Sunday, the Subte is almost empty and one can actually find a seat for the duration of the journey from Plaza Italia to Plaza de Mayo Exit Peru Station.
Peru Stn. is restored to almost its original version, with antique ticket selling kiosks as well as early Nineteenhundred-something light fixtures. The turnstiles are computerized, though, to accept automatic tickets and the handy 'monedero', prepaid Subte Ticket.
The old wooden carriages of A-Line, travelling back int time
Plaza de Mayo, where Calle Defensa starts to lead straight to Plaza Dorrego in St. Telmo, a distance of about a mile. Defensa is converted into one long 'feria' open air market on Sunday. The cobble stone covered street is filled end to end with street vendors, who ply their trade in other parts of the city during the week. Progress along the street is VERY slow, crowds are thick and meander from stall to stall, or cafe to cafe, or street performer to street performer.
30 degrees centigrade - in the shade. And - just in case one forgets - Argentinian flags proclaim fierce patriotism at every opportunity.
Pretty 'bread' filete above a bakery.
Leather shoes and Argentinian wild life offered for sale.
Filete on a house wall, bottom left part covers up the electrical meter box.
Family snapshot beside a modern sculpture, outside one of the many antique stores and adt galleries lining Calle Defensa.
A quick refreshing cafecito in one of the historic cafes, unchanged since a hundred years.
A moment in the shade in a quieter side street
A few churches hold Sunday Mass
and if dedicated to a dead general, give a few military guardsmen their day in the sun.
Silver Artisans from 'the campo' exhibits their craft
All parts of the famous Arentinian Beef are put to good use.
Well, whatever turns you on to a good cuppa Mate.
Lunch at the histori Cafe de Puerto Rico, which puts on a free tango show during Sunday lunch (starting at 2 pm). I ordered an individual sized pizza and a vino tinto - all for about $ 14 Can, and listened to some good music, tango singing, and watched quite an impressive display of show tango for about two hours. Tango Dancers were Paula y Orlando, who also teach in various venues during their non-show days.
Orlando in 'mid-step'
and Paula 'in suspense'
and the cafe owner 'watching the customers'
Outside - a camera crew has started to film 'takes' of a crowd of extras, who are faking to watch a celestial spectacle.
Up there - nothing is happening, except some character maneuvring a large artificial shade.
And, beside the camera man, the scent of fresh sugar coated rosted nuts fills the air.
Back at Plaza Mayo, veterans who camp here since their defeat in the Falkland War (Guerra de Malvinas - please!) protest the fact, that they still do not receive a veterans pension.
Prohibido de Olvidar - Lest we forget!
Governmental buildings stand immune and silent to prostestors clamouring for attention.
Peru Station...still empty late in the afternoon for the trip back home.
In another part of the city, during a soccer game when the home team did not perform to the fan's expectations, violence broke out. A frightening thing to see, when tens of thousands of hot blooded, half undressed mindless Argentinian soccer fans start crushing retaining fences between them and the players on the field. Police in riot gear, firefighters with water hoses directed into the crazed crowd, and fans throwing themselves into chain link fences to dislocated them - and being half successful. Soccer players fleeing the field through a quick underground exit (provided for just such uncontrolled situations). Referees looking concerned.
The racket carries over to the streets outside the stadium - result: one 36 year old fan killed.
According to the local News - victim number 250 in the history of soccer for the last 30 years. Widow blames police, police has seven injured in hospital. Cause of death of dead fan unknown.
The game resumed within seven minutes of the start of the disturbance - after all soccer overrides almost everything else in importance in Argentina.
