[Photo Credit: Paula Holt]

Note from Alan: Hello! We’re back! Sorry for the long break again, but this time the blog will be back for good, with more regular updates. We start off today with a post from a new contributor to the blog, Kim Winternheimer, who has written a great piece on the Feria de San Telmo. Look out for more posts from Kim, and maybe, just maybe, I might even start to write some stuff myself again soon. One more thing, I’ve started giving walking tours of Buenos Aires again, after my recent break. For now, over to Kim…

In case you didn’t know, and you really should…

The Feria de San Telmo is one of the most notable and popular events that takes place in Buenos Aires. Nestled in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, the San Telmo fair is bustling with unique artisans and antiques every Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Perhaps its greatest qualities, besides the architecturally beautiful neighborhood which it calls home, are its exclusive goods and reliable nature. Never a Sunday will there be without tourists pouring into the cobblestone streets of San Telmo for one of a kind antiques, trinkets, art, tango and delicious food.

Set your alarm, it’s morning in San Telmo

The true Feria de San Telmo is in Plaza Dorrego, although, it spills out into the surrounding blocks making it almost impossible to see the entire fair in just one Sunday. Plaza Dorrego houses mostly antique booths where one can find any number of valuables. Some, like original matchbox cars, gramophones and old telephones, which are still fully functional, may fetch a more expensive price, but the authenticity and uniqueness of these antiques make it well worth the extra pesos.

Many booths house truly one of a kind relics where a handmade backgammon board, full dinette sets and antique garments make you feel like you’re looking through your grandmother’s attic rather than a street fair. Antique knives, old jewelry and a myriad of figurines earn a spot in nearly every booth and soda siphons, artwork, mate trinkets and leather goods are in abundance. While the latter may begin to feel redundant all of these effects are an excellent example of Buenos Aires’ charming nature and rich history, and all of them deserve a spot on your shelf.

The Feria de San Telmo isn’t a time to speed shop, as walking too quickly through Plaza Dorrego may cause you to miss the very thing you’ve been looking for. Each booth ultimately has something different to offer and time well spent will turn up something to earn you “Ooohs and Ahhhs” the next time you have guests over.

[Photo Credit: Paula Holt]

Take a load off while you load up on anything you want

If you’ve built up an appetite, Plaza Dorrego is bordered by quaint eateries, cafes and bars. One of the varying prices and styles is sure to offer you the exact mid-day break you are looking for. For a taste of home with Argentine style, you can always meander your growling tummy down calle Defensa, an excellent way to view more of the fair. On Defensa, pick up some choripan (a chorizo sausage sandwich) to go and maximize your time munching away happily as you continue shopping (one of the few ways you’ll find mobile food in Argentina). Of course, Buenos Aires never disappoints with a lack of restaurants and a few blocks up or down Defensa and you’re sure to find a place that fits your mood.

Don’t spend it all in one place

If you need a break from the brassy pots and old-style belongings, Defensa provides a more modern attempt at souvenirs. Naturally, leather goods and alpaca furs still pop up from booth to booth, but younger artisans with their cool clothes designs and modern jewelry are a welcome change from the antiques of Plaza Dorrego and the antique stores lining Defensa. If you have room in your suitcase or a place in the corner of your room, quirky lamps and art pieces are a must see. If your outfit needs jazzing up, then the scarves, hats and purses will surely catch your eye.

It’s a beautiful Sunday, enjoy the view

If you happen to remember to take your eyes off of the endless maze of booths and gaze upward, the architecture of San Telmo is spectacular and a relic all on its own. San Telmo boasts extremely beautiful buildings that stand as they were, when they were built over a hundred years ago. In fact, the walk from Plaza de Mayo towards Plaza Dorrego is almost as rewarding architecturally as it is for day shopping. Another reason to perhaps leave the house early, and take your time.

If you’ve somehow managed to enjoy all the fair has to offer, and remembered to take Defensa all the way to Parque Lezama, which has its own street fair and flea market, let yourself wander through more of the surrounding blocks. San Telmo’s quaint and quirky nature is spellbinding, and a right turn here or left turn there, and a ten-man orchestra has attracted your attention.

[Photo Credit: Paula Holt]

Many of the street performers here deserve a closer look and many of them are geared towards the kids. (It’s important to mention as well, that you certainly won’t leave without catching a street tango show). Be sure to mark the map with any museums you pass along the way. These gorgeous buildings are eye catching and if they’re not open on Sunday they deserve a day for themselves during the workweek.

Getting there is half the fun

If you’ve taken advantage of San Telmo the way it’s intended, you might need an extra suitcase home and more shelf room once you arrive. The best way to tackle the fair is walking from Plaza de Mayo down Defensa. It’s a wonderful transition from the city and an architectural delight. However, if you prefer to start closer to Plaza Dorrego and jump-start your antique splurge, there is a Subte stop on Linea C at Avenida San Juan, just blocks away from the fair. Like any true gem of a city attraction, don’t expect the fair to jump right out in front of you. From the right (or rather, wrong) side street you can almost miss it, making the San Telmo fair a real Buenos Aires treasure.

