Buenos Aires, the city that lets you borrow its memories
By Viviana Benfenati.
Puerto Madero
- Are you sure that's the right size?
- Yes, yes, 37.
I was speaking over the phone with my mom, who was in a shoe store, taking the baton for me in the quest of finding the ideal shoes to walk in a bohemian city. Some middle ground between comfort and elegance was the target, as this time I had decided to upgrade my usual traveling hitchhiker hippie look.
There was not much time to ponder over shoes, though, for in a few days we were to embark on a journey like no other. A distant and improbable idea, that inhabited my mind for years, was waiting for me in my mail inbox in the shape of two plane tickets to Buenos Aires.
With great pride I told my friends that my birthday present for my mom that year would be to take her to visit the hometown of Tango, of grilled meat and wine. The land of theaters and of the streets that gift you a little piece of Europe without leaving South America.
I arrived at Ezeiza Airport disheveled and happy, unable to believe that I was in the capital of the gaucho country for the first time.
We went through the airport gate that welcomed us to Buenos Aires as if it was a portal to another world. The smell of rain, that of abundant and thick drops that leave you soaked as if you had just taken a bath, was my first encounter with a city that has a personality of its own.
You see, the only way to get deeply immersed in Buenos Aires is by the hand of art. Art follows your every step and greets you from every corner in ways that are seen with the eyes but understood with the heart. You will find it in some brilliant Tango moves which dancers gleam the streets with, in the passion for the king sport that is part of their identity, on the stages of countless theaters and in every sip of mate.
We walked along the Avenida 9 de Julio, the main street in Buenos Aires, on our way to the hotel. Once there, we were received by Mirtha, our friendly Argentine guide, who had prepared for us an avalanche of recommendations, that were recited with the enthusiasm of someone who knows and loves their country profoundly. One of them is a spectacular show I will tell you about below.
The first suggestion that we put into practice was the Broccolino Restaurant, located a few blocks from the hotel. Once there, amidst the smell of freshly prepared pasta and a cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like a special guest in the house of an old friend, we toasted for the beginning of a journey that would change our lives. We celebrated being best friends, as well as mom and daughter. We toasted to the wonderful gift that life had given us through the opportunity to cherish this experience together in our collection of memories.
The next day we woke up early, again under a grey sky. Those clouds were the protagonists of a perfect atmosphere for the day that was to become my favorite of the trip.
When visiting such a big city, I find it best to begin with a general tour to get a first glimpse of the iconic places and landmarks, so that, afterwards, you can choose which ones to dedicate more time on your own.
As our first destination, we arrived at a place that mingles the colors of tradition with those of passion for the king sport. The colorful little houses tell you the stories of countless Italian immigrant families who turned the left-over paint from the ships of the old shipyard into an identity for their neighborhood. In that multicolored neighborhood, people also paint their hearts, but in light blue and white, the colors of the Argentinian flag. History and tradition together on both sides of the same street. This is Caminito, the place where the rhythm of Tango blends with the songs of soccer hotheads.
Caminito
The ever-lasting smiles of the sculptures of Maradona, Messi and Suárez that greet you from the doors of the stores, the color of the walls and the towering La Bombonera Stadium, will envelope you in a unique experience that will seed in your heart the feeling that you have lived there before.
This is the magic of Buenos Aires; a city so welcoming that it lends its memories to its visitors so they can feel them like their own.
We continued with the tour, and finally the bus left us in a neighborhood that held for us an experience from another world. If you are such a big buff of “dark tourism” as I am, you cannot miss La Recoleta Cemetery. And if you are not, you cannot miss it either.
La Recoleta Cemetery
This place is a work of art itself. The stories of hundreds of people become immortal, as their memories come back to life with each epitaph read by a traveler. The sculptures, guardians of eternal life, will go along with you throughout the tour. On that cold and grey day there were hardly any visitors left, as everyone had left the cemetery due to a torrential rain of which only the last drops remained.
