We spent our ninth and final day in Buenos Aires as we began the trip: enjoying the Feria de San Telmo, the massive outdoor fair where vendors sell paintings, leather product, tango lessons, antiques and more. Indeed, we opted to return to our favorite restaurant of the trip: the basque restaurant Sagardi, which is located just off the main street of the fair.
We used all of our available pesos except for what we would need for the taxi to the airport. We bought handmade chess sets, wallets, purses, incense, and other items that overstuffed our luggage. We also stopped at Freddo, an amazing ice cream shop. With the city’s heavy influence from Italians, they know how to make gelato. I had the Chocolate Freddo and it was to die for.
We had aged beef at Sagardi, which was incredible. You can also stop in to have the Argentine version of tapas. By the way, they bring to the table small chorizo sausages that were hands down the best in the city.
Earlier we also spotted into Grand Cru, one of the best wines shops in Buenos Aires and purchased five bottles of top Argentinian wines. You can pack the bottles in your carry on. Remember to ask the store to give you the tax-free forms. They print out the forms and you have to go to a counter in the airport to have them stamp the receipts. You then go upstairs to a different counter and they will return the tax that you paid to your card. It was all very quick.
We left entranced by Buenos Aires with its wonderful music, food, and most importantly its music. We found Argentinians to be incredible people who love to show outsiders their unique city. We left that evening with a few extra pounds and a lot of new friends. We cannot wait to return to Buenos Aires.
Professor, your coverage of Buenos Aires has convinced me I should visit that city.
We left entranced by Buenos Aires with its wonderful music, food, and most importantly its music. We found Argentinians to be incredible people who love to show outsiders their unique city. We left that evening with a few extra pounds and a lot of new friends.
America’s First World culture and traditions:
music….vapid, vulgar and unimaginative
food….guaranteed to make you as big as a blimp
Americans idea of friends and community…..Facebook and internet forums
When we visit other countries we marvel how people interact face to face in piazzas/plazas, cafes and markets, meals serve as reasons to listen, learn, be stimulated and laugh with others, and the sense of sharing, being friendly and love of cultural traditions are a given.
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn’s “A World Split Apart” speech delivered in 1978 at Harvard University was our warning.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WuVG8SnxxCM
Glad you et ux enjoyed the trip. Nightlife sounded great but the rest was a tad too third world for me. I’ll stick with the Occidentals north of the equator.
I can’t believe you left Argentina ONE day before the total solar eclipse that can be seen in Argentina. My wife and I almost went just for that.