The famous bookstores of Avenida Corrientes

Welcome to Buenos Aires, one of the most literary cities on the planet. The people here know the value of a good book, whether it’s poetry, fiction, anthropology, self-help, psychology (not only can you bet that most porteños have read some Freud, but there is even an area of Palermo – Villa Freud – named after him!), or art.

If you wish to properly observe this social fact, you absolutely must visit the bookstores of Corrientes, the famous avenue that bristles with the action of theaters, cinemas, cafes, shops, and people with their noses stuck in used copies of anthologies of Argentine history or poetry.

Buenos Aires’ bookstore hotspot

Every bookstore has its own history and character, but all of them proudly display extensive collections of works by Argentine and Latin American authors and artists, as well as North American and classical European works, calendars, and CDs. Very few of them have any English language sections, although if you dig around you should find a few English offerings here and there.

Most of the bookstores have primarily new books, and some used books too. With books scattered here, there and everywhere, presentation is not a priority – very different to more upscale bookstore chains in Buenos Aires like Boutique del Libro or El Ateneo.

If you don’t read Spanish, you’re probably still going to enjoy perusing the stores simply because they are unique in their atmosphere and awesome in their vast quantity of texts. You could always get a children’s book or calendar as a souvenir. Or maybe it’s about time you learned to read Spanish! It’s a beautiful language that is truly rich in expressions and has hundreds of years of literary heritage.

Here are some of my favorite spots for book-hunting on Corrientes. The best way to visit them is to start at the Obelisco (subway station Carlos Pellegrini, on Av. 9 de Julio) and walk up Corrientes going westward (towards Av. Callao). The places listed below go in order from east to west so you can follow them like a walking tour. You could spend thirty minutes briefly poking your head into them, or an entire afternoon going through the immense selections…

Obel Libros

This modest bookstore has been in operation for about ten years and is run by a friendly middle-aged man who will be excited to practice his English with you. The special items you will find here are encyclopedias for students, books focusing on Latin American social and economic matters, and used novels. Books are AR$15-30 on average.

Cuspide Libros

If you want professional guides for things such as computers, culinary arts, tourism, and hostelry (in Spanish), Cuspide offers a wide range of these books. It also has the usual offerings of cheaply produced novels and non-fiction books, ranging between about AR$20 and AR$40.

Libreria Lucas

At Lucas you will find a good selection of well-kept used books, which might interest collectors or book sellers. Also here are plenty of children’s books.

Libreria Hernandez

There are two Hernandez locations on Corrientes, within a few blocks of each other. A very extensive selection of books is offered, with topics such as Latin American revolutions, Che Guevara, economics, politics, Peronism, Argentine history, religion (you may notice that there are a lot of books about Judaism, a subject Argentines are fascinated by, due to the large Jewish population here), self-help, and psychology.

A nice gift idea would be one of the colorful cookbooks with recipes for traditional porteño favorites. You can even find a few cookbooks in English, such as one that explains methods for the traditional Argentine asado (barbeque). Also at Hernandez is a great collection of art books, with a focus on artists from Argentina and Buenos Aires. There is no English section here.

Libreria Libertador

Don’t miss this classic Corrientes bookstore, with its unbelievably cheap classics by Spanish and Latin American authors (AR$5-10), poetry collections (AR$6), children’s books (AR$3), and offerings by Shakespeare, Kahlil Gibran, Henry James, and more. The prices are low enough that you might buy books even if you can’t read Spanish!

If you are traveling around Argentina, you might also look for the nicely done travel guides published by the newspaper El Clarin (AR$5). They can come in handy and are much lighter than the Lonely Planet you are probably lugging around.

Also at Libreria Libertador there are random items such as dollhouse parts and furniture, calendars with themes of Argentina and Buenos Aires, old magazines that will delight collectors, heaps of crossword puzzle books, great CDs by famous composers such as Beethoven and Vivaldi with booklets providing information about the music (just AR$5, incredible), and best of all, a backroom full of dirty magazines and videos. Bring one of those home for the kids!

Posada Libros

This enormous bookstore stretches back into a building big enough for two businesses. You’ll find the usual suspects here: cheap novels (AR$10-15), books on the humanities (philosophy, anthropology, religion, AR$15-40), CDs (Latin and classical music), and so on. Mainly it’s worth visiting Posada Libros just to see so many books in one place.

And there ends this short Corrientes bookstore walking tour through this busy section of Buenos Aires City Center. I think you deserve a break…

Buenos Aires Argentina Guide Special Tips

While you are bookstore-hopping, watch out for the plenty of artisans who set up their displays on the sidewalks of Corrientes. Also you’ll walk by some of Buenos Aires’ famous theaters, so you could inquire about the latest spectacles.

If you get hungry, head to Pizzeria Guerrin (Alan’s favorite pizza restaurant in Buenos Aires), or for a mid-day coffee break, to El Gato Negro (a beautiful old cafe and spice store).

This black cat in Buenos Aires might not be so unlucky…

On a chilly fall or winter day in Buenos Aires, there is nothing more likely to give you warmth and a big smile than having a delicious spiced tea or coffee in El Gato Negro, one of the city’s most historical establishments. The cafe was originally a spice store founded by a Spanish settler in 1929. His name was Victoriano Lopez Robredo, and he had spent years traveling in Asia and Siberia, collecting exotic spices and flavors. He brought them to Buenos Aires and named this cafe El Gato Negro after another famous cafe back in Madrid.

