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| Buenos Aires almost feels like Vancouver at present. Storm System 'Berta' covers most of the central Argentinean Provinces, and plasters them with rain, hail and floods. Buenos Aires had no major flooding (a thing to behold when it happens) but TV coverage and doomsday predictions turned the Vancouver style rainfall into a pretty convincing threat. Traffic slowed to even more than its usual morning crawl. Today was the day to line up at Teatro Colon for free tickets to a concert of Violoncellos Argentinos. Pick up time 48 hours before the performance, and interest is intense. |
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| I braved the pouring rain, jumped a few curb side rivers and took a bus to Teatro Colon, normally a journey of about 20 minutes. This morning, it took almost one and a half hours. But - due to the inclement weather, Portenos were not out in droves to get coveted access to Teatro Colon - and I could secure tickets for a Sunday Matinee. Lovely - the Teatro Colon has an interior as lavish as Versailles. |
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| A full day ahead, a visit to my 'shoemaker' in his workshop was next. The shoe selling season must be starting to heat up, as his helpers were cutting leather, attaching heels, and sewing various leather types into colourful uppers. A new supply of goat leather had arrived, finished in seductive arrays of colours and finishes, and soft as can be. How can one resist.... |
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| A whole array of various sizes and models are being crafted to be sold at a Buenos Aires Tango Shoe Store. |
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| Professional and amateur tango dancers alike, all love and recognize the outstanding quality of this particular shoe maker, who not only hand crafts shoes to stock but incredible creations to order: size, heel height, leather combination, design variations - all to satisfy the vanities of tango dancers, for whom footwear is the most important article of clothing there is....everyone looks at everyone else's feet |
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| Creating these little jewels, Cinderella would have loved, is a labour of love, dedication, skill and patience. Made to order shoes are semi finished, tested, tried and tried again, until they fit like a glove and feel as comfortable as slippers that have been worn for years. Skilled artisans work tirelessly behind the scenes, proud of their product, and sensitive to every bunion, hammer toe and flat feet their customers present. |
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| What can I say...made just for me... |
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| Lovely detail, and not a single pinch point....I can dance in these fresh of the shoe bench, and feel as if I am dancing on clouds |
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| A tiny, but elegant heel, gives even flat heel aficionados - like me - a feeling of grace |
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| And why not go a little crazy with a some out of the ordinary colour combination - all soft goat leather that caresses sensitive feet |
Of course, after looking at all these shoes, and buying some, what else but a visit to an afternoon milonga. Confiteria Ideal was in full swing, and a few hours of tangoing proved the value of being shod in a pair of comfortable and attractive pumps.
