San Telmo

San Telmo is the oldest suburb of BA. It was a Mariners hangout, and full of bars, brothels and houses of ill refute in years back. Certainly, it was Tango Country, and still is filled with Tango Schools, Tango Milongas (Schools),

Tango shows, etc. Today’s houses are no longer the brothels of years back but much quieter, refurbished places, even posh in some spots and the area is quaint and there are plenty of stuffy Antique stores.
Every Sunday, for more than 9 blocks off the Plaza de Mayo, along Defensa Street, BA has a flea market.

It all started as an Antique market but has developed into much more today. Officially the start of the market is the Plaza Dorrego, yet we saw it continue on and on down Defensa St.
This Sunday, rain is promised to break the temperatures of 34 C + (98F) and to cool things down. Rain also means I would have fewer people to bump into, fewer vendors too, but I felt some would still be there. So it was a good day to go and visit. I packed my little red, cheap back pack with water, some tissues that can double as toilet paper and off we go.

Walking to the seven blocks to the Subte is now routine and we know how it works. Our Subte takes us to Cathedral, the end Station. We step out and yes, we look up and watch for bird droppings. The gods are with us; we are not bombarded by birds but after crossing the Plaza de Mayo, at the beginning of Defensa Street, are mobbed by people. Somehow they must not have heard about the weather forecast, most of BA seems to be here.

It is crowded. And this is the summer vacation period for most Porteños. Many locals are not even here as they are on vacation. Police have roped off the street and amazingly it seems very organized.

The merchandize you ask? From A to Z, whatever you can think of is here. You will find from the nutty to the sublime, from kitsch to treasure. It is all in the eye of the beholder. Not a lot of haggling happens here. The price listed is what you pay or you keep on walking. Is it cheap? I don’t know, but it is fun!

I see colorful running shoes (sneakers), airy sandals for the ladies, I see jewelry, smoking Joes (incense burners),

paintings, hats, dresses, musical performers, Tango platforms with dancing, and on and on it goes. The street is long and packed. I find an electric outlet that allows me to plug in my US based plug and buy it for 15 Pesos. I keep on walking. Then I stand still to hear the wonderful performance of a classical guitarist who is fantastic. Even the locals rush to buy his CDs and I buy one for 30 Pesos. All of this stuff goes into my knapsack.

It is hot, no clouds in the sky, the sun beating down on me. The road is cobblestone, so walking is precarious, watch how you put your foot down. There are holes; there might be dog poop on the street. The sidewalks are occupied by the vendors, the visitors walk in the middle of the street, and no shade for the walkers, it is hot. I drink some water. About midway to the Plaza Dorrego a man seems rushing in a raincoat; necktie up in the air, glasses askew in a panicky hurry.

It is a performer, but he is good and makes it look ‘real’ even though he is standing still. He was joined in his performance by another shopper mimicing his actions.
We see a man selling wooden utensils and buy a salad fork and a spoon; both carved out of rare woods and add them to my collection in my knapsack. On the corner stands a man with a gizmo that can make sounds like a rooster in the morning. I pass on that. A bit further, a Tango performance is in progress, a passerby, a Japanese lady, dances with a Porteño and they are both good.

And on and on Carol and I walk. While we started off at about 10 AM it is now about 1.30 PM and time to sit down someplace and rest our bones. It is hot! No rain in sight, not even a cloud. We try to get into a good looking small restaurant, but the door is closed. We look through the glass and yes, a man asked us what we would like and naturally we said, a table for two and he slammed the door in our faces and walked away. Is it rude? Yes, Very rude! But that too can be part of BA. BA is a mix of extremely nice and very opinionated people. We walked on to find another place and did find a restaurant right on Plaza Dorrego. We just sat down, drank some mineral water and I ordered a sandwich. It was good to hang up my knapsack, take my sunhat off and stretch out.
The activities in the restaurant were typical BA, too.