Now El Gato Negro is a reminder of the city’s European roots, and a wonderful place to read a newspaper or the book you recently bought at one of Avenida Corrientes’ many bookstores, or even to enjoy a gourmet dinner in its elegant upstairs dining room.

Heady aromas of teas, coffees and spices

As you walk into the cafe, you are instantly overcome by the mixtures of aromas. Freshly ground coffee, cardamom, black and green teas, and ginger swirl together in the air, hovering over the people sitting at tables or buying bags of spices at the counter. You almost have the sensation of being in an Arab market in the middle of Buenos Aires. Grab a seat and be prepared to relax for an hour or two in the company of a hot drink.

The truth is that El Gato Negro does have rather daunting prices for its offerings, partly due to the fact that it is a fairly touristy environment these days (as with most historical locations), but also because its coffees and teas are mostly imported and of high quality. A delicious delight like the cafe al jengibre, with freshly ground coffee, cream, ginger, honey and cinnamon, will run you AR$9. This is quite a lot for a small coffee. However, I still think El Gato Negro is worth a visit solely to experience its lovely old world atmosphere.

Try delicious treats like Irish coffees or vanilla-cinnamon infused teas

Other treats to try here are their Irish coffees (AR$9-12), which offer a bit of alcohol to warm you up on a chilly day, and their loose leaf teas and infusions (AR$3.50-9) such as vanilla-cinnamon, green tea-orange, green tea-ginger, and mint. Don’t miss specialties such as the cafe cardamomo with fresh cardamom seeds (AR$8) or their delightful cappucino (AR$7.50). To accompany your bevarage, El Gato Negro has some tempting desserts and pastries, such as brownies, medialunas, and alfajores.

If you come to El Gato Negro for a light lunch, you could order a sandwich with ham and cheese (AR$10), some picadas (AR$7-22), or one of their gourmet sandwiches with steak, chicken, or cheese (AR$9-15).

El Gato Negro is an acclaimed cafe notable, recognized for its historical importance in Buenos Aires. Most of the original wooden furniture has been preserved, and its a fabulous place to sit and watch people come in to relax after an afternoon of dizzying shopping on bustling Avenida Corrientes in the city center of Buenos Aires.

An interesting range of food, but at a price

El Gato Negro also has a restaurant area upstairs that serves full-course dinners at rather lofty prices. Here you will find unique bistro-style dishes and a full wine-list that should please any palate. The prices, however, are not so pleasing for travelers on a budget. Among their starters, El Gato Negro has caesar salads with shrimp, regular salads, and a spiced mushroom tart (AR$12-19).

For main dishes, some examples are the lamb risotto (AR$26), the scalloped pork with curried corn pudding (AR$25), stir-fried vegetables with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp (AR$16-25), saffron risotto with mussels and shrimp (AR$28), fish in almond sauce over herbed couscous (AR$26), penne with either tomato or cheese sauce (AR$19), and salmon with vegetable ratatouille (AR$30).

For desserts, try the parfait de Cassis (AR$12) or the chocolate mousse with walnuts (AR$14). All in all, El Gato Negro is a place for fine-dining in a unique setting, and it’s worth the prices if you really need to eat something besides bife de chorizo con pure de papas for a change. The wine list has good Argentine favorites like Benjamin Nieto and Santa Julia, and also, somewhat surprisingly, you can get a cup of the house wine for only AR$6.

Take a little of El Gato Negro away with you

If you are souvenir-shopping, El Gato Negro has lovely little spice tins and boxes with their signature black cat over a lush red background. Or, if you are staying long-term in Buenos Aires, this is a good spot to find things that can be difficult to obtain elsewhere in the city, such as exotic spices, soy sauces, couscous, dried mushrooms, fresh and dried spices from all over the world, spice mix for making asado, or dried candied fruits such as kiwis, pears, and pineapples.

[Photo Credit: aardvark]

El Gato Negro: The Verdict

• Overall cafe rating: (3/5) As a cafe, the coffees and teas taste fantastic, but are overpriced, and the desserts are not especially life-changing.
• Buenos Aires Authenticity Factor: (4/5) The atmosphere is wonderful and takes you back in time. Stay here for an hour to relax between visiting sites along Avenida Corrientes, and try to imagine what Buenos Aires life was like 80 years ago.
• Value: (2/5) As already mentioned, El Gato Negro is not so easy on your wallet. However, if you really appreciate a good organic coffee brew, this is one of the only places in the city you’ll find it.

Buenos Aires Argentina Guide Special Tip

Spend an afternoon perusing the bookstores and theaters on famous Avenida Corrientes, then finish your day with a hot ginger-honey-cinnamon coffee treat. Or make reservations to have a fancy dinner upstairs at El Gato Negro for a special night.

