Buenos Aires

Leaving the port of Montevideo

Buenos Aires is only 3 hours by ferry from Montevideo, up the delta of the Rio de la Plata. I have been here once before, about 15 years ago, and truly enjoyed it. This time I revisited some places, like La Boca and the Teatro Colon (below), and discovered some new ones...

Teatro Colon

... like the new developments in Puerto Madero. In the Port there is even a legendary ship, the Ara Uruguay, now a museum (entry only 2 pesos) and a fantastic experience for the kids!

Puerto Madero

The Ara Uruguay

We stayed in the city centre which is lined with grand buildings and beautiful houses.

If you are in Buenos Aires during a weekend I recommend a visit to the Casa Rosada, the Presidential office. During the week the President and Government workers are there and it is closed to the public, or reserved for visits from foreign presidents and ministers. We had to wait quite a bit, but it was worth it. Visits are free and you can take photos everywhere except for the President's office. The Grenadiers are happy to pose for photos too, with or without your kids! The following photos are all from the  Casa Rosada, and I was surprised to learn that all the Porteños we spoke to have never been inside it (and some didn't even know that it was possible to visit it). 

And of course there are many more places to visit, like Palermo Soho, La Boca and La Recoleta (these were my favourites and I have a post about them here), and in 4 days we covered quite a bit of ground in the city, mostly on foot and by taxi, (taxies are very cheap and easy to find) and took the Subte (metro) once, mostly just for the experience. And we ate huge amounts of pizza! :-)

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Palermo Soho, La Boca, and Recoleta Cemetery

Palermo Soho

Palermo Soho was one of my favourite spots in Buenos Aires. Monica took us there for dinner and it was lively and full of funky restaurants, bars, shops and a night craft market. Arantxa bought some of these hand made spooky dolls and I promised her that I was going to take her back the day after for lunch and a stroll. Eating is easy for vegetarians, (I recommend the smoothies), and there is pizza everywhere (as well as faina for vegans - this is made with chickpea flour)! And pasta, or salads that came in huge bowls! We also went to Palermo Hollywood, another place with good bars and restaurants, but less shops.

La Boca

Unlike Palermo, La Boca is a very touristic place, but definitely a must (in daylight) because it is so much fun to photograph all the colourful buildings, and see the tango dancers in the streets. And for my growing collection of photos of doors and windows!! 

La Recoleta Cemetery

Last but not least: I wasn't sure if to add this or not, but it was one of the most interesting for the kids, especially because they are not used to see cemeteries like the one in Recoleta. They were so happy that we visited it and followed the tour with great interest.

Recoleta is a beautiful area, in many way it reminds me of Milan, and the Recoleta cemetery of the Monumentale (a famous cemetery in Milan).  Free one hour tours are available (tips are welcomed) in Spanish and English, and these are very good tours which give you an insight into the history and the art pieces in the cemetery, as well as the history and culture of this country. I think that some people on our tour were a little shocked and spooked out, especially seeing all the old coffins covered in dust in some of the tombs, and also by the cost of some of the mausoleums (they cost as much as an apartment!). But this is a place where the tourist should go to appreciate the art (and there are some amazing sculptures, like the one commemorating the Argentinian immigrant below), not to judge how people choose to grieve. 

I have published only a few photos here, as I am sure that some people may find it bad taste or strange, but remember that this is a travel blog too, and this a travel destination. The only visible name on a grave in this post is in the last photo; the guide told us the story of this girl, stressing that it may be true or not true (no way for us to know), but is now a very established urban myth. And possibly the most beautiful Art Nouveau tomb in Recoleta.

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Yarn (wool) bombs in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Have you heard of yarn or wool bombs? A sort of colourful graffiti/street art done ( usually secretly at night) around objects (or trees) in the streets. These are in Buenos Aires, aren't they cool? Do you have yarn bombs in your city?

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©