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| There is Life apart from Tango. Here is Plaza Italia, my bus and subway stop for 'home' with its Jacaranda trees not only in bloom but adorned with pink ribbons, an agreeable sight surrounded by interminable traffic and noise |
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| Plaza Congreso, when the protesters give it a day of rest |
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| Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, the most over the top water treatment plant and offices ever. The architecture cannot be labelled with any particular style. The building occupies a whole block, houses not only offices and control rooms, but one of the most funky museums: a museum of sanitary installations - i.e. toilets. I have yet to see it, however, as Argentina's 'banos' are quite often an astonishing experience, this museum should be worth its admission price. Being spring, the jacaranda trees skirt the building with a curtain of blossoms |
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| It's official...and built about a hundred years ago |
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| No Smart Meters here... |
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| The elaborate tower above Palacio de Aguas Corrientes |
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| Apartment building in my 'barrio' Palermo |
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| Botanical Gardens cat. A lot of these feral felines are being 'adopted' the rest are being fed by caring neighbours and maintain a pretty healthy state. |
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| One wanders around Buenos Aires centre and runs into various 'historic' sites, this one - location for a number of weekly milongas - is dedicated to Anibal Troilo, one of the classic tango composers, who penned many of his well known tangos in this very place. |
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| And if one walks around Esquina Gardel, where the greatest tango singer ever spent part of his short life, one may run into this pooch, who guards a second hand store from his doggie bed on the side walk. Somewhat looking like a senior citizen, as he eyed passers-by with half blind eyes, and moving his upper body from side to side to enjoy as much of the tempting odors around him as his debilitated state allowed. |
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| The great Plaza Italia round about - during a red light stop |
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| Second Hand Book Fiesta...a permanent line up of small side walk stores filled with reading material, and all decorated with a mural of some well known author. Jose Saramago's quote on this mural: They say, that curiosity killed the cat. But they don't say if that what it discovered was worth the trouble. |
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| The Other Bookstore, El Ateneo, a historic theatre, which now houses instead of applauding audiences, thousands of books.... |
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| Rush hour traffic on Borges Street in Palermo... |
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| Of course, there is tango, dozens of milongas to choose from...so the afternoons are spent gliding through tandas (sets of 3-4 tangos before changing partners or 'sitting out') to the music of tango, valse and milonga. Even the odd chacarera or salsa is thrown in to lighten up the otherwise elegant dance. Here and afternoon at El Arranque, comparatively casual when thinking of the later sessions... |
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| Rietto, a small boutique hotel and restaurant with a wall mural depicting historic events and personages of Buenos Aires - downstairs and across the street where I live in Palermo |
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| Club Gricel, one of the oldest tango venues, here with a 'final' photo of a tango class group on the final day of classes |
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| And one has to resist buying more of these crazy tango shoes.... |