[Photo Credit: adapar]

[Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday - 12am to 10pm; Friday - 10am to 11pm; Saturday - 11am to 11pm; Sundays and holidays - 2pm to 10pm]

Buenos Aires, a city of book lovers

As one of the most literate cities on the planet, Buenos Aires will not disappoint a book lover. You can spend hours just browsing through the stacks and shelves of novels, academic theses, art and photography collections, and poetry anthologies in shops across the city here. Of course Buenos Aires is best for book-shopping if you read Spanish, or don’t mind captions in Spanish, but most places do also have an English-language selection.

One very attractive and alluring bookstore in Buenos Aires is the Boutique del Libro, a combined bookshop and café tucked away in the atmospheric streets of Palermo Soho.

Indulge the bookworm inside you at Boutique del Libro

Boutique del Libro is the kind of bookstore that makes you hold your breath in awe as you walk past the shelves full of enough books to satisfy any intellectual thirst. If you want to find art, photography, or design collections, especially ones that are specific to Argentina, this is a great place to look. Boutique del Libro also boasts a pretty decent collection of English-language classics and new novels, which are located by the front window. They also have a small collection of CDs by Argentine and international musicians.

The bookstore staff are friendly and happy to point you in the right direction to help you find a book. Everything is well-labeled by section, so you can always just go straight to a specific category and peruse. The bookstore is usually filled with foreigners and locals alike, enjoying the atmosphere and lounging around in the café.

Look cool and smart with a novel by Borges or Isabel Allende

The café is an ideal spot for quiet reflection with a recently-purchased book, or if you need to get some studying done. There is free wireless internet so you can read your emails in this high-ceilinged, spacious area. The décor is tasteful: large white-and-beige modern style paintings adorn the muted walls, and the furniture is a mix of antique low-slung patio chairs and sturdy wooden seats. Each table is creatively topped by a miniature cactus plant.

You’ll find yourself among people happily lost in a novel, or in thought, or in their studies, and maybe even a few smokers, although the city has supposedly outlawed smoking in public establishments.

Maybe just a coffee or tea in the café: it’s better for mood than food

If you’re on a budget, it’s probably best not to come to Palermo Soho hungry, because by Argentine standards places like Boutique del Libro are overcharging for their food and drinks. The Boutique offers standard fare such as steak sandwiches, salads, baked chicken, hamburgers, and tostadas, which are grilled-cheese sandwiches (usually jamon y queso – ham and cheese). It’s got an espresso bar and alcoholic drinks.

Boutique del Libro is actually a chain in Argentina, but the Palermo location has a special air of sophistication that is worth checking out. If you are a book lover you will understand the aura that radiates from a really good bookstore. Come here just to see the place and admire the simple decoration in the café, or to get some reading material in either Spanish or English. And while you’re in the area, across the way you’ll also find a very cool store called Objetos Encontrados, full of interesting antiques, toys and other random stuff.

So, in an afternoon of strolling or shopping in Palermo Soho, it’s definitely worth your time to visit Boutique del Libro, even if just for a look or a quick coffee with some cookies. And if you are actually in the market for books, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the variety of their selection – however, be warned that, in addition to their expensive food and drinks, Boutique del Libro also overcharge quite a bit for their books.

Buenos Aires Argentina Guide Special Tip

If you come to Buenos Aires seeking Hemingway-style inspiration, grab your quill and paper… errr, I mean, Macbook… and park yourself in the Boutique del Libro’s café. Surely the dual aroma of coffee and fresh books will produce a stirring urge to write that novel of your dreams.

[Note from Alan: Again, as with the Tango stuff, it's great to have Rachel here on the blogging team to help review some shops in Buenos Aires, because this really isn't an area of expertise for me. I'll just stick to writing the beer, food and ice cream reviews, thanks. Know your weaknesses! ]

Objetos Encontrados – “Found Objects” in Buenos Aires

One of the pleasures of wandering through the streets of Buenos Aires is you often happen upon a store that is entirely unique to the city, a place that shows the culture’s love for antiquities, trinkets, and anything made by Argentine hands. Objetos Encontrados, in Palermo Viejo / Palermo Soho, is one of these such shops.

It’s a fun place to gaze at the various toys, games, art pieces, and household items that are very much part of the city’s history. Perhaps the porteño obsession with collecting such items has something to do with nostalgia for better days in the city, when things were more stable and prosperous.

Check this shop out if you’re in the Plaza Serrano area

Objetos Encontrados is not a big place, but it’s worth stopping in if you are nearby Plaza Serrano or happen to be popping in for coffee or a book across the road at the Boutique del Libro. There’s a great atmosphere in the shop, like you have entered the toy chest of some eclectic porteño child.

The shopkeeper is an intense, extremely friendly collector and artist named Hernan. Ask him about his personal photography work, or just chat with him about politics in Argentina and life in Palermo as he twists some scrap of metal into an artistic creation. Usually there are a couple of guys hanging out with him, drinking maté or playing guitar, and chatting.

HERNAN: THE KIND OF GUY WHO DOESN’T NEED PHONE CABLES

Antiques and toys with a creative twist make a fun visit

If you notice some similarities between the selection at Objetos Encontrados and the Sunday morning fairs around the city, your perceptions are correct. Hernan goes around to antique sales and finds cool things to bring back to re-sell in his shop.

So why go to his shop if you can find the same things at the markets?

