April 2023

Three Months in Buenos Aires

My stay in the capital of Argentina was most pleasant. The apartment was excellent, in my favorite neighborhood, and I had a great time lingering at home, sheltered from the inclement heat, immersing myself into the local culture. I read several Argentinian authors (Borges, Cortázar, Bioy Casares, Ocampo, Macedonio, Arlt), listened to Argentinian music (mostly Piazzolla, Charly Garcia, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs), watched Argentinian movies (highlights were the political dramas La Historia Oficial and Argentina, 1985 and the criminal plots Nueve Reinas and El Secreto de sus Ojos), and also read Argentinian graphic narratives (from the ineluctable Mafalda to the classic Eternauta).

I visited several museums, of course. My favorite is still the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), home to the most famous Brazilian painting, Tarsila do Amaral's Abaporu. Other wanderings took me to the Museo Xul Solar, the Casa Museo Ricardo Rojas, the Museo Sivori, the Museo de Arte Decorativo, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and a large retrospective exhibition by American photographer Steve McCurry. I also took a literature course at the MALBA, Umbrales y Pasajes en Julio Cortázar.

El Ateneo, a fantastic bookstore that used to be a theatre.

Abaporu, by Tarsila do Amaral

Let's talk about food?

There are hundreds of restaurants in Palermo, the neighborhood I was living in. Lots of barbecue, of course, but also international cuisine. Right at the corner, I had one of my favorites, La Dorita, where I often ate a medallón de lomo (sirloin medallion) grilled to perfection. With a glass of Malbec, of course. Also close to my apartment, I had good Japanese food (Emperor Meiji) and Greek food (Kéfi), two cuisines I love. For a quick snack, the classic empanada, with its countless variations: bonaerense, mendocina, salteña, tucumana, riojana, santiagueña, patagónica, and so on. To wrap it all up, the divine alfajor, which is basically milk caramel pressed between two baked cookies and covered with chocolate. One eats well in Buenos Aires.

And after Argentina?

After a quick visit to my mother in Santos, Brazil, I am now in Madrid, Spain, where I will stay for three months. But that's a story for another time.

Hasta la vista!

A book and a glass of Malbec under the tree.