It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Seriously, the weather today has been fabulous. Perfect. Whatever word you would like to use. It was the perfect day to walk in the Botanical Gardens (entrance on Santa Fe, opposite the Plaza Italia Subte stop). It's open from 8 am to 6:45 PM, at least in the summer, but it's closed for the holidays Monday and Tuesday, so I am glad I went today.

There is a section of the park for plants and trees from each continent. I love the palm trees and the jungle-like parts of the park best, as they are not something I see much at home.

La Feria de Mataderos

Today I went to the Feria de Mataderos with a friend (thanks, Sarah!). Like the other artesanal fairs, this has a bunch of imported, Chinese cheapo stuff around the edges, handmade things at the heart of the fair, and various other amusements.

The fair is open from Easter until Christmas, more or less. As next week is the last week for this year, it appeared that some of the folks had already stopped coming. Sarah was looking for certain booths that were not there.

We found a booth selling tango shoes at VERY reasonable prices. The vendor said that her prices will have to go up next year, but they were much cheaper than in the store. She and her husband make all the shoes: nice leather and well-sewn!

I found goat's milk dulce de leche for my son, who does not eat cow dairy! I also bought artesanal pan dulce as a gift for my hosts and whole wheat bread for myself. Add a few pretty trinkets for presents (as they are surprises, I am not putting them in here), and choripan, and that was pretty much it for the day.

The folk dancing hadn't started yet when we left, but the music stage was set up and they were singing and playing music. It was too hot to dance anyway: 33 degrees Celsius. I got burnt to a crisp: one of the guys in the milonga tonight said I had white circles where my glasses had protected my face!

By the way, if I hadn't had Sarah along, it would have been hard to see the fair from where the bus stopped. However, if you look for the big fountain, that helps. I am not sure if it was amusing or alarming to see a fountain that had signs posted: High voltage! with people swimming in it! The fountain is that industrial, mini-nuclear-reactor-looking thing in the foreground.

Out and about

The weather today was so perfect that it's almost impossible to remember how awful it was yesterday. It's sunny, with medium temperatures, low humidity, a bit of a breeze: is this the same city??

Neotango visit #2

I bought another pair of shoes and dropped them off at the shoe repair I used last year, in order to compare quality of work with the other place I used this year. The shoes will be ready tomorrow: beautiful, black suede with cut-out details in the heels. Neotango strikes gold again!

By the way, those of you who don't like high, high heels, rejoice! Apparently, there is less of a demand for 9 cm heels (the high ones like I wear) because people have trouble dancing well in them. There is now more of a demand for 8.5 cm heels and lower heels. I must have looked alarmed, because I was assured that they would keep making the high ones for those of us who like them.

Really, the salespeople there are some of the nicest I have met! I am not sure how to spell Ariel's name, but he is the one who usually helps me.

Cheap clothes

Summer here can be a lot hotter than you think it will be. Although prices everywhere are higher than before, there are still some bargains around. One place I like to go for capris and summer T-shirts is Basicos Buenos Aires (Av. Rivadavia 2297). You can't try things on, as it's mostly a wholesale place where you can buy retail at a slightly higher price. It's all synthetic, but I use capris from that store at least every other day when I teach and it's warm. I bought a pair of capris for 50 pesos, and a sleeveless top for 30 pesos. At official prices, that's not too bad, and at "alternative market" prices, it's quite a deal.

Books in English

I go to Rincon 9 (new location, Junin 44) because they have a great selection of children's books in Spanish, and I am still clinging to the hope that my son will not lose all his Spanish now that he is in English-language school. However, Rincon 9 has an excellent selection of books in English as well. I don't know if they speak English there; I should have asked.

Nice person who rents rooms

I danced with a very nice man today at El Maipu who rents rooms in San Telmo. He has lived in San Telmo for 40 years! I have not seen his place, but I have heard of it from several people. Unlike a lot of people who are dancing in order to get students or provide other services, he didn't tell me about it until after we had discussed a bunch of other things.

The best ice cream I have had so far

I went back to Victoria Cafe (Av. Entre Rios 114, on the corner of Hipolito Yrigoyen, across the street from the Congreso building. We ate there quite a bit last year, so I went to see how it was this year. The waiter, Sergio, remembered me and asked after my friend; I took his picture for her.