Well, for me it’s really interesting to see how people create businesses in Buenos Aires, in a country with a lot of creativity but perhaps not so many options for innovation. Hernan’s shop is a great example of an artistic impulse that has transformed a space into a business. He has made the “found objects” into an attractive display that makes you feel like you are in a doll house or a museum of artifacts from Buenos Aires’ past. And, it all makes for some pretty cool photos:

In many ways, a lot of the stuff at Objetos Encontrados is pretty damn kitsch. Either you’ll love that or hate it: if it’s the former, then consider paying a visit to this shop next time you’re wandering around the streets of Palermo Soho.

For your information, I’m writing this week’s Buenos Aires blog roundup slowly in between itching the many mosquito bites that have ravaged my poor body. Unfortunately we have a bit of a mosquito invasion here in the city of Buenos Aires at the moment, although at least it looks (correct me if I’m wrong) like there is no risk of Dengue here in the city (unlike in parts of Buenos Aires province, and further north in Misiones). Still, the bites don’t half itch a lot, so apologies if my itching-triggered lack of concentration causes any errors in this roundup…

Buenos Aires Blog Posts of the Week

• This week’s top posts are about three new things that I’m pretty certain I will love. First up, Robert points out that a cafe has just opened up on the ground floor of the Palacio Barolo, a building that fascinates pretty much everyone, including Robert and I. It looks beautiful in Robert’s pictures, and despite the hefty, touristy prices (9 pesos for a cafe con leche with 3 medialunas!!!), I will definitely be checking it out in the near future
• Secondly, Dan from Saltshaker has been privy to a sneak preview of the food at an authentic Indian restaurant that will apparently be opening in Barrio Norte (Laprida and Charcas) later this month. It will be called Tandoor, and hopefully will provide the quality Indian food many of us expats have been missing since arriving in Buenos Aires
• Thirdly, Disco Shawn (still my vote for top blogger pseudonym of the year), introduces us to the Chilean indie musician Javiera Mena, who will be playing in Buenos Aires this Friday, March 16th at Club Niceto in Palermo Hollywood, during their indie music night Compass. From the tracks linked to in that blog post, her stuff sounds pretty good (I like my “cute, keyboard-driven pop goodness”, as Shawn describes it), so I will probably try to make my way to Compass this Friday

Things to See and Do in Buenos Aires

• Karine has yet more lovely pics from around Buenos Aires, this week including two stunning city monuments: El Monumento de los Españoles in Palermo, and the monument to General Jose de San Martin, in Plaza San Martin (where else?!), Retiro – a fitting tribute to Argentina’s main independence hero
• Argentina’s Travel Guide has some interestingly varied things to do in Buenos Aires this week, ranging from the “Thursday night transvestite party” at Club Niceto to attending an Argentine league soccer game (in this case at the River Plate stadium), and finally taking in a trip to a meditation center in Palermo after to reflect on what sounds like a very interesting week!
• For all of you budding Tango dancers on your way to Buenos Aires to strut your stuff, Tango Cherie provides the inside knowledge of what NOT to wear to a milonga in Buenos Aires… please take note!

Buenos Aires Information, News and General Comments

• Great news: everyone’s favorite trilingual blog, Trendy Palermo Viejo, celebrated it’s first anniversary of blogging this week, and long may Dalila continue bringing us the coolest shops, restaurants and more from this most happening of Buenos Aires barrios And what better way to celebrate than with a post recapping the latest shops that have opened in Palermo Viejo?!

Buenos Aires Restaurants, Food and Drink

• Yanqui Mike made his way to the last night of the Buenos Aires beer festival, but as I had suspected, it was more of a glorified rock concert than anything else, and even worse, Mike came away disappointed without even a drop of beer passing his lips. Considering the festival organizers obviously know the rules about not serving alcoholic beverages during musical performances here, you have to wonder why they bother having live music at what is, after all, supposed to be a beer festival. Or change the name to something less misleading. Bad show all round
• Dan from Saltshaker posted a review of Piola Pizzeria in Recoleta this week, giving you another (more qualified!) viewpoint on their pizza in addition to my recent review of Piola Buenos Aires. For the record, I enjoyed the Pizza more than Dan, but he experienced far better service than I did. Now if only they could get both things right at the same time…

Funny or Odd Stuff in Buenos Aires

• In the Argentine Metropolis discusses the English words that have been making their way into Argentine Spanish over the past few years, and also in the same post overhears a really funny conversation between a middle-aged woman and her father in a Palermo fashion cafe… frapuccino indeed!

Not too many posts this week… did I miss anything, or were you all just as lay as me this week?

As for my blog, I promise that very soon there will be some other posts on this blog apart from the weekly blog roundups… I’m sure I can at least manage another bar review or something, you know, for the benefit of my readers… nothing to do with my hankering for a few decent beers now and again of course!

