Buenos Aires

After a long time spent in the cold and wet surroundings of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, it was quite a change to be in Buenos Aires for a few days. A big city, about 30 degrees during the day, sunshine, a lot of people and a lot of cars and buses. A busy and lively city. I liked it. I liked seeing the Casa Rosada, and
thought about Evita there, the way most people do, I guess. I also thought about the mothers who used to stage their protest against all the disappearances there. The square still is the site for peope to protest against the things they don't agree with.



The city consists of wide avenues and narrow streets, with lots of small shops and cafés. The cafés are simply furnished, but the service is good and you can get good food there. The people look elegant, and the place has the southern feel to it, partly because you see children in the streets until quite late. Tango is everywhere, the shows and the tango cafés, the music shops.



Buenos Aires is definitely not a European city, but at the same time in many respects it is. It has a strong southern European feel to it, because of the many European influences that helped shape the city and the nation in the past. And some parts reminded me of the modern European cities. The area around the docks, Puerto Madero, has been redeveloped, it now looks modern and expensive. All the warehouses have been converted into offices, lofts and hotels. It looks very much like the former docks of Amsterdam, London and Liverpool. And it boasts a bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Puente de la Mujer. And then there is a lovely museum ship, which reminds me of some other ship.