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To Be in Buenos Aires

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Argentina
Buenos Aires
To Be in Buenos Aires

Customized Guided City, Tigre, & Tango Tours from a Canadian prairie girl living in BAires. My teaching page: Tracy Renee Stafford

02/11/2024

Just a small sampling of Palermo’s famous street art.

Buenos AIres’ neighbourhood of Palermo is most noted for it’s hip cafes, world-renowned steakhouses, botanical gardens, picturesque running trails… and its grafiti.

If you’re in BA for a few days, I recommend spending at least one of them strolling the cobblestone streets of Palermo, enjoying the street art, doing some window shopping & just basically soaking in the cool boho scene. 😎

14/10/2024

Buenos Aires has the most bookstores per capita in the world, with 25 bookstores for every 100,000 people! 📚

Here are just a few of my favourites, all within the small barrio of Palermo Soho.

Many of these have a coffeeshop inside, where they let you read the books without pressure to buy. 🥰

How lovely it is to live in a city where the simple pleasure of leafing through a book or 12 is still a respectable way to pass a lazy afternoon.

The first 2 photos are my favourites:

Borges1975 - bookstore, coffeshop, restaurant & jazz club on the weekend!

Libros del Pasaje - this extensive bookstore is my favourite place sip coffee & work on the computer

All of these small shops are within a 20 minute walk of each other!🤩

Buenos Aires is full of these simple pleasures. When you come you will see for yourself…

Next post will have more pics of Palermo Soho, one of the funkiest trendiest hoods in the city.

03/10/2024

El Ateneo Grand Splendid was declared by National Geographic to be ‘the world’s most beautiful bookstore’ in 2019. In 2008, the Guardian gave it 2nd place of the world’s best bookstores. It’s the largest bookstore in South America, & during your visit to Buenos Aires, it’s a ‘must-see’. 🤩

Built in 1917 under the vision of Max Glücksmann, this stunning, eclectic style building was initially the ‘Gran Splendid Theatre’. Over it’s history, it’s presented works of THE most important artists in Argentine theatre & tango. It also was the home of a radio station (Radio Splendid) and a recording studio. Many icons of tango, including Carlos Gardel, Francisco Canaro, & Roberto Firpo, recorded their most famous songs here. 🎼🪗🎻📚

In 1982 the theatre was converted into a cinema, and in 2000, it was converted into a bookstore. 🎭->🎞️🎥->📚

Very fortunately, most of the original theatre has been kept intact for visitors to enjoy to this day. In the photos, you might notice that the stage has been converted into a café, where you can take the books & read them gratis. 😉

The ornate cúpula (dome), 20 metres in diameter, was painted in 1919 by Nazarena Orlandi, as a celebration of peace & joy for the end of the first world war. 🌈🕊️

The Gran Splendid is home to over 200,000 books, 10,000 films, & 25,000 LPs & CDs. The basement, formerly the orchestra pit, now houses the children’s books & music sections. The main & first floor have every kind of other book you can imagine, & the 2nd floor is home to the classical music section, plus a small theatre where book readings can be held.

I just found a 2015 stat that said that Buenos Aires is the city with the highest number of bookstores per capita in the world, and I believe it. Next week I’ll show you some of my other most favourite places to shop for my latest read! 🤓📖

11/09/2024

Last week I took these wonderful new friends to the nearby Tigre Delta - a perfect getaway from the busy-ness of Buenos Aires. 🛶🌈🌴

About a 45 minute drive/1 hour train ride from the city center, the town of Tigre got its name becase it used to be jaguar territory… apparently something got missed in translation! 🐯🤷‍♀️

The Tigre Delta is the gateway to the extensive river system that starts all the way up in Paraguay & Brazil to then empty into the Rio de la Plata - and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. 🌊

There are thousands of tributaries in the Delta region, in which are nestled homes & weekend cottages, restaurants, churches, and even schools for local residents (many of the water taxis convert into school buses during the school year).⛵️🚤🚌

We started our tour by taking one of the smaller, more private boats through a portion of the delta system. The sound of the water, the greenery, & the tranquil scenery were the perfect antidote to ‘too much time in the city’. (Photos 1-4)
🌿🦜🌞

We then strolled to the Tigre Art Musuem, an ornate 19th century palace which used to be the Tigre Social Club - where Buenos AIres’ elite used to gather. Now a museum, it’s filled with works from local artists, but the building itself, designed in french Belle Epoque style, is a work of art unto itself. (Photos 8-10)

Lunch was had at a riverside restaurant (the are many such riverside places to eat, all accessible by water taxi): photo 7

We finished with one last stroll along the Paseo Victoria (photos 5 & 6)

If you are in Buenos Aires for a longer stay, the Tigre Delta provides a fantastic contrast & respite.

In the tours that I offer, all transportation is included, and we can include other Tigre activities such as visiting the naval museum & the Puerto de Frutos, an extensive art market full of local crafts.