An artist was charcoal sketching a group of 4 at the next table. Two ladies traded the latest neighborhood news one table over and even took this photo of us. Ah, it felt good to be out of the sun, to sit down. The activities around us are abuzz. It is a constant coming and going. A busy place!

Having sat such for some time, we got up and walked one more time around the Plaza, but…. the heat was too great. We walked away for some blocks and took a taxi back to the Subte station and took the train back to our stop at Plaza Italia. Coming out to street level I noticed I had left my knapsack at the restaurant, yes, along with all my new buys. I have no hope in getting any of it back. Naturally it was stupid of me and I blamed my aging brain but it was hot, too.
It never rained that day, I wish it had. I might not have been so worn out and felt so miserable about losing my cheap knapsack.

La Cabrera

Famous for its Beef, Argentina does not only export it but eats it as well. In Palermo Soho, our part of town while we are here, are many Restaurants. So we have been asking folks: “Do you know a good place to have dinner?” Fodor’s has a list of good places, but so do people that have visited BA before us. Fodor’s top choice is the Grillado & Bar named La Cabrera, a place only 5 blocks away from where we live now.
Friends too told us about this place, so Carol and I made it a point to forgo all the other good looking places around us and specifically seek out La Cabrera. www.parrillalacabrera.com.ar
We had already learned that people eat late in BA, it is not unusual to eat dinner at 10 PM and a dinner lasts usually for a couple of hours so that means ending the day with a full stomach and going to bed around midnight or later. Not good for older folks like us so we opted to be there at their 8:30 PM opening, especially since we did not have a reservation. This Restaurant is so good that reservations are recommended. Carol and I lucked out and a table was given to us on the outside, set up on the sidewalk as it is in Paris. The set up with a white table cloth, clean and sophisticated yet with a twist of rustic dining, added to the experience. The atmosphere was totally BA, Argentina. The weather was mild and the people around us were full of energy and excited spirits.

A young German guy and his partner took some pictures of us as we waited a few minutes before sitting down to dine. He told us he was working in Brazil and heard about La Cabrera so they flew in just to eat here. He was totally serious; the reputation of this Parrilla is worldwide.
So our expectations were high when the waiter gave us menus. A man of moderate means and one not to squander money on non essentials, I opted to just order the main course of ojo de bife and a salad. I was warned that the portions are large and that even a half a portion would be totally satisfying. I drank mineral water, yes with bubbles, with my meal and not the much offered wines. There is always room to order more if need be.
The service was good; our waiter spoke Spanish even though he knew we were from North America. He spoke English if we got stuck with words and answered in English if he felt we understood better but it was nice to be served in his language and not to be patronized as a tourist. I never felt rushed and once we ordered, after just sitting for a while drinking our waters, gawking at the passers bye, the meal came quickly and oh my, did it have eye appeal. The salad was served in a large bowl of pewter, brimming full of greens, tomatoes and onions, fresh and plentiful. Fine olive oil and balsamic vinegar accompanied the salad in appropriate bottles in a self-serve, make your own dressing kind of way.
The meat, sizzling, hot, simple but ever so tasty, on a wooden framed hot plate with a handle was grilled to perfection. Four small, mouthwatering side dishes in small containers were placed on a white napkin right on top of the wooden extension of the hot plate.

An assorted variety of unusual small delicacies served as vegetables, such as pumpkin puree with raisins, baked garlic cloves, egged eggplant, mixed couscous, marinated mushrooms, ground green olives, and even apple sauce. The servings were a display of creativity and simplicity yet sophistication. I have been in many places in my life that were impressive and La Cabrera, simple yet elegant can hold its own among them. I was duly impressed.
Yes, I recommend this place to anybody visiting BA. Please make reservations through the website I gave you above, it makes for a better table, for a better experience. The proprietors need to be commended on a job well done in the culinary arts.
And…… the best until last….. All of it tasted
Devine!