Well they had predicted for days it was going to rain today so I planned mostly indoor things but it ended up being gorgeous. I still did some of the indoor things but added some additional walking around.
First stop was to the Palacio de Las Aguas (Palace of Water). Believe it or not this was the place where they stored water and it was a whole city block long. Completed in 1894 when Buenos Aires was booming, this gorgeous palace-like waterworks building has an exterior intended to convey the importance of the purified water it housed.
Next stop was to one of the most beautiful bookstores I’ve ever been in. It’s called El Ateneo Grand Splendid. The Grand Splendid theater was opened in 1919 and was converted into a bookstore in 2000. In today’s age of Kindle and Amazon, it’s nice to see such a grand bookstore still exists.
Next up was supposed to be their Congress with a free guided tour of their Senate chambers. But when I got there they said they had cancelled all tours due to the Coronavirus. Come on people, the whole thing is a hoax! (OK, who said that?? Lol).
So next I ventured down to the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires called Cafe Tortoni. Opened in 1858, it was the haunt of Argentina’s politicians, activists, intellectuals, artists, and literary greats. And their desserts weren’t bad either!
Next I stopped at this really cool bar both because the name is the same as my hometown and my cousin Nick, who travels to Buenos Aires often, recommended it. (Thanks Nick!). It’s called the New Brighton and it has all this beautiful polished wood and a friendly doorman greets you when you enter. I just popped in to take a few pictures but next time I’ll have to hang out and have a sweet tea with all the businessmen!
I then walked down Florida street which is a pedestrian only street that goes on for many blocks. It has lots of shopping stores and even more people yelling “Cambio, Cambio” to get you to change your US Dollars into Pesos.
My last stop was to one of the most beautiful Opera Houses in the world, called Teatro Colon. The impressive seven story building is one of Buenos Aires’ landmarks and greatest sources of pride. I took the guided tour and got to see pretty much all of it. The theater’s opening night in 1908 was a presentation of Verdi’s Aida. Occupying an entire city block, it can seat 2,500 people and provide standing room for an additional 500. It was the Southern Hemisphere’s largest theater until the Sydney Australia Opera House was built in 1973.
Well tonight is my last night in Buenos Aires. Tomorrow I take the one hour ferry over to Colonia Del Sacramento in Uruguay. I really loved Buenos Aries! Friendly people, amazing architecture, low cost, and so many things to see. I hope to be back!
Also, I decided to treat myself to some fine dining on my last night. So I’ve added an extra blog entry just for that. Happy Tuesday to all!
The Wandering Italian 