In this massive city filled with active avenues, cars, buses and people, there are an amazing number of parks and plazas. Our apartment is located very near one of the nicest. There is something there for everyone.*
Parque Tres de Febrero, also known as the Bosques de Palermo (“Palermo Woods”), is big (see map below). Sometimes compared to Central Park in New York or vice-versa, it has a similar scope and flavor of activity. Suffice it to say it is a world-class park. Luckily for us we can walk a couple of blocks, cross Libertador and we are there. Not to get bogged down in the history of how the park came to be but this is a good story. In 1852 Juan Manuel de Rosas was overthrown. It sounds like he might not have been a very nice guy which makes taking his lands and making a public park seem like a reasonable thing to do. That event (the overthrow) took place on Februrary 3, 1852. So for a little in-your-face irony the park was named Parque Tres de Febrero (February 3 Park). Touché!
The design was created by urbanist Jordán Czeslaw Wysocki and architect Julio Dormal, the park was inaugurated on November 11, 1875. French Argentine urbanist Carlos Thays was later commissioned to expand and further beautify the park, between 1892 and 1912. Thays designed the Zoological Gardens, the Botanical Gardens, the adjoining Plaza Italia and the Rose Garden. See, I told you this was good. As you can see on the map, this is a park with parks within and adjoining parks that extends quite a distance.
We go to Parque Tres de Febrero several times a week which is one of the benefits of renting an apartment a few blocks away. I know what you are thinking and you are so right, we have a ton of photos to show. Luckily the editor will manage the impulse to show them all. Let’s get started. The park comes alive on the weekends when seemingly the entire city comes to play and relax.
The centerpiece is an active, small lake where boats are available for rent and people congregate to relax and sunbathe.
A wide roadway circles the lake, cars are not allowed, so this track gets filled with bicycles, rollerbladers, horse drawn carriages, walkers and runners.
It is an endless stream of people, all ages, shapes and sizes. Vendors line the streets with food, bicycles and rollerblades for rent, ice cream and goodies for the park.
A couple of things caught our attention in this people-watching meca. In one open area between tall trees these athletes perform some amazing feats of tight rope walking artistry. I was particularly drawn to this area, most likely explained by the family heritage.
Rollerblading is a popular activity. It is inexpensive to rent the skates and experts mix with weekend warriors. This self-made obstacle course gives the experts a chance to show their artistry. They are amazing…
For the less athletic or those inclined toward the romantic, there are these horse drawn carriages.
But there is much more to this park beyond the opportunity to exercise (which seems to be a national past time), relax with a picnic, or cruise the lake. For example…
This bridge crosses the lake and takes you into a park within a park called Jardin de Rosas….
The view from the top provides a perfect place for couples to gather.
Sr. Carlos Thays outdid himself with the design including the multiple bridge crossings.
This part of park has a definite European flavor…
You couldn’t have a world-class park without a fountain centerpiece.
Somewhere it states that there are over 12,000 roses in this park and there is no reason to doubt that statement.
The views are almost breathtaking. In this area, the white lattice-covered walkways are exceptional.
We need a separate post just for the statues. As you can see they are varied and placed throughout the park.
The picture below is a favorite, the light provided a perfect cast that communicates the peaceful setting.
In Florida they have Banyan trees, I am not sure this is one, but it is striking.
From the look of the picture below this could be taken on a weekday when the park is somewhat quieter. Sometimes after a mind-boggling Spanish lesson we walk over to the park to unwind and to review.
Time to go, so this post will end on the timeless rose…
Last night we joined the estimated 125,000 people gathered at the Obelisk located at the interesection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio for a free outdoor concert by opera legend José Plácido Domingo Embil. He was joined by soprano Virginia Tola and accompanied by the choir and orchestra of the Teatro Colón under the direction of Eugene Kohn. The repertoire included arias, operettas and even tangos and lasted over three hours. Wow.
Part of the enormous crowd – yes, that is the stage way up there!
Here is a short video to provide a feel for the moment…
“Paisaje anterior a la Casa Rosada” by Nicolás García Uriburu, located in Casa Rosada
Sunday morning we were out of the apartment around 11 headed for the Green Subte Line on Santa Fe about eight blocks away for a long postponed visit to Casa Rosada, the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina located in Plaza de Mayo.
