A beautiful old theatre turned into a bookstore: three floors of books fill the areas in which there used to be proscenium seating. A stage turned café makes for a focal point of the space. Enjoy an espresso or croissant on one of the many tables that grace the stage, and browse each floor for books in both Spanish and English. Found on Avenida de Santa Fe, in the Recoleta district.

Certain kinds of museums, zoos, and aquariums can get repetitive when they exist in every major city we go to. Yet train and historical transit museums are something Tom and I always look for. Each is unique, and delivers the history of transit through the particular area we are in, how it developed, and how transit was necessary in that area’s development. It is the history of travel, and the vital part travel has played in the development of every society that fascinates us both. And, well, trains are just really cool.

We were really excited to find that Argentina’s National Train Museum is in Buenos Aires. The museum itself is next to an old rail yard and around the corner from the Retiro Railway Station. Now a major subte (Subway) and bus terminal, Estacion Retiro was once the main station for incoming and outgoing trains.

Museo Nacional Ferroviario is one of the least organized museums I’ve ever been to, yet it is packed with artifacts, old equipment, photos and more of anything to with trains and other transportation, and the history of transportation in Argentina. Admission is free; it was fun to see a group of school kids there on a field trip, AND to sign the guest book in Spanish.  

A tourist “must see:” Café Tortoni is the oldest café in all of Buenos Aires, and many famous visitors have graced its tables and drank their café con leche. Famous figures including Albert Eisntein and Hilary Clinton have eaten there. There is a small stage in the back of the café where tango is performed each night. 

The harbor district of the city, and a bit more ritzy: we went to our super touristy Tango show in Puerto Madero, but the waterfront is also lined with some of the best steak houses in Buenos Aires. Walking along the main drag, I got a waft of the smell of delicious steak as the breeze blew in from the water. There are also several historical ships turned museums, and a nice view of the newer part of the city. 

Several blocks from our hotel, San Telmo is a smaller area of the city with many cute restaurants and bars. There are also a variety of vintage and consignment shops, and a weekly outdoor market. It used to be the area in which the upper class lived, until disease struck, and there was a high-class flight north to Recoleta. San Telma is still a great place to go out, and has its own historical flair. I had several great dinners in this area.

If I were to live in Buenos Aires, I would live in Palermo; and Palermo is an area that makes me think I would legitimately want to live in Buenos Aires. I don’t have many pictures of the area, because each time we went, we were always on the go. The main square in Palermo consists of a roundabout with a small park in the center. Colorful bars and restaurants line every side and every street leading out from the roundabout. Most restaurants and bars have outdoor and upper balcony or rooftop seating; some bars have attached dance clubs. The grid-designed streets that extend out from the roundabout are filled with shops (both chain and local), art galleries, cafes, and even some beautiful churches. We spent many wonderful evenings out in Palermo, and also enjoyed exploring the streets in the daylight. It is an absolute must-go area in Buenos Aires! 

I tried on two separate occasions to get a tour of the inside of Teatro Colon. Both times, the line was too long for the amount of time I had. I almost bought tickets to a ballet playing there, but their show began at 8:30, while ours always ended at 8:30. Running late is a normal thing in South America, but for specific events, such as going to the theatre or the opera, timeliness is taken very seriously. It is also advised for men to be in full suits or tuxedos. There are sections of the theatre in which only ladies or only gentlemen are allowed to sit. I would highly suggest making the time to take a tour, or see an event at Teatro Colon if you are ever in Buenos Aires, as it is probably the only thing I regret not seeing from the inside. Walking around the perimeter only gives a glimpse of the grandeur of one of the five best opera and theatre venues in the world. 

Directly across the street from one another, and on the edge of the Retiro district stand two historical landmarks of beautiful Buenos Aires. The first is the Recoleta Railway Station, which used to be the main railway station into the city and is now a major subte and bus terminal. It still holds the beauty of a traditional transit station and reminds me a bit of Grand Central Station in New York City. Just across the street is Torre Monumental (originally called the British Clock Tower). It is a clock tower given to the city by the British local residents in celebration of Argentina's independence from Spain in 1909. In the 1980's Argentina had a ten-week war, or "conflict" with the United Kingdom over two islands off the Atlantic coast of Argentina that were still British territories at the time. After the conflict, the government renamed the tower Torre Monumental, although most locals still refer to it as the British Clock Tower. It is no longer safe to go up to the top, but there is a tiny exhibit inside the base of the tower displaying photos and a timeline of the tower's history. 

