Buenas Aires on our own, Part II

Seeking art we went to C C Kirchner Cultural Center.  This large facility was owned by a couple who each served as President of Buenos Aires.  We found two installations,

Familia by Roman Vitali

and Esfera Azul (blue) by Julio Le Parc.

 The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral is the burial site for General Jose de San Martin, the liberator of Argentina, Peru and Chile.

The previous day we discovered a Jewish Museum but could not enter because they require passports and photo ID.  With the right documents in hand we returned.  Sinagoga Libertad began with a chance meeting of two Jewish men praying in the Recoleta.  They sought to find eight more for a minyan and then formed a congregation.  Today there are about 180,000 Jews in Argentina, the largest Jewish population in Latin America. Sinagoga Libertad serves both Conservative and Reform members. Originally built in 1897 in the Moroccan style, it was expanded in 1923.

The synagogue houses the Museum of Judaica of Buenos Aires.  This antique typewriter has Hebrew keys,

The collection includes a menorah made from shell casings,

a Sephardic torah cover

Seder plates,

an 1827 Megilla,

 a 1782 Siddur,

 and a Rabbi’s robe from 1935.

A temporary exhibit by Marcelo Toledo is a beautiful but painful memorial to the too many terrorist attacks against but not limited to Jews throughout the world.

The AMIA (Association Mutual Israelita Argentina) bombing in Buenos Aires,

the Twin Towers,

 the synagogue in Pittsburgh,

 

 and other terrorist acts against non Jews like the Manchaster bombing in England.

Some comic relief in the synagogue.  These stalls were a first for us.  Not sure to laugh or be offended.

We ended our stay in BA by following the advice of one of our excellent tours guides.  She told us to go to El Sanjuanino for empanadas.  We could not resist wine served by a penguin.

A couple of empanadas and a shared salad barely left us room for that last taste of ice cream from Freddos.

We finally head for home thus ending this trip.

We look forward to picking up our travels next month in New York.  Hope you enjoyed this experience with us.

On Our Own in Buenos Aires, Part I

Buenos Aires is a great walking city and our hotel was within walking distance of many of the sites to see.  What is difficult is the lack of street names on each corner.  You have to search for them as you walk along.  Also watch carefully as you cross the street because signal lights can be suggestions, not rules.

Those of you familiar with Portland, OR will understand our first destination.  While Powell Books in Oregon brims over with everything you ever wanted to read, El Ateneo Grand Splendid is the grandest setting for books.  This 100-year-old former theater is rated as the most beautiful bookstore in the world. 

 We enjoyed wandering around looking up at the ceiling,

 wishing we could hear a concert in the small theater,

and purchasing a book by Peruvian Nobel winner Mario Vargas Llosa.

The Teatora Colon, completed in 1908, is a grand opera house.  We had to wait for the next tour, so we shared a luscious lunch of a salmon (lox) sandwich and a piece of chocolate cake big enough for a foursome.

Named for Christopher Columbus the Colon Opera House is a small town. 

Three floors below are workshops for costumes and sets and seven floors for the public. These areas are opulent as this was a place to be seen. 

The designs changed during construction so the building is an eclectic mix of European styles.

An upper chamber is decorated with busts of the greatest composers.  As a test, our wonderful guide sang the opening stanzas of the music and we were to name the composer.

The ceiling and frescoes are of French design.

The elite of the city could gather in the Golden Hall with its burnished bronze chandeliers reflecting to infinity.

The Great Hall has seven audience levels ranging from expensive with opulent decor, intermediate with earthy decor ($250 per seat), and “cheap.”   The box seats are for the ultra elite, leading authorities and top political officials.

Below the boxes and behind our guide are sections with black screens.  These are for women, widowed up to three years, because they could not be seen in public.  Not so for widowers.  Rumors say “things” happened in those dark boxes.

The hall’s shape, fabrics, gratings on the floor and the hard surfaces provide excellent acoustics. 

After one performance, Pavarotti was angry.  It seems the outstanding acoustics made it possible to hear his errors.

Buenos Aires

Continuing on our guided tour, we learned more history.  We drove along the Ninth of July Boulevard, a tribute to Argentinian independence in 1816.  The avenue claims to be the widest in the would, with seven lanes each way and two parallel streets on each side.

Late in the 19th century, Buenos Aires thrived.  Immigrants, primarily from Spain, Italy and France, built mansions.  To show their wealth they based their construction on European architecture.  These beautiful homes are now hotels and businesses.  A few have been turned into Embassies.

Casa Rosado or the Pink Building is the President’s Palace. but not the residence.  One legend says the pink color comes from a mix of clay and cattle blood.

This replica Formula One car is in honor of Lionel Messi.  He won five Formula One championships. There are many stories about him including his being kidnapped in 1957 by Castro while racing in Cuba.  Sadly, the statue suffers from repeated vandalism.

Renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calarava created the Puente de la Mujer.  We thought it looked like the Sundial Bridge in Redding.

This flower by a local artist opens and closes during the day and evening.  Unfortunately we were unable to see it closed.

One of the most popular sites around the city are dog walkers. The law says they can only walk eight dogs, but, obviously, the law in not enforced.  These dogs are well trained as they ignore people and other dogs on their route.  Dog walking became a popular profession in wealthy neighborhoods in the 2001 financial crisis.

Buenas Aries day two

We had two days of touring the city and learning a basic course in Argentinian history.  In the late 19th century, when the country was booming, the elite turned back to their European origins building lavish homes in the colonial style.  Many are now embassies.

Our guide Romini was one of the best of the the excellent guides that we have had.  Her comfort in vernacular English made conversation a delight.

There are more than 16 million people in the greater Buenas Aries.   That is about 1/3 of the total population of Argentina.  The country was founded in 1580 and got its liberation in 1850.

These street markings of scarves on "Women’s of May Square" commemorate the protest by women who lost their children in the “Dirty War" of 1976-1983.

Of the 30,000 who “disappeared”, some were pregnant women who had their children taken from them and adopted by the ruling authorities.  Many of these women still march and have found their now adult children, one of whom is currently in the congress.

This protest by taxi drivers was more a chance to hear music than a political demonstration.

La Boca is famous for its painted houses.  At the entrance are a group of the many lifelike figures that are scattered throughout the town.  These three are Diego Mareno, football (soccer) player, Evita Peron, wife of Juan Peron, and, Carlo Gavazzi, tango singer.

Historically this was a very poor neighborhood along the river.  The houses are made of corrugated metal and wood.  They have been painted bright colors and a couple of blocks are a tourist attraction.   

 Pope Francis, an Argentinian, looks down upon his people in La Boca.

We ended our day at an  evening classical tango venue.  First was a chance to enjoy the famed steak, which was good but not amazing.  What was amazing were the performers.  The band was excellent.  The dancers amazing, such emotion, facial expression, foot work and total body movement.  It was almost exhausting to watch.

Our guide talked to one of the entertainers.