Buenos Aires through the eyes of Bob
The blogsphere is a wonderful world, what is even more wonderful is the DP community 
I got to learn yesterday that Strangetastes from St. Louis Missouri Daily Photo Blog came a couple of times in Argentina. Him and his wife have lots to say about this country and they absolutely love it. Through some emails exchanges, Bob sent me a couple of pictures he took while in Buenos Aires. And today I have the privilege to post one of them. As Bob told me, those Bandoneons players are part of the group called Orquesta Tipica Fernandez Fierro. And guess what Bob, as I’m writing those lines, they’re performing in a club 2nite not too far from my work!! I’ll make sure to catch their next show. Thanks Bob for this first great picture.
Summer’s still here?
The summer does not seem to be willing to go away and as I write those lines, it is 27 degres (80.6 Fahrenheit). It was not expected but it is not surprising as well according to the meteorologists. I wanted to share with you this interesting picture I found online via La Nacion (Argentinian’s newspaper) which shows, year after year, changes in the weather.
Storm in the city
It stroke at about 6.30 pm yesterday night. In less than an hour, the city got 50 millimeters of water. Personally, I’ve never seen anything like that in Buenos Aires. I had just arrived at a bar close to my office when it started, and we stayed there with friends until the storm calmed down a little. I let you imagine the total chaos in and outside of the city. I’ll be posting later today other pictures in my BA weekly blog, if you’re interested. Thanks god, the sun’s back today!
Inside the subway
I took this picture inside the subway [castellano= subte] line B that run from Leandro N. Alem to Los Incas. The car stock was renovated in the 1990s by acquiring Japanese units, which offer less sitting room than the previous setup, thus enabling more standing-up room for commuters in the peak hours. The Line B trains look more modern than the rest of the lines of the Buenos Aires Subway Network. If you remember this posting about the line A, you’ll see the difference with the oldest subway line in the city.
Belgrano R, continued
This is another quiet shot from the Belgrano R neighborhood. Not too far from where I took yesterday’s shot, did I take the following picture. We’re right at the border of the barrio Colegiales. I wish you all a good Monday and a great week.
Happy Sunday
I took this picture in the barrio of Belgrano. Belgrano, as I already showed you here and here, is a leafy, northern neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is an upper-middle class neighborhood that can be divided into subsections. In this picture, we’re in Belgrano R, characterized by calm streets lined with large, mature shade trees. More pictures of this neighborhood here.
Walking on Santa Fe
Going for shopping on week ends on the Avenida Santa Fe and you’ll be facing an overflow of people that is proper to this avenue. Nonetheless it is a good spot for pictures taking and people watching. I love it
Time flies
I took this picture inside a gallery, which name I forgot, since I took it 2 years ago or so. Today’s Friday! So Happy week-end to you all 
Maradona in the news
Argentinians venerate their national idol Maradona. Every single move, action that the Argentinian former football player makes is followed by the entire nation. Yesterday, Maradona left a private clinic after successfully completing a two-week hospitalization for acute hepatitis brought on by alcohol abuse. That picture of Maradona must be from a few weeks ago. He’s now 47, led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship and won, went on to become one of soccer’s greatest players, led Argentina to the 1990 World Cup final, lost vs. Italy, in 1991, he failed a drug test and was banned for 15 months, and failed another drug test at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He retired in 1997. To read more about Diego Maradona, check out this article.
A bit crowded?
I took this picture in what’s called the micro-centro of Buenos Aires. As you can see it is jammed, both with cars and pedestrians. If I don’t have to be in the crowd, I like watching. To see a flow of humans and cars passing by in front of you is an experience. Now if I have to be inside the crowd, this is a whole different story, and I usually don’t like it ;–)
Teatro Nacional Cervantes
Argentina’s National Theater. Located at the intersection of the street Libertad and the Avenida Cordova, in the center of the city, the Cervantes Theater has been declared National Historical-Artistic Monument since October 1995. It has a remarkable Spanish architecture and hosts varied performances.
Evening at Harrods
Harrods-Buenos Aires, I think closed in the early 1990s. Yesterday night, I spent the evening there listening to Yann Tiersen performing for free in front of a big audience. Yann Tiersen is a French musician and composer, relatively unknown outside France until the release of his score for Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain in 2001. Those free concerts are happening parallel to the 9th International Independent Movie Festival. Great initiative!
