We took an early flight back to Buenos Aires this morning on
Norwegian Airline.
This is a super low
fare airline and you can tell they are super efficient.
They actually do the logical thing and load
customers by rows rather than status.
Within 30 minutes, everyone is boarded and ready to depart gate.
Buenos Aires is a big city and famously known as Paris of
the South. During the taxi ride to our
hotel, we could see why. The city streets were all wide, grand, and laden with fancy stately classical buildings. There were fountains everywhere. Each square had an impressive statue on it. No wonder they say Buenos Aires is more European than many European cities. I chose to stay in the San Telmo neighborhood this trip due to its central location. Plaza
Dorrego and Mercado San Telmo are only 4 blocks away. We were blown away by the scale and size of
Plaza Dorrego’s Sunday market. It
occupied the whole length of the Defensa street from Plaza de Mayo to Ave San
Juan, 11 city blocks long! It was packed with
tourists and locals alike with different stalls selling different merchandizes,
although after a while, we could see most stalls were selling similar items. We were disappointed that there were no hints
of tango music or performances on Plaza Dorrego, the tango heart of Buenos
Aires. I think it’s most likely due to the
winter season here.
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| We got a bird eye view of Buenos Aries on our flight back from Cordoba |
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| Our hotel in Buenos Aires |
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| Courtyard in our hotel |
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| It has a roof top swimming pool |
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| Sunday market along the whole length of Defensa Streety |
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| Everywhere is people, shoulder-to-shoulder |
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| Wall painting in the San Telmo area |
Mercado San Telmo was a pleasant surprise, on the other hand. There was a giant foodcourt there with all kinds of food stalls. Most were just gearing up to open at noon. We tried one of the most tasty empanada and churro here. We also found a small shop that specialized in chori-pan (a tasty sausage, chorizo, grilled to perfection to be eaten with a toasty hot dog bun), the quintessential Argentinian food. The whole neighborhood had been revitalized with many quaint shops hiding in small alleys and old historic buildings. One of them is Pasaje de la Defensa.
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| Butcher shop inside Mercado San Telmo |
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| We found this authentic churro place insdie |
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| This is how they make such delicious churros. Extrude the batter into long tube using a mold. Then cut them into lengths and deep fry them. Follow by stuff each with sweet filling |
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| Dulce de leche - Argentina's National dessert. Similar to caramel pudding but made with milk |
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| Giant tasty pollo empanada. This is the first tasty empanada so far on this trip |
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| Plaza Dorrego |
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| Plaza Dorrego neighborhood has numerous old houses with deep alleys and courtyards filled with quaint shops |
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| It almost feels like treasure hunting. You don't know what to expect to see in these shops |
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| Pasaje de la Defensa - a historic building turned into shopping mall |
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| Another bcautiful church in the Plaza Dorrego neighborhood |
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| Some decoration ideas to attract tourists are extremely simple and elegant - just hang up a bunch of colorful umbrellas and they will come! |
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| Crowds inside Mercado San Telmo |
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| We found this chap making delicious Choripan - Grilled chorizo sausage on bun |
Leaving the San Telmo neighborhood, we walked north toward Plaza de Mayo and visited several historic sites: Parroquia San Ignacio de Loyola and the old city hall Museo Historico Nacional de Cabildo.
Huge Catedral Metropolitana occupied the NW corner of Plaza de Mayo and we visited there next.
This is the stomping ground of Pope Francis before he became Pope.
Casa Rosada, a beautiful pink colored building dominating the front of Plaza de Mayo is where the presidential palace is located.
One of the most famous residents in this building is Eva Peron, or Evita, who almost achieved sainthood due to her advocacy for labor right and poor people in Argentina while she was the wife of president Juan Peron.
Just behind Casa Rosada lies the Museo Casa Rosada which is the excavated remain of an earlier custom house and fort at the harbour.
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| Cabildo - Old City Hall of Buenos Aires |
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| Plaza de Mayo |
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| Plaza de Mayo is the premier square in Buenos Aires |
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| The plaza is lined with a number of significant historic buildings |
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| Casa Rosada, the President's Residence and Office |
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| This is where the famous Eva Peron greeted the Argentine people |
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| Museo Casa Rosada, located just behind Casa Rosada, displays the excavated old custom house and fort at the old harbor |
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| Museo Casa Rosada |
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| Another shot of the beautiful Plaza de Mayo |
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| Catedral Metropolitana is BA's cathedral |
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| Inside is very grand and filled with statues and altars |
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| Including tombs of famous people |
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| Giant beautifully carved wooden doors inside the cathedral |
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| Pope Francis was the archbishop and then cardinal here in BA before he became Pope |
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| Parroquia San Ignacio de Loyola |
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| Basilica Santo Domingo - an unexpected and richly decorated church with military conflict history with the British. Hence the soldiers standing guard here at the monument along the Defensa street |
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