I ordered the special of the day (58 pesos), an amazing lasagna with spinach, sweet peppers, mushrooms, ham and some unidentified "meat" with "Parisian sauce" that came with homemade ice cream for dessert. I chose lemon, as it's my favorite flavor: WOW! I didn't remember artesanal ice cream from the year before, and the waiter told me that they had only begun making it a few months ago. Yummy, yummy, yummy! I just wish there had been less lasagna: I couldn't finish my ice cream!

I am walking everywhere this year, but I don't think I'm losing weight.

Music day!

Today I went in search of music. Where? Lavalle 2039, Piso 1. Buenos Aires Tango Club. You need to ring the bell, and a voice mumbles something. Ask for Euro Records or Buenos Aires Tango Club, and they will open two sets of doors via buzzer. They are open M-F, 11-6ish.

These folks at Buenos Aires Tango Club/Euro Records are a treasure trove of information--and that's with the director on vacation! Plan time into your schedule to visit, especially if you like to learn about tango music. I never make it out of there in under an hour (it was almost two hours today, I think). They are extremely helpful and knowledgible, and I emerge with my head stuffed with new information. Sometimes, I even remember some of it!

I remembered my list for some friends: a lot of Canaro with Maida singing, some Rodriguez, some d'Arienzo. I forgot my own list, and ended up with a completely different bunch of CDs than I had planned. Now that I have found my list, I will probably go over next week again and pick up a few more.

What did I get?

• More Lomuto, a favorite of mine. 
• Canaro with Maida singing: after listening to the songs I was buying for a friend, I bought some myself. However, a guy came in while I was there and wanted one CD: the one I'd just bought, and there were no more copies. I earned karma points: I handed over my copy.    
• Some great d'Arienzo from the early 1940s.
• Di Sarli with Podesta and Rufino singing. 
• Pugliese from the early-mid-40s.
• A CD of "forgotten" orchestras: Today I met Cayetano Puglisi; Luis Petrucelli; Juan Guido; Carlos Marcucci; Juan Canaro; Roberto Zerrillo; Juan Carlos Cobian; and Francisco Lauro.
• Alfred de Angelis with Oscar Larroca singing. I heard this at Plaza Bohemia on Sunday evening, and asked the DJ what he had played. I had never heard the songs, and they were really intense. Thus, a new CD and perhaps a new favorite tanda for a while!

The main thing I forgot to get was Fresedo. I am enjoying his music more than I ever have before, and I want some more to play. Ah, well, their office is only a few blocks away.

Teatro Colon, Recoleta and a beer: a perfect, sunny Sunday!

Today is perfect: blue sky, breezy, almost hot: heaven!

Teatro Colon

One of my students scolded me for never doing anything "cultural" when I am in Buenos Aires, so I walked down to Nueve de Julio, and strolled over to Tucuman. I took the guided tour of the Teatro Colon (Tucuman 1171). It costs 110 pesos for the tour, which is offered in several languages. The one in English was the next in line when I got there, so I took the tour in English.

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What a beautiful building! There are four or five different kinds of marble: white, yellow, red, green . . . all from different places in Europe. Gilt, statues and stained glass are everywhere. When we went upstairs to the Grand Hall (the place the rich used to socialize before and after the opera), I thought, "Wow! this looks like the old Paris Opera building!" and then the guide said it was modeled after that building. I felt very cultural and smug.

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After the tour, I wandered around the Gardens behind the theater, which have a photo installation of the history of the opera house, along with photos of famous stars who have danced/acted/sung here. There is classical music playing; the last jacaranda blossoms are finishing; and lavender bloomed everywhere.

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Recoleta Cemetary

I took the subway to Pueyrredón and Santa Fe, and then walked the rest of the way to Recoleta Cemetary (15-20 minutes). If you don't like walking, I'd suggest taking the bus or a taxi from here.

I don't know why I like the cemetary so much, but I do. I like to wander around, then sit and think in the quiet that surrounds the area, even with tourists and songbirds flying around. I saw one mausoleum opened up, and an old man wandered by with a vase of flowers and water. I like that not all the dead are forgotten.