Parque Lezama
At the southern end of San Telmo is Parque Lezama, for many historians the location of the initial settlement of Buenos Aires. Inside the park, you’ll find a gratuitous National Museum of History [where Argentina's turbulent history is reviewed, from the 16th century to the present], the old residence of the family Lezama, a mirador, an amphitheater. To read the full story, click here.
Walking on Corrientes Avenue
Avenida Corrientes is one of the principal thoroughfares of Buenos Aires. The street is intimately tied to the tango and the porteño sense of identity. Like the parallel avenues Santa Fe, Córdoba, it takes its name from one of the Provinces of Argentina. This avenue used to be the centre of Porteño nightlife and retains the initial bohemia immortalized in popular lore. In the 1930s it was widened and numerous cinemas, theatres, and restaurants quickly lined its sidewalks. Antique, rare and used bookstores are clustered here as well, interspersed with the traditional Porteño cafes.
Mariott Hotel in Retiro
We are in the barrio of Retiro near Plaza San Martin. To take this picture, I was standing not too far from the pedestrian street Florida. What you’re seeing on the right is the facade of the Marriott Plaza Hotel. The founder Ernesto Torquinst commissioned German Architect Alfred Zucker, well-known for his work on St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to build the Plaza hotel. Inaugurated in 1909, Buenos Aires’ first great hotel has hosted royalty and dignitaries for over 9 decades. Check another picture of the hotel here.
Public toilet
Toilet pictograms can be a very interesting things in various countries, here’s one I took in front of a men’s bathroom [in Castellano "Caballeros"]. And of course, representing the eternal Tango from Argentina.
Street vendors on the big avenue
Street vendors fill the street of Buenos Aires. Maybe not as many vendors as one can find in some Asian cities (never went there myself, so I may be wrong), the street vendors in Buenos Aires are always a eye-catching scene. Personally, every time I pass by a vendor selling roasted peanuts, I fill my nostrils of that delicious smell. I was wondering what Tutuca (in the picture) meant, I learnt this was simply pop corn. At first, I was not sure what were Mani Japones, and then it all made sense when I saw this site. I took this picture across the Obelisk on the Avenida 9 de Julio.
Subte entrance
I leave you all with this view of the subway [subte in Castellano] entrance by the Avenida Roque Saenz Pena and Corrientes, near the Obelisk. If you like crowd, go there on week days and week ends, and you’ll see the bustling energy of the city.
Over the roofs
Approximately three million people live in the City of Buenos Aires. The City is divided into 48 districts or barrios. Together with its metropolitan area or Greater Buenos Aires (Gran Buenos Aires) this is one of the ten most populated urban centers in the world with over 10 million people. Most of the country’s activity is highly concentrated in this single city and its surroundings.
La Avenida Santa Fe
The Avenida Santa Fe is one of the main avenues of Buenos Aires, considered as one of the main shopping centers and stroll of the city. It is the site of hundreds of shops which mainly sell gifts and clothes, but many other stores can be found there. Also, a number of cafes and restaurants can be found. Its name, like the parallel streets of Cordoba, Corrientes and San Juan, commemorates the Argentine province of Santa Fe. For 2 more pictures, click here.
Festival in the south of Argentina
The I Bienal del Fin del Mundo [biennial of the end of the world]. End of the world because of Ushuaia being the world’s southernmost city. This festival aims to celebrate technology and art from 60 artists from 25 countries. The work on the picture is from Beatriz Pichi Malén, a Mapuche singer. Mapuche is one of Argentina’s largest indigenous groups. Her installation uses flags with the colors of wipala, the standard multicolor of the natives of the Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), in an attempt to ask for justice and respect of the original lands.
Wishing a wonderful week end to all
Photo taken in the bario Belgrano. Sunday shot, this explains why that picture seems so peaceful :- )
Peaceful street
Another shot from the barrio Las Cañitas. It is undoubtely one on my favorite neighborhood. It’s gorgeous, peaceful, and there are plenty of cool places like restaurants, cafes, and bars. This part of the city is not necessarily mapped for the tourists. But if you do visit Buenos Aires, make sure to visit Las Cañitas.
Collapsing house
A house alongside a construction site in the neighbourhood of Caballito as seen after part of one of its walls and its upper floor collapsed yesterday, causing the owner of the house to be injured after falling into the pit of the excavation site. The day before, city authorities had ordered the architect in charge of the construction to stop works due to technical flaws. It was not clear whether he abided by the order. As you can see on the picture, it was raining badly on that day.
