4 countries and a frozen continent, 2025: Day 37. Buenos Aires. 22.2.25

"BUENOS AIRES WALKING WITH A LOCAL TOUR- PM Today, your guide will meet you at your hotel in Recoleta, initiating a city exploration on foot. Begin in the upscale Recoleta neighborhood, marvelling at classical architecture, discovering hidden gems, and exploring must-visit bars and coffee shops. Transition to the heart of the city, Retiro, known for government buildings and rich history as one of the world's wealthiest cities. Pause for a chat over local Patagonian ice cream or coffee before taking a taxi (or an adventurous local bus) to the bohemian barrio of San Telmo. As the city's oldest neighborhood, San Telmo boasts a diverse history and multicultural charm. Explore the San Telmo market, indulge in a tasty empanada, and wander cobblestone streets. Visit an old Conventillo, explore Plaza Dorrego, and experience an authentic antiques market. Conclude the tour with a taxi ride back to Recoleta for a yerba mate demonstration and tasting—an Argentine traditional tea. Optionally, your guide can drop you off at a hidden speakeasy bar inside a ower shop. Starting at approximately 1 pm, it lasts about 4 hours."

It will be nice to stretch our legs after being on a boat for 3 weeks.

Breakfast was included in our room but not as big a variety as the Sylvia Earles. We decided to visit the art museum. It was huge and free. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder as I don't always get it but still enjoyed it.

Google translation.

Edgar Degas (E.D). France. Harlequin Dance, ca. 1890. Pastel on paper on cardboard.

E.D. Dancer in white. ca. 1877. Pastel and charcoal on paper.

E.D. Two yellow and pink dancers. ca. 1898.

Claude Monet. The Argenteuil Bridge. 1875. Oil on canvas.

Victor Gabriel Gilbert. Villager watering.

Camille Jean Baptiste Carot. France. Wooded landscape ca. 1800s.

Paul Michel Dupuy.

Paul Gauguin.

Auguste Rodin

Vincent Van Gogh.

Claude Monet.

Reverie by Charles Chaplin. This one looked like a photo but wasn't.

René Francois Auguste Rodin. The genius of war, 1878.

Guillaume Coustou. Diana.

It was a very involved process.

Then it was our turn to make our own. Our guide was aware that other countries don't share cups like they do.

I found it to be quite a strong brew. It has a stimulant like coffee but it's not caffeine.

Back out on the streets of San Telmo.

Old, disused tram tracks still in the cobblestone roads.

The Casa de los Ezeiza is an old family home in Italianate style located on Defensa Street, in the San Telmo neighborhood , the historic center of Buenos Aires. Currently, it is a small shopping mall called Pasaje Defensa . As we wandered through it felt like we were in someone's home. It was quite lovely.

Part of the entrance gate.

Next we wandered through the second hand/antiques area.

Lots of Mate cups available.

We stopped at Plaza Dorrego to watch a tango dance before heading to a market to have some traditional empanadas 🥟. These were nicer than the ones we had in Santiago.

Government buildings.

Caught a bus north, just as a local would, to Retiro, a more luxurious town.

San Martin Palace was very big and hard to photograph due to its size and the size of the surrounding trees.

'The San Martín Palace (formerly Anchorena) is a living testimony to the history of our country. Its architecture, functionality and symbolism express the values, ideology and aspirations of the Creole and landed elite of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The historical context of its construction allows us to delve into a period of great social transformation, while its subsequent transition from a private residence to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made it the setting for important events in the national political history.'...from a Google search.

'This monument to the General José de San Martín, the liberator of Argentina, was created in 1862 by French sculptor Louis Joseph Daumas.

In around 1910, the German sculptor Gustav Eberlein designed the red granite base and the four corner sculptures, which represent landmark moments in San Martín's campaign for the country's independence - "The Departure to War", "The Battle", "The Victory" and the "The Return of the Victor".

The figure of Mars, god of war, can be seen at the front of the platform, and on the other three faces, there is a series of bas-reliefs depicting different battles. José de San Martín (1778-1850) was the greatest hero of the Argentine War of Independence and is also recognised as the liberator of Peru and Chile. In 1812 he created the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, whose barracks were located in this square.

Between 1813 and 1818, San Martín led crucial moments in the fight for independence, defeating Spanish troops at the Battle of San Lorenzo, reorganising the Army of the North, becoming Governor of Cuyo and creating the Army of the Andes, which he led across the mountains into Chile to liberate the neighbouring country from Spanish rule, before moving north to liberate Peru in 1820'...Buenos Aires tourist bureau

The clock tower was a gift from the British when Argentine gained its independence from the Spanish.

Art apparently 🤷‍♀️

Story goes: a young couple, the son of rich parents who lived in the Palace and the daughter of othe rich parents wanted to be married. His family refused saying she wasn't good enough. Heart broken she decided to build a high rise building on land between the palace gardens and the palaces Church. Meaning they no longer had uninterrupted views of the area...revenge or petty 🤔 personally I say good on her 🤣 You can just see the church in between the buildings in the above pic.