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These are from the Neo Classical period of the late 1800s |
Fri Jan 29 and Sat Jan 30
Buenos Aires is Latin America's third-largest city, but the centre is built on a grid system and is fairly manageable. The city's borders are the river Plata to the east and the Riachuelo river to the south, while to the west it's contained by Avenue General Paz. The heart of the city concentrates around the Plaza de Mayo . La Boca. is where Buenos Aires was founded in 1536. To the north are the leafy districts of Recoleta and Palermo. The city's main tourist office, Centro de Informacion Turistica , is at the intersection of Avenida Diagonal Roque Saenz Pena and Calle Avenida Florida (www.buenosaires.gov.ar).
After the first failed attempt to colonise the area where Buenos Aires now is, a second (and permanent) settlement was established in 1580 by Juan de Garay. During the British invasions of the Río de la Plata, British forces attacked Buenos Aires twice, in 1806 and 1807, but were repelled both times by local militias. Ultimately, on 25 May 1810, while Spain was occupied with the Peninsular War and after a week of mostly peaceful demonstrations, the criollo citizens of Buenos Aires successfully ousted the Spanish Viceroy and established a provisional government. 25 May is now celebrated as a national holiday (May Revolution Day). Formal independence from Spain was declared in 1816.
In addition to the wealth generated by the fertile pampas, railroad construction in the second half of the 19th century increased the economic power of Buenos Aires as raw materials flowed into its factories. Buenos Aires became a multicultural city that ranked itself with the major European capitals. You can see it in the Neo-Classical public buildings that dot the city today. The Colón Theater (closed for refurbishment when we were in BA) became one of the world's top opera venues. The city's main avenues were built during those years, and the dawn of the 20th century saw the construction of South America's then-tallest buildings and first underground system.
By the 1920s Buenos Aires was a favoured destination for immigrants from Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, as well as from Argentina's provinces and neighbouring countries. A number of Art deco buildings were constructed at that time, and again can still be seen. Shanty towns (villas miseria) started growing around the city's industrial areas during the 1930s, leading to pervasive social problems which contrasted sharply with Argentina's image as a country of riches. A second construction boom from 1945 to 1980 reshaped downtown and much of the city.
Buenos Aires was the cradle of Peronism: the now-mythologized demonstration of 17 October 1945 took place in Plaza de Mayo. Industrial workers of the Greater Buenos Aires industrial belt have been Peronism's main support base ever since, and Plaza de Mayo became the site for demonstrations and many of the country's political events; on 16 June 1955, however, a splinter faction of the Navy bombed the Plaza de Mayo area, killing 364 civilians . This was the only time the city was attacked from the air, and the event was followed by a military uprising which deposed President Perón, three months later.
The military coup of 1976, led by Jorge Rafael Videla, only escalated this conflict; the "Dirty War" resulted in 30,000 desaparecidos (people kidnapped and killed by the military during the years of the junta).The silent marches of their mothers (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) are a well-known image of Argentines suffering during those times.
In reality Buenos Aires' zenith was in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Since then, dictatorships and mismanagement of the economy have led to an impoverishment of the country. Today in Buenos Aires, the old building remains, but generally in a very bad state of repair. And the pavements are difficult to walk, as they suffer from an extreme lack of maintenance. If you just drive through the city it looks very green and pleasant, with wide roads and lots of trees. But once you start walking and see everything up close, you realise the poverty that underlies it all today.
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These are from the Neo Classical period of the late 1800s |
And the Art Deco buildings are still there too. This splendid cafe was close to our hotel. We had the (large) set afternoon tea, whose quality was not good, but eaten in surroundings that we have not experienced in many other places. Trouble is the the Portenos really, really like a sweet milk concoction (Dulche de Leche, which is a baked condensed milk) in anything and everything
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The detritus of the Falklands War can still be seen with the encampments outside the presidential palace in 25th May Square.
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Everywhere there seems to be graffiti. Indeed some of it is so ubiquitous that the perpetrators use stencils as above, in order to mass produce it. The authorities seem to have long since decided not to both removing it.
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By chance we happened on a door that led into the Presidential Palace - Casa Rosada. And the building was open to the public - well you had to go through the obligatory metal detector, but once past that we were escorted round the building by uniformed soldiers complete with shakos and epaulettes. You get to stand on "the balcony" where Eva Perón waved to the crowds, and you feel a bit of the history of the place.
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We walked to the Recoleta Cemetery, one of the tourist sights in Buenos Aires, both because it is a quite memorable city of the dead, and also because it contains Eva Peron's grave: I found it impossible to know whether so many foreigners would have looked at her grave had it not been for "Don't Cry for me Argentina".
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We took the Subte back from Recoleta. The underground or "subte" was opened in 1914. One of the lines appeared to be running the original carriages, complete with these wooden seats, and those windows that are held open with a leather strap
After that our trip to Argentina was over. One curious feature of the streets are the "dog walkers" exercising the pets of apartment dwellers who are out at work and do not have the time themselves.
Time to go home
Raco de Buenos Aires on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Mon Feb 15 Day in BA Fly back at 14.20 on IB6842
Tues Feb 16 Get into Madrid 06.10, on to Alicante 11.10 on IB364, arriving Alicante at 11.10