It's not a slow car, it's a fast house

Continuing across Argentina towards Buenos Aires included a stop to visit a new friend in Santa Fe and Rosario and then in to the big city. Camped near a huge city park gave us a chance to look at unique and beautiful trees.

One of the trees had a large opening in the bottom, so Geneva decided to install a fairy door. If you have never seen a fairy door, look into it. They are quite fun to make and even more fun to find.

In the huge city of Buenos Aries is a gigantic Mercado Central. This marketplace is the distribution point for most of the food that moves throughout the city. Hidden away in one of many warehouses is a small food shop. We had seen a show on Netflix about it and decided we needed to stop by. Las Chicas de los 3 did not disappoint.  Actually it was so good that we visited it several times during our many weeks in Buenos Aires.

Their specialty is called Tortilla. But it not like a typical flour or corn tortilla. It is a special blend of finely diced potatoes, eggs, cheese and spices. This is layered and then baked slowly in a very hot oven. It is served piping hot and melty delicious, with homemade salsa. Absolutely delicious. If you can find a recipe for this, try it at home and let us know how it goes. While I doubt you can replicate these pros, I am sure you will love it!

Another place featured on that Netflix show is called La Mezzetta. Of course we had to make our way there to try their famous pizza.  It was pretty darn good.

We spent a lot of time in and around Buenos Aires.  While there a dear friend came for a visit, Mike flew to the USA for a parts run, and Geneva had foot surgery.  We became quite familiar with the city and grew to love it. It is easy to navigate, affordable to enjoy and offers so many things to see and do.

Many Argentinians speak some English and are willing to try to learn more. Sometimes signs are in Spanish and English which makes things very convenient. And then other times they are just as confusing as they could possibly be!

We learned about the huge industry of birthing babies in Argentina. Many foreigners, particularly from Eastern Europe, come to Buenos Aires to have one or two babies. The medical care is amazingly good, affordable, accessible and it gives the babies dual citizenship. We saw many, many, many women walking around, speaking foreign languages, pushing strollers and visibly pregnant.

On the topic of medical care …… Geneva opted for another round of foot surgery while we were in Buenos Aires. You may recall that she had foot surgery in Costa Rica. And now it was time to fix the other one. A wonderful surgeon was located at a hospital that offered an English speaking aid, low priced care and great follow up. Because it was so easy, we opted for two repairs at one time and all for less than having it done in the USA with insurance coverage!

Perhaps you have seen the viral reel on social media that explains a story of a restaurant in Argentina that welcomes and feeds homeless dogs. We took the time to track down the Dickens Cafe.  We parked right out front and went in to enjoy a meal in the company of some very happy, well-fed dogs.  Outside sat dishes that were frequented by other street dogs passing by. Clearly this place is a dog lover’s cafe!

 

Another site to see while in Buenos Aires is the Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore. This is a former theater of grand proportions. It has been converted to a modern bookstore with a wide variety of offerings on every level. On the stage is a small cafe which offers diners the opportunity to look out across the vast “audience” of book shoppers while sipping coffee and having a cake. Indeed a splendid experience!

Nearby this splendid bookstore is the world famous Teatro Colon. The theater was built as an ornate French and Italian style opera house. The acoustics are exceptional with no detail overlooked inside the theater or in the hallways, stairways and rooms.  Singers, dancers, orchestra and composers have been performing there since it opened in 1908. The marble stairwells and banisters, stained glass windows, ceiling frescos, gilded decor and even ornate fire-fighting equipment leave a visitor in awe.

Buenos Aires is the capital of tango! It is not unsual to see a demonstration taking place during a street market. But we decided to book a dinner show to experience the full program of music, dance, history and pageantry. It was a lovely evening in a dark, leather lined and cozy theater. Luckily, audience participation was not required, as the tango steps looked very complicated for our uncoordinated feet!

 

Leaving the city for some further exploration, we stopped by the impressive Basilica Nuestra Senora d Lujan. This huge church was blessed by the Pope during a visit to Argentina. And with that, it can become a basilica. It is a giant place, with many different altars lining the walls and down each nave.  Even when packed with tourists, parishioners and artwork, it feels enormous inside. And it would appear that homeless street dogs are also welcome here, as several were spotted sleeping in various nooks and crannies.

Most of my readers are familiar with the high quality of Argentinian beef. It is a signature of this country. But where there is beef, there are cows, so Argentina has also developed some wonderful cheese making skills. We stumbled upon a fine place to sample the cheeses called Epoca de Quesos which could be translated directly as Cheese Season. But after we gorged ourselves on the available cheeses, we prefer to call it Epic Cheese!

Have we had enough to eat while in and around Buenos Aires? Thanks for enjoying so many fun sights and foods with us. We will leave you with the most famous Argentinian dessert. The alfajore is a delight like nothing else. Two soft-baked cookies with a cream in the middle which is then artfully coated in chocolate.  This little delicious gem is not to be missed. And delicious with a cup of sweet coffee.