buenos aires
April 2016
Another IETF another country to visit.
Before the conference started, Stephan and I, we spent two days discovering the city. The rest was me and myself, other than some very interesting dinners.
Our first discovery was the neighborhood of Recoleta. We walked to this upscale neighborhood, passed some beautiful embassies, and then on to the Arts Museum and the cemetery of Recoleta.
Buildings
and monuments in the same district.
museum Museo National de Bella Artes
It is a small museum with a modest but beautiful permanent collection
la recoleta - cemetery
Opened in 1820, it is more a mostly Christian sculpture garden. The sculptures are all unique, telling the story of the people who wanted to make a statement. The mausoleums include Armenian families, the Duarte Family where Evita rests, and plenty of sad stories. After visiting the Church of Our Lady of Pilar (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar), we went to the cemetery.
When you walk in you are met with streets and streets of mausoleums, some are pretty spooky with broken glass and coffins on view; and some abandoned and in disrepair.
The saddest two were these of young girls one of whom died unexpectedly - and people say they see her walk the grounds late at night [left]; and the other was a victim of ski accident in the Alps [right].
the funniest [Flia Cabril, left] and the oldest [right]
Mrs. Cabril spent too much money and made debts. In desperation Mr. Cabril took a whole page in every newspaper in BA announcing he would not clear her debts from that day on. In anger, the Mrs. did not speak to her husband to the end of his life and in her will she requested a bust looking away from him.
Sunday, we went to find the Armenian community and the Armenian Church, which we did. We went to a 'Badarak" made our donations to the church, spoke to a nice man who told me a lot of details about Armenians in Argentina and then went to lunch at Cafe Bartok.
Top: Classic Armenian Church - women inside and men chatting in the vestibule. Below: April 24, 1915 Memorial
Stephan's IETF was at the Hilton. Here are pictures of that neighborhood.
Honoring
the Argentinean heritage of the current Dutch queen and Anne Frank
Puenta de La Mujer
Argentinean
attempt to be Alma Bridge [left] and floating museum [right]
The food is good in Argentina. In addition to several meals we had in Alvear Art Hotel, where we stayed, we also discovered some good restaurants.
Clockwise from top left: I Latina [the best!], Cafe Bartok, Don Carlos [steakhouse], Cafe Tortoni [the oldest cafe in BA], Ventana [dinner/tango show], and finally lunch before leaving at Alvear Palace Hotel [the parent of Alvear Art Hotel]
The complicated relationship between the Peróns and Argentina may have finally come to a peaceful end. Juan Domingo Perón 40 years after his death got the first statue in Buenos Aires, near Casa Rosada [on Plaza Agustin P. Justo], and Evita according to current day Argentineans is a saint, including having her image on the 100 peso bill.
Plaza de Mayo
.
Tbelow: The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and the side Chapel that holds the remains of General Jose de San Martin [a leader of the fight for independence] where they have guards and a ceremony of the changing of the guards every day.
San Telmo
Left: Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Rosario - Right: San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo
Walking Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) I passed several sights including a bust of Louis Braille, statues of generals and the Steel Flower.
And finally here are some hodge podge of selected photos : Kirshner Cultural Center, Teatro Cervantes, Teatro Colon [all above]
Argentinean ingenuity below: No parking? No problem.
And sidewalks that looked like they had just come off a riot