Even though we spent the first two weeks in BA living in an apartment a few blocks away and had passed through Plaza de Mayo (prounced Masho) several times, we had not toured the Presidential Palace. In a recent Huffington Post article Casa Rosada was among the top 13 palaces of the world. One night passing through the plaza we caught this stunning image which explains why it is called the Pink House.
Casa Rosado
The rain on Saturday had finally broken the heat wave that had gripped Buenos Aires for several days that had even porteños (local word for BA residents) complaining, given that summer is coming to a close here in the southern hemisphere.
We actually wore jeans and long sleeve shirts as the sun shone and temps hovered around 70 degrees. The subway line was pleasantly unpopulated as we journeyed several stops to the southern portion of the city at the end of the Green Line.
Catedral
Emerging from the subway near Plaza de Mayo we were struck again by the architectural beauty of this part of the city. The next thing we noticed was a long line around the Buenos AiresHouse of Culture.
Curiously long line
Obviously we had not been reading the same sources for activities in the city because as we made our way to the front of this tremendous line we discovered local television media interviewing people.
Come to find out Placido Domingo (now 70) is giving a free concert here March 23 and the line was for tickets to get one of the 22,000 chairs that will be provide for this free outdoor concert. The rest of us will need to bring chairs or stand. This is a good article describing the event. Look for us there.
Here is a nice photo of the Buenos Aires House of Culture…
Mark Photo Op at the Entrance
We made our way across the Plaza and into the Palace. The entry was stunning with a series of paintings and busts depicting national heroes. The free tour began as we made our way to the 2nd floor. One interesting fact is that this building houses the current executive offices for the government of Argentina (it is a working palace) so these tours are only offered on weekends. It is closed to the public M-F.
José de San Martín (1778-1850)
I won’t go into history here but suffice it to say, José de San Martín (c. 1778 – 17 August 1850) is a national hero given credit for liberating Argentina from Spain.
Evita Perón images were widely displayed as well. While I like to read about politcs in all of the Americas, including South America, I am no expert and can only give my impressions. It seems that Evita has a similar national reverence as FDR has in the U.S. and for similar reasons. She was a champion of the poor and those in need. Perhaps Obama might take note of what it takes to become a leader who earns a place in history. This photo displayed inside was especially compelling.
Evita Photo from Palace
On October 15, 1945, at 11 pm , Evita stepped on to the balcony before an estimated 250,000-350,000 people gathered in the plaza below to demand the release from prison of her soon-to-be husband, Juan Perón. The scene must have been electrifying. Two days later he was released, and on October 18, they were married.
This husband and wife team (below) have dominated Argentine politics for the last decade. Néstor Carlos Kirchner served from 2003-2007, died from a heart attack and then was succeeded by his wife, Cristina Kirchnerin the 2007 election.
From what I read, Cristina Kirchner is popular and does well in polling for the next presidential election. She has been referred to as the “Hillary Clinton” of South America. She heads the Peronist Party here that leans to the left politically.
Okay, enough politics. From this point I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Casa Rosada is obviously striking.
Here is the view looking out, which fills the mind with images of what the crowded scene must have looked like as Evita spoke from the balcony.
View from the Balcony
Okay, another photo op…
Beautiful
And one of me from the balcony…
We continued the tour with stops in the executive offices.
National Seal
This stained glass wall caught our attention…
The second floor was a nice vantage point for the courtyard.
Wait, another photo op. Here is one of Betsy and I taken by our guide who spoke Spanish, Portugese and English.
Okay, my turn. Here is an arty shot looking up.
One more view from the balcony zooming in a bit.
As the tour ended, we were escorted out the back door with these nice views of the city.
“Its main objectives are to educate the public and arouse their interest in Latin American artists, contributing to the knowledge of Latin American cultural productions promoting the recognition of cultural and artistic diversity of this region, and share responsibility for this effort with the national community and internationally to promote artistic exchange between national, regional and international support innovative programs centered in the visual arts and American culture.”