Well, here we are at week number 13 of my (late as usual) Buenos Aires blog roundup. 13, lucky for some? Well, if you like blogs and Buenos Aires, this may indeed be your lucky day! I can’t believe it’s been a quarter of a year already since I started to write these roundups. I guess time flies when you are reading blogs all the time rather than doing any real work…

Buenos Aires Blog Posts of the Week

• He doesn’t post very often these days (I know – pot… kettle… black), but when El Expatriado springs into action, you sure know you will be in for some interesting and/or useful reading. And very useful indeed (for those laptop users among us) is this list of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Buenos Aires
• Yanqui Mike put in a sterling effort with his post commemorating the 150th anniversary of the death of Almirante Guillermo Brown (Bill to his mates) this Saturday, which saw a contingent come from County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland to lay wreaths on his grave in Recoleta cemetery (you can’t miss Brown’s, it’s the big Irish-green column with a ship on top). I would have liked to be there, as not only is Brown also one of my favorite figures in Argentine history (see Mike’s post to understand why), but also my mum is from that part of Ireland, and I spent a good few summer holidays growing up in and around Mayo… so I guess I feel an extra association with Brown… not that I’m thinking of running off and founding another country’s navy any time soon
• Robert proves that around every corner in Buenos Aires there are still interesting discoveries to be made. This time he made a visit to the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, just off Av. de Mayo, and happened upon a beautiful cloister where soldiers from both sides were buried during the (unsuccessful) British invasions of Buenos Aires during 1806 and 1807. Shame the church authorities wouldn’t let him in to take some better pics

Things to See and Do in Buenos Aires

• Robert also posted some more, very different discoveries in his 36th (count ‘em!) roundup of the weird and wonderful stencil graffiti around Buenos Aires. Also, Disco Shawn (stencils) and Mark DeLoura (freehand) joined in on the BA graffiti act (not literally, I guess… although this is in the things to see AND do section!) in their respective blogs this week
• Diva suggests we take an economically priced tour (AR$0.80) on the number 24 bus. I’ve always preferred the 29 myself, when it comes to sheer numbers of standard Buenos Aires sightseeing attractions And Jeff Barry, well he likes to get adventurous on the 39, going through the colorful barrio of Constitución
• One Argentina Travel blog writer has been relaxing in the Japanese Gardens of Palermo, a haven of Zen tranquility in the middle of crazy Buenos Aires City, something I’m quite partial to myself, as you can see in my previous post about Buenos Aires’ Jardin Japones
• And after re-charging their batteries, the Argentina Travel blog then went on a shopping spree along Av. Santa Fe, one of the best streets for shopping in Buenos Aires, where some bargains are to be found
• Karine has a nice post about Buenos Aires Zoo in Palermo, with lots of lovely cute animal photos

Buenos Aires Info, News & General Comments

• The Greek in Argentina penned an interesting blog post to help with understanding Buenos Aires women, with a nod to Christina Kirchner who may well be the next president of Argentina, following on from her husband Nestor, just as Isabel Peron did when she became the first female head of state in the western hemisphere back in 1974, after the death of her husband Juan (he of the rather famous earlier wife, Evita). Nestor, if you’re thinking what I am, I hope for your sake that lightning doesn’t strike twice!
• In other news, last week it rained like crazy, and Diva explains how this brings out the worst in some Buenos Aires residents

Buenos Aires Restaurants, Food & Drink

• Saltshaker is more than making up for lost time after his time apart from the Buenos Aires restaurant scene, this week giving his expert review treatment to Sette Bacco, a good, romantic, upscale Italian restaurant in Recoleta, Chan Chan, a decent Peruvian restaurant in Congreso, and finally the Recoleta outlet of Romario, a pretty good Pizza chain which has a few restaurants around Buenos Aires
• I also got in on the Pizza reviewing act (again!), this time with my thoughts on the fantastic pizza a la parrilla (a thin crust pizza cooked over a grill) on offer at Morelia in Palermo Hollywood
• Often mentioned as one of the best places to eat steak in the whole world, Cabaña Las Lilas also happens to be one of the most expensive places to eat steak in Buenos Aires, and therefore way outside of my meager review budget. Luckily, for you the inquiring reader, somebody over at Argentina’s Travel Blog had the cash to flash at this fancy Puerto Madero Steakhouse. And yes, I’m jealous!
• There are of course, many cheaper food options available in Buenos Aires. And as Ken kindly points out, almost everywhere delivers here
• Back to Saltshaker again – Dan has put together a useful Spanish to English food dictionary in eBook format, at a bargain price of US$10, which is bound to come in useful for visitors to Buenos Aires trying to get their heads round the menus here for the first time

Funny or Odd Stuff in Buenos Aires

• When it comes to driving, porteños are downright weird, fast and crazy. Ken has some words on the subject, in his paean to porteños behind the wheel. Just make sure you are careful crossing the road when in Buenos Aires, folks!
• And Ken has also vowed to take his camera with him wherever he goes in Buenos Aires from now, because you never know when something crazy is going to happen here, like a sidewalk collapsing and almost swallowing up a news-stand. Just another day in Buenos Aires!

That’s your lot for this week. Some great posts there to keep you reading for a while. I’m going for a lie down… well-earned I think!