We walked along the solitary corridors by the hand of silence as a peculiar guide, on a journey across an atmosphere that transcends the limits of reality. The energy and mystique of the spiritual world find in this place a portal of connection with the earthly world, through beautiful mausoleums that turn the pain of loss into art. More than one cat will appear out of nowhere and will be gone in the blink of an eye, leaving you with the feeling that, maybe, the inhabitants of the cemetery have curious spies, guardians of that paradoxical community where life attends to enjoy the beauty of death.
You will also discover that Argentine warmth is present even in a place like this. You will find more than one inscription, written by friends and relatives, that describe the person who left in a way that gives you the feeling of having met them, even in those short lines. It is, once again, the city lending you its memories.
Make sure not to miss Evita Peron’s grave. That same day (July 26) was the anniversary of her departure, and her grave was full of life thanks to the color of the flowers and of the words that people had left in heartfelt dedications.
Later, we went to Callao Street to visit the El Ateneo Bookstore. There is a phrase that an intrepid Mexican traveler once said when he visited this place: "everything I love in life is here." Your phrase touched my soul, my dear Alan. El Ateneo precisely symbolizes everything I love in life: literature, acting and travel, all in one same place. The only theater in the world where more than 120 thousand performances are given simultaneously, represented in countless pages that make your imagination the protagonist of each story.
El Ateneo Bookstore
Buenos Aires is home to one of the best lyrical theaters of all time. Be sure to visit the Colón Theater, a survivor of the 19th century who remains immortal, a time traveler who welcomes you with its imperious marble staircase, its lofty columns and wonderful hand-carved ceilings, grand lounges, the shimmering shine of its majestic chandeliers and a stage that will make you feel like it has been waiting for your visit since it was inaugurated. The magic of each theatrical piece that has ever come to life on that stage is still sitting between the seats and clapping from the boxes.
However, this city is not only beautiful for its culture and architecture, but also for its people. And I’m not just talking about the handsome porteños (people born in Buenos Aires), but rather of the kindness of Argentines. We managed to reach the Botanical Garden in the Palermo neighborhood -a must see for nature lovers- thanks to the spontaneous help of a man who, upon seeing us reading Google Maps, decided to guide us.
Streets of Buenos Aires
Go for a walk in Puerto Madero. Make a visit during the day and again at night, and don't forget to cross The Bridge of the Woman, built by architect Calatrava.
Enjoy a good coffee at the bar of the Alvear Hotel. Visit the many galleries of the city, especially the Pacific Galleries; a place that will make you feel like shopping in a museum.
Stroll along Figueroa Alcorta Avenue, where the wonderful Jacarandá flowers will escort you on the way to the famous Floralis Generica. And, of course, don't forget to visit Mafalda and her friends in the San Telmo neighborhood.
San Telmo
On my mother's birthday we went to Café Tortoni, a member of the group of Notable Bars of Buenos Aires, an iconic place and key element in the historical heritage of the city. Being there is an experience that takes you travelling beyond a good cup of hot chocolate with churros; Tortoni is a place to be enjoyed with all the senses.
That same night, a place called Señor Tango was waiting for us. Located on the outskirts of the city, this restaurant-bar-theater tells you the story of this iconic Argentinian dance that mixes agony with passion and transforms them into music. A passageway lit with vintage lanterns, imitating the streets of an old Buenos Aires, leads to a breathtaking room, where Argentine folklore meets extraordinary talent. Dozens of round tables, two floors of boxes, a traditional bar and murals representing icons of Argentine musical history surround a circular and rotating stage where tradition is experienced through magic.
Señor Tango
We said goodbye to Buenos Aires with a radiant sun that illuminated the sky and another that brightened our hearts even more. I thanked this city for the memories it had lent me by sharing with it one of my own: having been the place that allowed me to live an unforgettable experience, whose streets will forever keep the memories of the first trip I made with my mom.
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