The work of Grete Stern was the featured exhibit. Here are three of her photos taken from the MALBA Web site and you can see more here.
Bottle of the sea
Grete Stern Bottle of the sea (Dream No. 5) , 1950
Black and white photo collage on paper
Eduardo F. Collection Costantini, Buenos Aires
On the platform
Grete Stern On the platform (Dream No. 2) , 1949
Black and white photo collage on paper
19 x 28 cm
Eduardo F. Collection Costantini, Buenos Aires
Flower Child
Grete Stern Flower Child (Dream No. 11) , 1948
Black and white photo collage on paper
29.5 x 23.5 cm
Eduardo F. Collection Costantini, Buenos Aires
We saw works from Freida Kahlo, Nicola Costantino, Liliana Maresca, Magdalena Jitrik, and Graciela Hasper among others including these…
Diego Rivera. Portrait of Ramón Gómez de la Serna or Portrait of Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 1915
Alejandro Xul Solar. Pareja, 1923
Rafael Barradas. kiosk ducts (duct’s kiosk), 1918
It was a great start to learning more about Latin American artists.
We decided to walk home about a mile. We passed several parks and plazas along Avenida del Libertador, including the Japanese Gardens which we will visit soon.
This is a brand new four-day holiday weekend for Argentina in conjunction Carnival. To kick it off, we spent a quiet Saturday catching up on some work and reading and then went to the amazing park a few blocks from here to relax, take in some sun and an amazing collection of people.
But today we will adventure to El Tigre about 28 km north of here. What makes Tigre especially interesting is that it is the jumping off point for the Parana Delta. We will catch the #130 bus shortly to the Retiro train station and then our first train ride — on to Tigre!
Here is a bit more of what we know to expect… more later.
It was a short bus ride to the Retiro train station. Our first thought was that the reports of a busy extended holiday weekend were exaggerated.
But as we made our way to the ticket counter, that thought was quickly dispelled. Two long lines extended outside the station. The lines moved quickly, the purchase (about 5,60 pesos for two) went smoothly and we made our way to the tracks where this scene unfolded. It seemed like a large percentage of Buenos Aires’ 15 million residents had the same idea as us.
Boarding for Tigre
Once the train was in position with doors open, any concept of lines was broken as a rush to the front seeking a seat for the 45-60 minute ride ensued. Unfortunately, we did not play the game well and ended up standing. The train made its way through the city and out into the suburbs.
Ride to El Tigre
This was the scene as we left the train at El Tigre. We traveled in the last car so we had a unique vantage point.
The Scene at the El Tigre Platform
We held the rear position as this mass of humanity made its way for several blocks to the amusement park, market, water-taxis into the delta, the casino and lunch. The group was like a quarter-mile human snake.
The Long March
We stopped at the local tourist office and gathered some much needed intel. It was confirmed that the boat rides to the delta are reasonably priced with lots of options like how far and long you want to travel. The catch was, this weekend was a holiday so the wait times for tickets were exceedingly long. We decided to save that excursion for another day.
The river scene was amazing. This is one of my favorite shots.
And another…
Picturesque River Scene
Our destination was the popular market (mercado) in Tigre so we were able to follow the crowd to the entrance.
Along the way we stopped in the Casino, both for a bathroom break and to put a few pesos into the slots. The casino was familiar and similar to an American casino in setting and style. I mentioned earlier there are several things to do in Tigre.
Going for the Jackpot
Our 50 pesos ($12.50US) in the 25-cent machine lasted longer than expected, but the end result was to skip the buffet (about $12.50) and move on to the market.
Right next to the casino is the local amusement park which from the looks on some of the faces of the children (hijos) must be pretty cool. All we could make out from our vantage point was the roller coaster.
Amusement Park Entrance
Following the crowd that had not dropped off on either the boat rides to the delta, the casino or the amusement park we found the entrance to the market. The market was large (grande) and the temperature rising as we wove our way through the vast market.
Market Entrance
This market had a much different flavor than the ones we have previously visited. There were many small specialty stores much like you would think of in the United States. There were only a few fruit markets while there were scores of household item specialty shops. Kitchen, furniture and decorative shops were the most prevalent, along with a few leather shops, baby shops, a couple of nurseries, gift shops, etc.
