafe I went to with Luis yesterday. This one is pretty obvious (but still funny), but sometimes I really had to stop and think before pushing open the door.

These photos were on the doors of the men's and women's rooms instead of words. Can you guess which is which?

The Water Building

This is the Water Building on Avenida Cordoba. It is quite a spectacular piece of work. The building is covered in Royal Daulton tiles that were shipped from England and numbered. It all had to be assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. The building was built after the yellow fever epidemic which decimated the old part of the city in San Telmo. In the basement is the water processing plant and on the ground floor is where people pay their water bills.

Congresso

This is a view of El Congresso, the Congress, from the back. I took it while waiting for Mila outside Fabio Shoes. I like this view better than from the front. One of these days I have to go inside.

El Ataneo

This is the outside of El Ataneo bookstore on Santa Fe. El Ataneo is a grand old opera theater that was converted into a bookstore. It is quite a sight to behold. I never noticed the outside of the building because usually I walk on the same side of the street. From across the street I could see that the outside of the building is quite spectatular as well. Grand splendid certainly does describe it. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you'll be able to see some of the sculptural details on the building.

Medialunas

Medialuna means "half moon" - these are more crescent moons, but I guess that doesn't matter. Medialunas seem to be the typical Argentine breaksfast. Go to any cafe, restaurant or coffee shop for breakfast and you'll be hard pressed to find anything other than medialunas or toast - no grand slam, triple meat, home fries, eggs on a stack of pancakes kind of thing. I don't really get why people here are so slim. They eat a horrible breakfast, usually medialunas, coffee and juice, they eat tons of meat, and they eat a big, heavy dinner right before they go to bed. These medialunas are from a little bakery around the corner from where I live. I really should not be eating them, but they were hard to resist yesterday. The little round powdered things are little sweet breads with dulce de leche (caramel) filling.

Provoleta

This is one of my favorite Argentine foods that only seems to be available here. Usually it is served at a Parrilla, a place where they grill and specialize in meat. They take a hunk of provolone cheese and throw it on the grill. Amazingly, it doesn't melt through the grill but instead becomes nice and crusty on the outside and all melty inside. The top it with some olive oil and oregano or possibly something like sundried tomatoes. It is totally yummy - like a cheesy pizza without the crust.

I've tried making this in San Francisco, but the cheese doesn't seem to be the right kind. When I make it here, the cheese melts and forms a crust. When I make it at home, the crusty part separates from the rest of the cheese and it just doesn't work. I think this must be a special formulation of provolone cheese designed specifically for provoleta. In the supermarket, they sell it in a package and it is labeled "provoleta". I wish I could bring some back to SF with me.