One takes the Subway again to visit Lolo Gerard in Abasto, where a pair of made-to -measure tango shoes is ready for the first - and probably only - fitting.
Whenever one emerges from underground, there are more intricate building facades to admire
Cathedral SubTe (Subway) entrance on Flores Street, one of the major pedestrian streets in the Micro Centre of Buenos Aires.
Street musicians performing at the corner of the (ever present) General Juan D. Peron Street.
And a subway connection (all for the same price of a princely 32 cents Canadian) to Abasto. The Grafiti says:
Here is the birthplace of Tango....
The second guy says:
Or maybe here....
Well, it does not appear to have been here anyway.
But maybe here, inside the service station with filete adorned store front, which happens to be located right next to the Museum of Carlos Gardel, the Tango God.
And another potential birthplace with more filete painting.
But this is the official word: Casa Garlos Gardel...
Just beside it, a second-hand store. The neighbourhood is definiitely not upper middle class, more like the REAL Buenos Aires for probably most of it's 13 Million citizens.
Even a display horse in a souvenir/goucho/leather-wear store is covered with filete painting.
Well, that's one of them...Which woman worth her salt would not get tempted to wear something like that? Especially if they are soft, fit like gloves and look absolutely georgeous.
The shoe store keeper, like everyone else in this neighbourhood and many others, keeps the store door locked for protection. If she does not like the looks of a potential customer (shady appearance maybe) she won't open up.
As the shoemaker was on Argentinian time, and arrived an hour late carrying my shoes for the fitting, she and I discussed the problems Argentina faces - in between serving her customers.
No semblance of democracy, she said, upcoming elections a joke, too many poor people in the city and no one to care for them. Argentinians are too individualistic and self-absorbed to unite behind a common goal. Young people divorce just because they can. Too much stealing anywhere.....we are going to finish this train of thought at the final fitting.
The fitting: upper leathers all finished and stitched to some kind of sole. But, the inner sole lining and the actual leather sole are not yet attached. I slipped into the smallest shoes I ever head, gave out a long AAHHHHH, suggested a tiny adjustment, and that was it. Kid leather is the material, ergo it stretches and adjusts even better the more one wears the shoes.
Ready next week.
It is unlikely to purchase anything like this at home for the price I pay here. I may be tempted to aquire another one of these little slippers...
It's Carneval time, street performers are out in force. Buenos Aires has a long weekend (Monday and Shrove Tuesday) for the occasion, albeit Carneval is not such a rumbunctious affair as it is in Brazil.
Back to work on Ash Wednesday - which does not mean life stops, actually it really turns up the excitement level of the already vibrant street life. But, many of the stores remain closed.
