Buenos Aires

Here are a few highlights of the many fascinating buildings, plazas and landmarks of this city. As interesting as they may be on their own, the best part about this city are the things you find by accident - the beautiful buildings hidden around every corner reminding you of what this city once was...

Downtown B.A. looking towards Plaza de Mayo

Plaza de Mayo

The main square of Buenos Aires celebrates it´s independence from Spain on May 25, 1810. The temporary fence has been in place to control protests since about 2001 when the country was hit with a serious economic crisis.

San Telmo is a neighbourhood where wealthy residents built homes in a colonial style. After a serious epidemic most moved to higher land in Buenos Aires´northern area and San Telmo mansions were converted into tenements by the thousands of immigrants arriving from Europe.


Recoleta Cementary - the most prestigious place to be buried

El Ateneo Bookstore - previously a cinema

Microcentro street scene. Corner building designed by Antoní Bonet in 1939.

Banco de Londres by Clorindo Testa, 1960

Puerto Madero was the old port district now converted into high end shops, restaurants and condos. The bridge is by Calatrava.

'Floralis Genérica' by architect Eduardo Catalano. The sculpture opens and closes based the light of the sun.


Riding Buenos Aires' Metro (SUBTE) can be a truly cultural experience. It was the first in South America when it opened in 1913 and sometimes it feels as if not all that much has changed. Riding the A line involves manually opening the doors of the vintage wood interior trains, enjoying the beautiful tiled murals in all stations and stopping at newspaper stands that sell books by Borges or Sábato alongside Playboy and the tabloids. That said, the trains are very slow, crowded and hot and the hallways are narrow and with my height you've got to watch out.

I have had the privilege to experience this spectacular city from an apartment with a view in Recoleta. Looking out towards the Rio de la Plata you see a fascinating linear progression of land uses. Directly below is Avenida del Libertador (an 11 lane avenue) with a park on the other side, then a string or soccer fields, next a large rail corridor, then an informal settlement of several thousands (villa miseria in spanish), then a elevated highway and finally the huge port of Buenos Aires. It is a captivating sight in the mornings. Now I am off to the Retiro station to catch the overnight train to Cordoba to meet my beautiful Andrea!