Thanks to the advice of a friend of a friend, one evening activity we made sure to do in Buenos Aires was a “closed-door” dining and wine tasting experience. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from that night, but I have to write about it because it was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Casa Coupage is literally in a home in which you get a “private dining experience.” It involves a multi-course tasting menu, paired with wine tastings to compliment each specific course. A reservation is required, and they are only taken beginning at 8:30pm Tuesday through Sunday (a bit of a reflection of South American culture). We ended up going with a couple of couples (who have each become amazing friends to both Tom and myself) after a show in our second week in Buenos Aires.

When the taxi driver stopped at the correct address, we were slightly concerned. It looked as though we were dropped off at an old apartment building. There were no signs, no open windows or doors, and no telling where we actually were. All we could do was ring the buzzer, and hope we weren’t lead astray to a random city home. Thankfully we were let in and asked to confirm our reservation. It was a home, and the front sitting room, living room, and dining room were all full of family kitchen-style tables decked with beautiful cutlery. Phew. We’re in the right place! We had a personal server, and chose the chef’s tasting menu (with probably one or three too many wine tastings J).

The entire evening was just amazing. In addition to delectable local food and drink, we were given scent tests, where we got to guess a specific scent that can either be drawn out of a specific wine, or is used in their gourmet cooking. I’ll just say we never guessed correctly. Some new foods I tried included duck meatballs, braised rabbit, and combinations of small dishes like fennel, salmon, and corn puree. 

At a point we realized the time to be 1:30am. Our reservation began at 9:30pm. Everything was so relaxed and enjoyable; we had no idea that much time had passed. The culture here does not promote fast food or rushed lines to get in and out of a restaurant. It promotes the enjoyment of time together, often over a meal or good wine. It does not matter how fast the food comes, or how fast the check comes when finished. Restaurants will never rush a table of people out, and people here are not worried about their “to-do” list for the next day. Conversations last, and people enjoy simply being together in good company. I won’t say I never got frustrated with much slower service than we are used to in the States, but I do think there is richness and wisdom behind the values and priorities of this culture. The enjoyment of our night at Casa Coupage is a perfect example of that.

Remember the “Comision y Archivo Provincial De La Memoria” I wrote about in Cordoba? Well, after seeing that and learning so much about the military rule in the late 1970’s, we had to visit the largest detention center of the “disappeared” in Buenos Aires. It seemed especially pertinent after becoming friends with someone who had a close relative “disappear” during that regime. 

Formerly a Naval Academy, these grounds were turned into a detention center in the late 1970’s when Argentina underwent forced military rule. It is now the National Archive of Memory for the epidemic of disappeared persons during that regime. I would recommend the two-hour tour to anyone with the chance to go and a readiness for an eye-opening and emotional day; survivors of the epidemic lead tours. We unfortunately could not work it into our schedule, but we were able to walk the grounds and see the memorial for ourselves. It is quite well done, and a solemn reminder of that common human struggle that may come with standing up for what one believes in.

If you want to know more about the military regime 1976-1983 and the disappeared in Argentina, see my post No Olvidar para No Repetir from Cordoba. 

Thirty-three shows in the glorified Luna Park: Fifteen days of tiny hallways, uneven stairs and ramps creating a fun-house maze to get to our backstage ice. Three weeks of slanted ceilings that prevent one from standing up all the way (or just hitting your head every time you stand up), and a completely lost concept of personal space. Fifteen days of knocking knees or bumping heads as we put on our skates, jumping jacks with our arms only reaching a quarter of the way out, and accidentally running into crew equipment as we warm up. Fifteen days of excessive heat and sweat, one bathroom to share, and maybe an inch of built up ice making a tiny ramp to slide (or slip) onto the backstage ice.