A dear hello to all Buenos Aires blog readers. You are my friends, bless your little cotton socks. But recently I have not been writing you very much, and for this I beg your forgiveness… please give me one more chance! I’ve been a bit snowed under in work and life for a while, but I’m hoping things will change soon, and then normal service will be resumed. Only better. And with added vitamins and minerals. Promise.
But for now, I’m afraid you’re going to have to make do with this weeks’ compact, efficient Buenos Aires blog roundup: express edition:

Buenos Aires Blog Posts of the Week

• Argentina’s travel blog is doing my job for me with a couple of excellent reviews of tourist attractions in Buenos Aires: Cafe Tortoni, the cafe in a city of cafes, and also of the Barrio Chino area of Belgrano
• Karine posted up some pictures and info on Galerias Pacifico, the lovely old shopping mall on Florida street in the Microcentro
• After a successful pilot event, Diva says she will be organizing a full-scale international bloggers meeting in Buenos Aires in a few months time. Thanks for the invite Diva!
• Ken had some time off his spanish lessons and took the opportunity to visit Buenos Aires Zoo in Palermo
• Goodairs notes the opening of yet another restaurant de puertas cerradas in Buenos Aires. Soon, you will be able to knock on any door in the city and have a decent chance of finding a restaurant behind it. However, if you knock on mine, you’ll have to make do with fideos con salsa filete

Short and sweet this week. I just have so little time right now that I think I might have to stop writing now, even if it is in the middle of

This roundup post is late, as usual, so no messing around this week folks… let’s just get straight into the Buenos Aires, Argentina linky goodness from last week…

Buenos Aires Argentina Blog Posts of the Week

• Matt Bites, who appears to be thoroughly enjoying a holiday in Buenos Aires and the general Rio de la Plata area, penned a mouthwatering review of the La Cabrera parrilla in Palermo Viejo, one of the best places to eat meat in BA. Although… drinking Torrontes instead of Malbec wine as an accompaniment to steak… don’t they kill for such crimes against Argentine sensibilities round these parts?
• Matt Chesterton, editor of the Time Out guides to Buenos Aires, has been writing a fantastic series about hotels in Buenos Aires… my runaway favorite has to be his post on classic hotels in BA, mainly for his wedding night anecdote from the Hotel Castelar.. seriously, a must read!
• I couldn’t find a third Matthew to make this a ‘Mattrick’ of top blog posts (were there any other Matts writing about BA this week?)… so we’ll have to make do with the closest I could find…a Marc. He recently announced on Asado Argentina that he has launched a new photo blog of southern Argentina. OK, so it’s not Buenos Aires… but from time to time we city dwellers need to be reminded that real life does exist outside of the metropolis, and his first few pictures provide some beautiful examples of that fact

Things to See and Do in Buenos Aires

• The Argentina Travel blog had some more great tips and reviews this week for things to see and do in Buenos Aires, including the slightly totally crazy Parque Tierra Santa, a Christian theme park that sees an 18 meter Jesus Christ (!) resurrected every half hour. They also have the lowdown on the equally aesthetically pleasing Flor de Metal sculpture and El Ateneo bookshop, both to be found in the barrio of Recoleta
• More lovely pictures from Karine this week, featuring the Palacio de Tribunales building, a pretty San Telmo antiques shop, the Falklands war memorial monument in Plaza San Martin, and some Palacio Barolo facts and pictures, one of my favorite buildings in Buenos Aires, on one of my favorite streets, Avenida de Mayo
• A new entrant to the now splitting-at-the-seams Buenos Aires blogosphere is Discovering BA. Their first few posts include one with a nice picture and comment on another of my favorite buildings here, the French Embassy, jutting out there down at the end of 9 de Julio. One thing though… their blog has me down as ‘A Blog about BA Blogs‘ in their link list… a sign that maybe I should be cutting down on these roundups and ramping up on my own posts, maybe?
• Robert keeps us bang up to date on the renovations and new shade of pink being given to the Casa Rosada (Pink House), the presidential HQ of Argentina based in Plaza de Mayo. Looks like things are coming along really nicely!

Buenos Aires Info, News and General Comments

• Diva has been ranting and raving a lot lately – but it is all very entertaining so I hope she keeps it up, even if it does no good for her blood pressure. This week, she reveals the secret language of Argentine girls, questions why portenos are so proud of themselves, defines the intriguing Argentine phenomenon known as El Chanta (watch out for even more ranting and raving from anonymous commenters!), and analyzes a range of porteno men in their twenties. Hard-hitting stuff, keep it up Diva!

Buenos Aires Restaurants, Food & Drink

• In between rants Diva also found time to review one of her favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires, an Armenian restaurant in Palermo Soho called Sarkis, which was also reviewed a long while back by Saltshaker – both of these recommendations means that this place is easily number 1 on my restaurants to visit list right now – I’m hungry just thinking about it!
• After our recent trip to the Buller Pub in Recoleta, Ken wrote down our ‘imaginative’ joint tasting notes on the six Buller beers, and I soon followed suit with my own review of the Buller’s Recoleta BrewPub, which kicks off what will surely be a very enjoyable (for me) series of postings on where to find the best beer in Buenos Aires
• Robert is trudging through a similar quest to my beer holy grail, that of finding the best wines available in the shops of Buenos Aires. Oh the hardships we go through in the name of good blogging! You can read his latest finds in Divino Vino 9 – this week all from a Patagonian winery called Bodega NQN
• Slightly less appealing, but still very much a feature of Buenos Aires cuisine, is the honest, humble Super Pancho. Ken gets into the local spirit and tries out this most inexpensive of Argentine snacks

Funny or Odd Stuff in Buenos Aires

• A very strange story to end with this week. Ian from Goodairs reports that La Doce (The Twelth Man), the hardcore supporters of Boca Juniors football team, are exporting their special brand of hooliganism to the rest of the world for profit. Today Columbia and Mexico are taking advantage, but who knows, soon Rochdale vs Accrington Stanley in English League Division two will be seeing chants of “you can stick your flatcap up your ar*e”, before mass riots ensue, whippets and pint tankards flying in all directions.

