We accomplished a lot today! I left the house before 10 am and got home around 6 PM.
El Ateneo Gran Splendid
Sally and Tom hit the Gran Splendid for some books.
I grew up with a librarian parent, so I have always loved books and bookstores. We found a guidebook to Buenos Aires in English for Tom, graphic novels for presents, and a trash novel in Spanish for me to read on the plane. The Argentines are serious about their books, and the publishing industry here is strong despite the ubiquity of cell phones and other ways to find information.
Five of us ran into another two of our group entering as we left: a bunch of reading enthusiasts!
Teatro Colon
The main foyer of Teatro Colon with its lofty, sumptuous beauty
Teatro Colon is always a joy. You can see how the upper class around the turn of the 20th century took their European roots seriously. The Argentine-Italian upper class were the movers and shakers for the construction of a world-class opera house. No surprise that Italian (and other European) marble was imported to create this space.
Did you know they went through three architects before the building finished? Two died: would YOU have taken on that job?
La Cuidad Ausente in rehearsal
I took the tour of Teatro Colon a decade ago when the restoration was completed. It was great to be there again, ESPECIALLY because they were rehearsing the opera that most of the group plans to see Tuesday night: La Cuidad Ausente. It was described as a post-apocalyptic sci-fi opera. The stage was littered with scrap metal and garbage, two people were scavenging for items. Huge metal discs hovered above the stage, and the soprano’s eerie, ethereal voice rang out from somewhere. We weren’t allowed to talk, as the rehearsal was in full swing, but WOW!
I changed my mind and tried to get a ticket, but it was sold out.
Recoleta Cemetery
I go to Recoleta every visit to Buenos Aires. I don’t know why I feel so drawn to Recoleta and not as much to Chacarita, but there it is. I try to find new tombs each time and to notice different things, rather than just hitting my favorite spots.
Getting around
After many years of walking, taking the subway and grabbing taxis, I am back to my old ways of taking the bus. Now that the routes are on Google, I no longer need to carry a large spiral map with me to figure out what bus to take!