You know that you are slowly becoming a resident of a city when you are able to show someone around and feel like its home. It’s nice to show someone your favorite restaurants, the best places to get sweets, your weekend watering holes, and the top things you need to see in the city before you leave.
Nick arrived last Thursday for a 10 day vacation. After a long (about 16hr) but relaxing business class flight he arrived just in time to get those jet lag legs moving and to stroll around my favorite place in the city, the Palermo lakes region and rose garden. We got an amazing steak sandwich from my favorite road-side stand, it’s a large thin piece of steak topped with grilled onions, a fried egg and cheese….mmmm. After a brief nap, we went to Buhler Brewing for their 8.5% Honey Beer and some empanadas then to meet some friends from school at Noa Bar for some Argentine wine and better empanadas. Friday, we acted like real tourists and took the big yellow Buenos Aires tourist bus. It was a great way to get across the whole city and see all the sights in one day, but was a bit disappointing in the lack of information as well. I took Nick to 1810, for a traditional Argentine lunch of cazuelas. The evening was spent learning Tango! I had taken a few classes prior at Vos and with my Argentine roommate Jess, but it was fun to learn with him. We were the best dancers in the beginner class (wink, wink, ha ha). We stayed a bit to watch the milonga afterwards then headed to the expat bar near home for a night cap. Boy did we get a surprise at the Alamo, it was $30 pesos to get in and they gave you a drink ticket to take to the bar. I gave the bartender both our tickets and he asked if we wanted the “Cerveza grande,” why not? I think they drained half the keg into the pitcher. Since it was already late for us, we had about 5 of the beer, we made some Argentine’s night by giving them the rest (about 8 beers worth). Such good Sheppard’s we are.
Saturday, we got up late morning headed to a typical Argentine breakfast of café and medaluna (a type of croissant). Then we headed out to the Recoletta cemetery to see the “only place in BsAs that sleeps,” as Nick would like to say. The second time the tombs were still impressive. We strolled through the Feria Recoletta, a crafts fair, the Museo de Bellas Artes, over to the Floralis Generica, plaza Serrano for some shopping and drinks, then strolled home to relax before dinner at La Cholita, my favorite place for a giant steak dinner. Of course I let Nick order the 5 pounds of steak while I ordered the veggies, in an attempt to make the meal healthier. Delicious; either way. We decided to end the night in the neighborhood of Las Cañitas in Palermo, for some drinks in a bar straight out of medieval times, minus the flea infested rats, and the Soul Café, a bar with an afro-man on the sign and giant dice hanging from the ceiling. I have found a drink that Nick doesn’t like, well 2, the first being Fernet and coke (which I don’t like either, a nasty bitter licorice drink) and the second which I love, Gancia and limon (an Italian liquor that is still a bit bitter, but delicious with fresh lemon juice and sugar).
Sunday, we made our way to the leather market in the Villa Crespo neighborhood then the outlet area, after we walked again around the Palermo Lakes area then to a delicious lunch at a tea house in Palermo Chico. The night was spent on an all night first class bus to Mendoza; I hope that I can finally give you some good wine advice.
*I will post more photos on facebook after our trip to Mendoza and the rest of Nick's time in Argentina
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