Sorry about the lame/irrelevant Northern England football jokes at the end there, I just get carried away sometimes! See you all next week for another Buenos Aires blog roundup!

Sorry I’m late with the Buenos Aires blog roundup this week guys… I have been busy as usual, and at the weekend wrote what would have been one of my best blog posts of all time (seriously!), only for my PC to crash just before I clicked publish, losing the whole thing! I was so annoyed that I couldn’t bring myself to try posting something again until now… that will learn me for not updating to the new version of Wordpress (my blogging software), which apparently has an auto-save feature. Silly me.

Anyway, onto the blog roundup, which this week inaugurates a new feature… a section for my most favorite posts of the week!

Buenos Aires Blog Posts of the Week

• I just loved Ken’s description of the dog walkers in Buenos Aires and the accompanying picture, though not quite as much as I love to see the dog walkers with their huge packs of mutts each morning as I walk to catch the bus to work
• I always like a good post about the prevalence of mullets in Buenos Aires. And Isabelle Lagarde’s blog entry in this field certainly doesn’t disappoint
• OK, so Buenos Aires isn’t Paris. But it does have some lovely Parisian-esque domes, which came into Robert’s ‘Line of Sight’ this week. I hope he didn’t get a crick in his neck…

Things to See and Do in Buenos Aires

• My favorite pictures from Karine this week were of colorful Caminito with La Boca’s symbolic old transporter bridge hiding away in the back, an amazing traffic jam on Av. 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world, a shot of the idyllic Palermo parks, and a nice collection of riverside Puerto Madero pictures, from the newest, and most expensive, barrio in Buenos Aires
• Being a lazy so and so, it certainly isn’t on my list of things to do in Buenos Aires, but the Argentina Travel blog wrote a post on where to run in Buenos Aires, for those who are that way inclined. Suitably, in this sweltering weather, the post was soon followed by advice on how to escape the Buenos Aires heat. At this time of year, I would certainly recommend the latter over the former
• Riding the bus in Buenos Aires, when it’s not too busy, is something I usually enjoy doing. Jeff evidently thinks so too, at least enough to start a blog post series called “On the Bus in Buenos Aires“
• Tango Cherie has a tip for those thinking of taking Tango classes in Buenos Aires: remember that you get what you pay for with Tango classes, as in most of life
• Ken has a nice post on the pedestrian shopping street Florida, where you can buy tacky Buenos Aires fridge magnets to your heart’s content

Buenos Aires Info, News and General Comments

• Karine notes that an International Living survey and article has rated Argentina in the top ten countries of the world to live in. Yet more good press for Argentina!
• Deby from Tango Spam provides some interesting food for thought for those thinking about coming to BA for good with her three post series entitled “Why do you want to live here?” Here is Part 2 and Part 3
• Apparently, Palermo Viejo is up there with the likes of Milan for fashion these days
• Diva gets a link to her blog from the official city of Buenos Aires government blog. I make my plea to them now: please link to me too! I would do a little dance…
• There is a new Buenos Aires blogger in town, with a great/lame (delete as appropriate) name to boot: Disco Shawn. He thinks that Buenos Aires is getting a little too over hyped, and I agree to an extent, though personally I always like to see BA getting good press, even if it is not giving a 100% true picture of the city

Buenos Aires Restaurants, Food and Drink

• The Argentina Travel Blog has two good restaurant reviews this week, of Business – Sushi Libre, a pretty good all you can eat Sushi establishment in Recoleta, and Manos Costumbristas, a place for simple Tucuman province food near the Microcentro, which sounds quite interesting in that they only have two things on the menu – empanadas and tamales, and apparently they have proper hot sauce too – a valuable commodity for expats in Buenos Aires
• Fernet Branca. Try it when you’re in Buenos Aires, if you dare. And yes, that’s me in the comments section saying that Fernet ‘tastes of Catholicism’. It does!

Funny or Odd Things in Buenos Aires

• ArJewTino has some fun putting last week’s Clarin story about Buenos Aires bloggers through the misfiring Babel Fish online translator. Although now he has me wondering too… maybe Ian of Goodairs really does talk like that?
• Diva writes in her usual irreverent style about the tourist dress code in Buenos Aires
• This strikes me as quite odd, but interesting all the same: the Buenos Aires Subte is holding a love letter contest, as noted by Maya of the Sexy Spanish Club.

Thanks again to my readers for reading and the other Buenos Aires bloggers for their continued hard blogging – without you, I would be nothing. Or at least this blog roundup post would be.