Luna Park certainly has its challenges; some different from anything I’ve ever experienced before. Yet, I wouldn’t trade the experience of performing here for anything. Built in the 1930’s, the building itself is a Historic National Monument in Argentina, and it still somehow holds up through the hundreds of major touring concerts and shows that come there. It was built as an open-air building (the roof was added later), and was primarily a venue for boxing matches. Other events, concerts, and live shows took place there as well (the most exciting to me being a charity event at which Evita first met Juan Peron), and it has been an icon in the city since its construction.

On some occasions, while standing on a busy street corner and trying to decipher a wide-open, old-fashioned paper map, and friendly local will ask where I'm trying to go and prove to be extremely kind in helping me get there. This occurred on one of our days off in Buenos Aires, as Tom and I were looking for the nearest Subte (Subway station). Juan (and we all laughed when he introduced himself and said, "Of course my name is Juan, right?) told us he is a doctor of Chinese medicine; he is originally from Argentina, but had studied in both the United States and China before moving and settling in Buenos Aires. He not only told us where the Subte was, but also gave us many more suggestions for what to see and enjoy in Buenos Aires. As we hadn't started out the day with a real plan, following Juan's suggestions made for an awesome afternoon. 

One of his suggestions was to see the Agriculture Fair of Argentina. A fair? Like... a State Fair? But for the whole country? Of course we southern gringos had to go. According to Juan, it had only opened recently and had exhibitions of the best cattle in the country. This has some major significance, considering Argentina is known to have the best beef in the world. 

At some points, the fair seemed to have a little taste of home - as if I was back at my all-time favorite NC State Fair. But then we'd turn the corner and be reminded that we were still in South America. Some of the highlights include... 

• Animal houses with the healthiest looking cows I've ever seen; sheep, chickens, and llamas, too.
• Exhibitions on the culture and landscape of various areas of Argentina.
• The worst renditions of Mickie and Minnie Mouse I've ever seen (just outside the fair entrance). Sorry, Disney... 
• Endless food stands with freshly cut beef, chorizos, and homemade cheese.
• Tango dancers
• Extreme driving courses for Ford and Toyota trucks... on which you could pay to sit in the passenger seat.

That's right... South America never ceases to surprise me. 

I can't say it is a normal outing for me to go and walk around a huge cemetery on a day off. 

Cemeterio Recoleta is different. I would even go as far to say it is more like an outdoor museum full of the history of the lives of many Argentinian people (famous or not), beautiful stone architecture, true examples of the beliefs and practices of all kinds of people, and countless amounts of symbolism for life, death, love, and hope. 

Cemeterio Recoleta is fenced in amongst a district of the city called Recoleta (Recoleta meaning north, it almost has a similar feel to the upper East side of New York City). The surrounding streets of Recoleta prove to be a very nice part of Buenos Aires, with high-end apartment buildings, tons of shops, cafes, restaurants, and a prominent mall. The cemetery itself covers five blocks in both length and width, and contains an extensive grid of pathways that interweave the thousands of mausoleums that stand there. (A mausoleum, according to webster dictionary -- I had to look it up -- is typically a large stone building with places for the deceased bodies of one or often several people. Think tombstone turned small house.) 

The grounds of Cemeterio Recoleta were established in 1822 by the government at the time, and initially only people of the Catholic faith could be buried there. It wasn't until 1863 that people of all faiths were allowed to be buried there. To the left of the entrance is a Catholic chapel, but one will find statues, carvings, and engravings that involve symbolism from various faiths throughout the grounds. 

The most intriguing find was the mausoleum of Eva Peron (Evita) and her family members (any local in Buenos Aires will tell a first-time tourist to see it). It is lined with plaques that portray her services to Argentina, and it is obvious how much Argentinians love and are fascinated by her life and work. We also saw the grave sites of several Argentinian presidents, famous writers, artists, and other political figures. We opted out of the one-hour tour (offered in both Spanish and English), and ventured around on our own with the map of the grounds. I don't think my photos will truly do the place justice, but hopefully you can get the sense of how grand and beautiful Cemeteria Recoleta is. 

La Boca is a shipyard neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Appropriately named La Boca, or "The Mouth," it was the city's original port of entry for immigrants. Thus, it is a melting pot of influence from Italian, Spanish, and many other European cultures. These days, it is a major tourist destination by day, and a culture of its own by night. It is a mecca for street art, tango, and avid soccer fans. The buildings are alive with color and art. Though it is a bit far from the heart of the city, it is definitely worth seeing if ever in Buenos Aires.