So wonderful spending the day with you, Basha & Jeff!

02/09/2024

Yesterday in La Boca I was mesmerized by this stunning show with the boleadoras, a traditional Argentine folklore dance form.

The 2 metal balls attached by a long cord (aka las boleadoras), were originally used by the Gauchos of the Argentine Pampa, who threw them to catch cattle. It then evolved into a folklore dance by adding drums & movement. The combination of the visual spectacle along with the rhythmic sounds is absolutely stunning.

I’ve been sharing a lot about La Boca lately in these posts, and with good reason. La Boca is always a great place to see fantastic street art of all kinds that truly represents the rich Argentine culture.

If you’re coming to Buenos Aires & you don’t have time to see a show in one of its many spectacular theatres (BA is one of the world’s top cities for live shows, BTW) you can just come here!

13/08/2024

To appreciate why are the buildings of La Boca are so colourful, we must go back to 18th century Buenos Aires, when millions of Europeans were immigrating to this new land in search of opportuniy & freedom…

La Boca, the original port, was where many of the newcomers worked & lived. With meager means, tenement houses were built out of the scrap wood & scrap metal that the ships used as ballast.

To create a more warm & inviting energy, these modest lodgings were painted with the leftover ship paint of whatever colour. This created the distinct La Boca identity, and to this day, this still-humble barrio is still very colourful in all the ways you can imagine, that makes one feel instantly at home & alive.

When painter Benito Quinquela Martin revived La Boca in the 1960’s (see last week’s post for more info) he made sure to maintain the distinct character as much as possible by preserving the architecture of the meagre tenement houses.

Arriving in La Boca today, it’s clear that it’s become a popular tourist destination. BUT it must also be appreciated WHY.

Photo notes ➡️
3: a tribute to the volunteer firefighters of La Boca. This area, made of scraps, was once the city’s industrial hub. One can only imagine how precarious life was here, and how much the firefighers were both needed & loved.

4 & 5: One of Buenos Aires’ oldest cafés, La Perla, is filled with photos of one of Argentina’s most beloved Tango singers, Carlos Gardel.

6: the text translates as: “Like my mother, I’m also of La Boca” it underscores the identity that residents have for thier barrio.

7: Argentina’s most beloved heroes: soccer legend Diego Maradonna, the yong outspoken Mafalda (Argentina’s Charlie Brown), and above, Buenos Aires’ own Pope Francis.

8: Choripán, the ultimate neighbourhood staple: Chorizo sausage in french baguette, accompanied by a large helping chimichurri.

9: Emblematic La Boca: tango & fútbol

06/08/2024

Back in BA & soooo happy to visit one of its most emblematic & cherished barrios - La Boca.

Up until the 1960’s, hundreds of thousands of immigrants came to Argentina by passing under the historic transporter bridge (photo 7) into the port of La Boca.

When the port moved to a new location, this humble, working class neighbourhood was in danger of falling into ruin, but then along came Benito Quinquela Martin (photo 2). He was so grateful to the people of La Boca for taking him in as a young orphan, that when he went on to become a celebrated painter, he gathered his fellow Argentine artists to revive the area & make it what it is today: a vibrant, colorful centerpoint of Argentine culture.

Many claim that La Boca is the birthplace of Tango (photo 4), where immigrants would combine the instruments & dances of their homelands to create a new music & social dance to express their nostalgia for times past and a longing for new connections.

La Boca is also where of one of the world’s most famous fútbol (soccer) players - the singular Diego Maradonna (photo 6) - played. His team, the Boca Juniors, call the striking blue & gold Bombonera (aka ‘the chocolate box’ - photo 5) their home.

Photo 1 shows one of La Boca’s most iconic images - the entrypoint to the Caminito. This truly tiny road was named in honor of the famous Tango song written by one of Quinquela Martin’s dearest friends, Juan de Dios Filiberto. Photo 3 depicts the song’s story - fleeting love that transcends time.

Photo 10: pure La Boca kitschy charm - a souvenir shop surrounded by Argentina’s most famous: Maradona, Evita, & Carlos Gardel (the most celebrated of all tango singers), with Quinquela Martin below.

Next week I’ll share even more photos from this treasured barrio of Buenos Aires, including the story behind WHY the houses are multi-coloured.

If you’re planning on visiting BA, this vibrant neighborhood is not to be missed.

02/05/2024

Missing my beautiful Buenos Aires…
I’m back in Canada briefly to connect with family - which is so wonderful - but I’m also feeling homesick for 🇦🇷.

Sharing some of my favourite Argentine views here.

In order:
Tango at one of La Boca’s iconic street cafés

View of the Avenida de Mayo from the Argentine Congress

The mysterious Maguire Residence, one of the last remaining palace/residences of BA. Still inhabited by a descendent of the original owners, the slow decay of the house & the opulent garden are an attraction of its own.

