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| Avenida de Mayo - closed for the duration. 'Argentinos salen a las calles para celebrar su Gran Milonga Nacional' Argentinos hit the streets to celebrate their Grand Milonga National And they know how....every bar/resto/kiosko brings out the furniture and places it on the pavement, in addition to the many plastic chairs the City of Buenos Aires provides for the celebrants. A Celebration of Tango lasting from 8 p.m. until the next morning at 3 a.m. |
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| Three stages are erected along the five blocks of this Segment of the Avenida de Mayo, with Casa Rosada illuminated in pink at one end and the venerable Avenida de 9 Julio at the other. One stage concentrates on live performances of tango greats which does not prevent the onlookers to dance wherever they find themselves |
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| Furthest away is the area of the milonga (dance) proper. Live orchestras succeed each other, interspersed with well known Stage Tango performances of Champion Dancers and famous and iconic Tango soloists. A large space is reserved and cordoned off for the serious dancers, who want to use the stage instead of the pavement for their dancing |
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| Dancing all along the avenue.... |
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| For a better view, two ladies place their plastic garden chairs right in the middle of the street |
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| At Boedo Tango at the milonga 'Sueno Porteno' a birthday celebration. 89 years old, still elegant, still beautiful, and still dancing with style and stamina, a milonguera is moved to tears by the manifestations of love by all of her old and young tango friends when presented with her birthday cake |
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| Charming and lively, 89 years did not prevent her from dancing from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. |
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| In good milonga tradition, the men lined up to dance part of a tango with her |
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| Back at Avenida de Mayo...time for me to head home. One block away from the avenue, the whole city centre is stone dead - not a bus, taxi, nary a person in sight. Scary... It took another hike toward the Avenida 9th Julio, where traffic never stops to catch a taxi. Back in Palermo, where I live, things just started to liven up...1 a.m. and every restaurant is packed and tables overflow with people occupying the side walk tables and chairs. Even if I would be interested, there would not be a free spot anywhere to be found, the whole area swarms with people enjoying a Saturday night out. |
