Buenos Aires

After a later than planned arrival with flight delays we finally checked in - found a lovely café virtually over the road with superb service and food.

The following morning we planned our attack as we had breakfast. A guide book, the hotel map, stout shoes and a day’s walking.
We set off to find:
Tetra Colons (National Theatre), completely under scaffolding and fences under repair and Tetra Cevantes – another historic theatre – amazing mosaic tiled entrance, through the slits in the doors we could see red plush carpet and curtains.
Tribunals – Palaces de Justices – this is indeed a palace to the Justices. Vast spaces, large tiled areas and many floors. Although we passed through security metal screens as we entered we simply walked around and got as far as the third floor and large galleries with historic legal documents on display before we were challenged about our cameras and requested to go no further. Well worth the trouble.
Cathedral – a rather plain building from the outside, gothic columns and a freeze at the top, however inside it is magnificent. Large central church, multitudinous side chapels, the mausoleum to General San Martin, an organ loft and a dedicated prayer chapel. Mass was being celebrated as we visited and the music and candles added to the atmosphere.
Casa de Gobierno – the president’s palace. The building itself is a pink colour and out the front is a $101m construction site. It’s hard to see exactly what is planned from the work to date and we didn’t find an artists picture.
Government buildings - again these are also under renovation
We also passed the Defence /Army buildings, the Ministry of Economic Development building s before walking to Galerias Pacifico – a large upmarket shopping mall. The building was completed in 1908 and is now a national treasure. It has a massive central dome which when the Pacifico railroad owned the building in 1945 they commissioned murals below the dome. These murals were restored in 1978.

The final stretch took us to the Monument San Martin, and also the Palace de San Martin which now hosts the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The street was blocked off and the red carpets laid from the entrance – didn’t manage to find out who was expected but we were allowed to sneak in (across the red carpet) and take photographs.

Dropping down the hill found a Malvinas Memorial complete with two servicemen on honour duty, and a little further over a clock tower erected by the British a century ago. It’s in disrepair and the emphasis in on Argentina.

A number of the taller buildings resemble US skyscrapers of vintage architectural style. These coupled with historic styles and modern glass buildings make an interesting mix.

The final stop was the old railway station building before we tested the subway back to the centre of town. Very quick and efficient for $2.20 peso’s.

We’ll go the other way from the hotel tomorrow.