One of my favorite afternoons here was spent wandering the streets of La Boca with friends, discovering the street art, and enjoying possibly the most delicious mid-day feast I've had in a long time. It might sound cheesy, but as we enjoyed the live guitar and singing of a single musician, the freshest grilled meat and vegetables with homemade made chimichurri sauce, we had to give ourselves a reality check and recognize how fortunate we all really are to have such a wonderful day in the middle of the week. 

If you ever find yourself in Buenos Aires, you must go to a tango show. The tango style of dance originated in Buenos Aires, and there are tango clubs, schools, and shows scattered all throughout the city.

I would suggest reading customer reviews of the many options for dinner and show. Most venues that offer this are geared towards tourists, but some may be more of a “tourist trap” than others. Tuesday night after arriving, a huge group of our cast and crew all went to dinner and a show together. It was extremely nice of one of our office staff to set up the whole thing for us. Madero Tango is right on the waterfront of Buenos Aires, and the deal includes a three-course dinner, unlimited wine, a tango show with a live band, and a tango lesson following the show! While this particular tango show is not an experience in which you will find yourself among locals, it is a good experience regardless.    

This particular show included a cast of about 14 dancers, a live band, and a bit of an interactive history lesson about Buenos Aires. The stage is beautiful, and we were served dinner at the many rows of tables set up in front of the stage. I personally thought the show itself was fantastic. The dinner was actually delicious, and the wine was even better ;). The performers taught our tango lesson after the show, during which we learned the basic steps of the tango. Every variation of movement in tango is built upon the count of eight and count of five that we learned! The tango performers found out why our ridiculously large group was in Buenos Aires, and so we got them discount tickets to come and see our show! On the night they came to watch us, it was almost a contest to see how many times we could sneak the tango steps in between our own choreography. It made for a fun show. 

We arrived in Buenos Aires Monday evening, July 14. A two-hour flight delay, and no power in our hotel upon arrival made for an interesting travel day. Yet, after a couple free drinks from the hotel bar (as to make up for no power in our rooms), and a good night’s sleep, it was wonderful to wake up to working lights, and know we (the performers, at least) had three entire days off to explore this amazing city before Opening the show.

There are so many things to see and do in Buenos Aires; it is definitely overwhelming at first. We are staying in Plaza de Mayo, right in the middle of the Microcentro District, which is the central business district of the city. Many office, retail, and government buildings are just steps beyond our hotel. Plaza De Mayo may sometimes be referred to as the "City Center," and is surrounded by beautiful government buildings, including the famous "Casa Rosada." 



"Casa Rosada," or "Pink House" is where the president and her cabinet work each day. It is equivalent to the United States White House, aside from the fact that the president does not actually live there. The balcony facing the plaza is the one from which Eva Peron (Evita), and many other politicians have addressed the Argentinian people. It is pretty cool to walk by it in person every day, after seeing its theatrical depiction in the set of the Broadway musical Evita. 

There are many more districts and neighborhoods that make up this beautiful city, each with its own characteristics. We have three weeks of shows here, with several days off - I am so excited to experience all that Buenos Aires has to offer!!  

On our final day off in Cordoba (the Monday between rehearsals and Opening the show), six of us got into two taxis, and took a day vacation to the most popular tourist site in Cordoba. About a 40-minute drive away (taxi's are relatively VERY inexpensive here), it was fun to see a lot of the outskirts of Cordoba on the drive alone. 

The small town called Villa Carlos Paz surrounds a large body of water, and reminds me of tourist towns such Niagra Falls; Gatlinburg, TN;or even parts of Myrtle Beach, SC (just not on a beach). The main drag is a cobblestone street with tons of restaurants and touristy shops. Across the water is a famous "CuCu Clock," which we discovered does not actually tell the time accurately. The waterfront is nothing too spectacular, but it was great to get away from from our hotel area for day and enjoy a new area. The most fun of the day came from the company of those we went with, and having another stray dog follow us around for hours. We named him Janky. He refused actual dog treats when we bought a few for him, though he probably would have eaten an empanada.