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Lunch at Buller Brewing Company (Pte. Roberto M. Ortiz 1827)

I have never been a fan of Argentine beer, as most are pilsners, and I am not a lover of pilsner. However, I wandered past a brewpub facing Recoleta Cemetary, and decided to see how it stood up to the brewpubs in my neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. The verdict: not bad!

I had a half pint of their IPA (25 pesos), and it tasted great on a hot, sunny, late spring day. If I were not such a lightweight, I would have tried their sampler of six beers (50 pesos): stout, honeybeer, hefeweizen, IPA, pilsner and I forgot what the sixth one was. I had a plate of luscious, squash and spinach (and nut?) filled ravioli (49 pesos), covered in bolognese sauce (18 pesos). The whole meal cost about what I pay in my local brewpub at home for a glass of beer and some pasta.

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Changing prices and Buenos Aires

Despite huge changes in the price of living in the past two years, people are surviving. I have seen fewer street people, and folks seem less upset than last year. The Abasto mall was stuffed with families shopping. The stores alongCorrientes were full. The sidewalks were full. It was great to see so many people out enjoying their city. I walked for about two hours, shopping and strolling to get back into my big city mode (I LOVE Buenos Aires: have I mentioned that recently?).

Many items that used to be cheaper here now seem to cost more than in the United States. For example, I am shopping for a watch, having lost mine a week before coming to Buenos Aires. The cheapest watch I have seen so far cost about $30 US, with most costing $50-500. The self-winding watch I have been coveting at Sears for $150 seemed high, but a woman in a watch shop here quoted me about $400 for that kind of watch. Wow.

Shoes

Shoes have gone up slightly in price. Two years ago, most of the shoes cost about $110. Last year, they were $140ish. Today, I paid between $130 and $150something a pair. However, some stores have posted very good prices for paying in dollars (either 4.84 pesos to the dollar officially, or up to 6 pesos, which is almost up to the "alternative" money market price), so it makes sense to bring cash.

I bought shoes at Artesanal (Jean Jaures 465) and Neotango (Sarmiento 1938).

Artesanal has a new shop, but it's only about a block away from where it was before: right near the Abasto subte stop. The woman there is friendly and truly awesome about finding shoes for people who are not in the shop. Bring her the outline of a foot, and she has never failed me yet (cross your fingers!) in finding shoes that will fit that person well. The stock is small, but the shoes are well-made and last a long time.

At Neotango, the folks recognized me. I was surprised that they remembered, although between us, Gayle and I probably bought ten pairs of shoes there last year (or more). What nice people! They deal all day with uppity shoppers, and still smile. There was a very rude lady complaining that they had told her the wrong price and needed to speak more clearly (she didn't speak Spanish), and they were very nice to her. Nice salespeople go a long way with me.

Stay tuned for the new shoe repair place. I am told it's much more reasonable in price than last year's place, but I haven't been there yet.

Clothing

I stopped by Tango Imagin (Tomas de Anchorena 606). The people who run it also make the clothing, so they are very helpful about fabric, colors, etc. Also, if you have time, they can custom-make stuff for you and/or alter the clothing in the store. I had planned to buy something there this year, but none of the halter tops were available in a 3 that day (let's just say that a size 2 looks like a sausage on me), and the skirts, while very beautiful, didn't flatter my shape. I would check here first if you were looking for performance gear: beautiful, flowy things!

Right next door to Tango-Imagen is Tango Ocho. I didn't go there this year, but in the past, I have bought a lot of things here. The attitude amongst the sales staff varies from somewhat friendly to completely disinterested. Unlike all the other stores I've been to in Buenos Aires, the shopgirls have no opinions, no ideas to improve your tango image, and don't want to help. On the other hand, there is one man who works there who is wonderful with fitting shoes.

Good hair day

The only time I ever got my hair done in Buenos Aires before this was when a flamingly gay milonguero did it back in about 2000 ("DARLING, how could you THINK I was gay? I am in LOVE with you!"). I wonder what happened to him?

Today, I got a haircut, color and eyebrow wax at Claudio Zappulla Peinados (Ayacucho 57, 4953.6584). The service was cheerful and fast, and I like the results. I asked if they had someone who speaks English in case someone comes in who does not speak Spanish, and they said that one worker does speak English (I didn't meet her). They were having a special, so cut, color and eyebrows cost me about 200 pesos + tip. That's $43 US at today's official exchange rate.