Home and Kitchen Shop
Wicker Shop
Lamp Shop
Local Merchandise
Gourds
The flowers (flores) below were one of the more popular items of the day. Lots of people purchased them and we were tempted. They were really well done, bright, and cheerful.
Waffles on a stick.This was the first time we had seen waffles this way. We tried one filled with apple (manzana) and it was tasty. The options were fruit filling or ham and cheese and others. Did I mention chocolate?
Waffles of the World
Waffles on a Stick
After shopping a while we decided to break for lunch. We found a small restaurant where we could sit at the bar. Menus are still difficult to fully translate.
Here are just a few more river scenes. The boats below are loosely called grocery boats and make their way up the delta to the various islands, restaurants and communities.
Grocery Boats
The river scene caught our attention because it is so unusual.
Mixed passage
Captivating
Typical Small Boat
Typical Long Boat
Our feet were sore and the afternoon was getting on so we decided to make our way back to the train station. I know some of you will be skeptical, but on the way Betsy suggested a quick stop in the casino for the bathrooms and 10 more pesos for the slot machine. This time we sat down at a $1 peso machine. It was literally a spin or two later that the machine started to flash and the Argentine man next to us got very animated, Spanish spilling like a waterfall from his mouth. We were clueless, catching only a few of his words. He became more animated in the next few seconds, his language faster and more intense. Finally he indicated we should push a slightly obscure button.
Oh boy! Now things were happening — the lights flashed and large “dollar” tokens, bigger and heavier than a 50 cent piece started pouring from the machine and making a banging noise that added to everything else going on. It was wildly exciting. Two hundred of these coins spewed out but in spurts of 10 or so, the man was laughing and we were laughing. He kept talking. The money tray was filling up. He indicated to Betsy she needed to do something. Well that something was to go get some of those plastic coin cups you have probably seen. Half understanding she took off to find one. Meanwhile we had drawn something of a crowd as Betsy returned with dos cups and we starting scooping. Coins were spilling on the floor as we scooped, everyone was laughing at our good luck, and we were having too much fun.
We spent another hour or so there and walked away with $188 pesos, enough for a good dinner. It is times like these that not speaking the language takes away from – and at the same time adds to – the experience. It would have been great to know what the man was saying. He was more excited than we were and it was contagious. It was all the more humorous that we had no idea what people around us were saying. The whole scene was hilarious.
Light-footed from our good luck, we made our way back to the train station but decided to take the #60 bus home instead. On the way we couldn’t help but notice this magnificent building.
Edificio Rio Mayor
The ride was long but brought us right to Avenida Sante Fe, a few blocks from our apartment. We bought some bread (pan) and a brownie and then stopped at the apartment briefly to put our feet up. About 9 pm we went to the local parrilla (grill) for some dinner.
What to Have?
We both had sandwiches that were delicious and decided we would come back again.
It is now Monday here, late in the afternoon (la tarde). We had a conversational Spanish lesson today with Azul, who is much fun, for about an hour and a half that was very helpful. We talked about restaurants, vocabulary, the alphabet and worked on pronunciation. Come to find out Mollejas on the menu above are a personal favorite of our young Spanish tutor and she insists they are not to be missed. She confirmed what we were learning — that in Argentina they eat all of the cow.
A wide roadway circles the lake, cars are not allowed, so this track gets filled with bicycles, rollerbladers, horse drawn carriages, walkers and runners.
It is an endless stream of people, all ages, shapes and sizes. Vendors line the streets with food, bicycles and rollerblades for rent, ice cream and goodies for the park.
Rollerblading is a popular activity. It is inexpensive to rent the skates and experts mix with weekend warriors. This self-made obstacle course gives the experts a chance to show their artistry. They are amazing…
For the less athletic or those inclined toward the romantic, there are these horse drawn carriages.
But there is much more to this park beyond the opportunity to exercise (which seems to be a national past time), relax with a picnic, or cruise the lake. For example…
The view from the top provides a perfect place for couples to gather.