Florealis Genérica - it used to take all day for the petals to slowly open, and all night for them to slowly close. In December we experienced a tornado-like storm, and the flower/sculpture was tragically damaged, leaving it motionless. May it return to bloom again.

Palacio Barolo at night. At the very top of this building, which was built with the inspiration of Dante’s Inferno, is a lighthouse. Montevideo is home to its fraternal twin, who shines its own light back.

One of many, many murals of our dear, dear Leo.

Live Orchestra at the legendary tango hall, La Viruta

The usual lineup at El Cuartito, known everywhere for its fugazetta.

The beyond words fugazzeta

Fileteado Porteño at the San Telmo Market. This ornate traditional style of folk painting is almost as emblematic of the country as tango.

😊🙏 Thank you to all the travellers who trusted in me to share with them my beloved new home. I love my job. ❤️

🥰Sending all my Porteño peeps un abrazo fuerte, and looking forward to many big hugs here in 🇨🇦

14/02/2024

A huge thank you to all the fabulous people who trusted in me to share the beautiful Buenos Aires with them these past few months.

I’ve made many new friends from the UK, Australia, Italy, Germany, Canada, & all over the US, while at the same time giving customised guided tours of the city & its surroundings. What a great job I have!

I love my new home of Argentina so much, and it’s a real privilege to be able to share this love with wonderful people from all over the world.

Feeling very grateful…

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ❤️

24/12/2023

Felices fiestas a todos & Happy Holidays to everyone!

Xmas decorations are not as common here in BA as they are in my native Canada, but I did manage to find some trees!

Photos 1-2: Galería Guemes on Florida Street.

Photo 3: Hotel Marriot on Avenida 9 de Julio

Photos 4-5: The Hilton in Puerto Madero

Photo 6: Alvear Icon in Puerto Madero

Photo 7: Alvear Palace Hotel, Avenida Alvear

Photo 8: Park Hyatt Hotel, Palacio Duhau, Avenida Alvear

Photo 9 & 10: Confiteria Ideal, City Center

Personally, I love that the holidays are less commercial here and instead are more focused on family & friends. Getting together is the gift.

May you & your dear ones be surrounded by & infused with peace, love, joy, & generosity during this holiday season & always. 🌟🎄🕊

19/12/2023

The Recoleta Cemetery, a rare treasure of art, history, legend & reverence. It was founded in 1822 on the grounds where the Franciscan Monks of Recollecting (hence ‘Recoleta’) orginially had their garden, right beside the Our Lady of Pilar Church (photo 9). Built in 1732, the church is one of few remaining colonial structures still left in Buenos Aires.

In 1881, the cemetery was converted from public to private, specifically for the elite who were building palaces in the nearby & newly-formed neighbourhoods of Recoleta & Retiro. The mausoleums soon became important status symbols, with Europe’s best sculptors being contracted to design opulent resting sites for the city’s most prestigious families.

Photo 1: Jose Paz, founder of La Prensa newspaper, was one of the world’s most powerful media moguls at the turn of the 20th century. This exquisite sculpture was made by Jules Coutan, head of Paris’ Ecole de Beaux-Arts.

Photo 2: The ghost of Rufina Cambaceres is said to wander the cemetery’s paths to this day. After mysteriously collapsing on her 19th birthday, she was pronounced dead & immediately entombed , which was the custom of the day. That night, scratches & screams were heard by cemetery guards. Upon discovering that she may have accidentally been buried alive, the family built this opulent Art Nouveau tomb in her honor.

Photo 5: An hourglass, symbolizing time running out, and an angel supporting the fallen are common images throughout the cemetery.

Photo 7: Wrapped in Art Deco relief, this tomb depicts all the stages of life from birth to death. It’s of the Massone family who ran a very successful pharmaceutical business in BA.

Photo 8: The Roveranos were one of many Genovese families who came here in the 1800’s. Their popular café boasted the city’s first electric lamps. Note that on the boat which the figure is stepping off of - in true immigrant spirit - it says ‘ayudate’, which means ‘help yourself’.

This still-active cemetery, with almost 5000 vaults, has innumerable stories & is an absolute highlight of my walking tour of the city.

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Yesterday in La Boca I was mesmerized by this stunning show with the boleadoras, a traditional Argentine folklore dance form. The 2 metal balls attached by a long cord (aka las boleadoras), were originally used by the Gauchos of the Argentine Pampa, who threw them to catch cattle. It then evolved into a folklore dance by adding drums & movement. The combination of the visual spectacle along with the rhythmic sounds is absolutely stunning. I’ve been sharing a lot about La Boca lately in these posts, and with good reason. La Boca is always a great place to see fantastic street art of all kinds that truly represents the rich Argentine culture. If you’re coming to Buenos Aires & you don’t have time to see a show in one of its many spectacular theatres (BA is one of the world’s top cities for live shows, BTW) you can just come here! #folkloreargentino #beautifulbuenosaires #visitbuenosaires #buenosairestourguide #travelbuenosaires #travelargentina #laboca #barriolaboca