Walking, Dancing, Marching, Honking & Banging on Pots

Today was one of those days.
In the winter when it gets grey and cold and damp, you forget just how amazing the skies are here, when the sun shines and the clouds are gone.
The skies were that blue again, that amazing blue that I will always think is only here, never this blue anywhere else.
There were a few clouds, white , fat , puffy things that came and went .. serving their purpose as a little contrast for the blue.
No wonder the Argentine flag is Blue and White.

We decided to get out and walk like we do when the weather is agreeable.
And walk we did. Miles.
My feet are no longer speaking to me and my back is considering going on strike.

We walked from our neighbourhood, down a quiet side street to another neighbourhood, called Palermo.
Palermo Botanico to be exact.
Once in Palermo , we wandered through the little streets, crammed with shops, and cafes and book stores and beauty parlors and pet shops and more cafes and   boutiques.
We walked down the little street that is divided by a small park with giant palm trees , where people can relax on benches and children can play in a tiny playground .. on an "island" between streets.

We went to the Evita Peron Museum.
Not to the Museum itself but the Cafe.
You can have just drinks, just dessert or a salad or a big meal, served by the nicest staff.
And all the while, listening to great music.
That is one thing we noticed as soon as we arrived here, the music they play in stores and restaurants and cafes. It is always good.
I like shopping at our Chinese market for the music too.
Mostly American songs from the 60's and 70's.
Yeah, that was me, on the pasta aisle, dancing .

We walked home along Libertador, the huge great avenue that leads to our house.
We had good appetites at dinner time, needless to say.
Then we got to enjoy the Protest.

Not to get into all the political this and that and whatevers, but everyone is unhappy with the Presidenta and they made it known tonight.
Starting at 8:00 pm, everyone who wanted to ( which means everyone ) took a pot or kettle or something similar and went outside and banged on it.
Taxis going down the streets, honked their horns ..
So you sort of have this cacophony of pots clang , clang, clanging while  horns toot, toot, tooting and then you have a few buses and trucks who let loose on air horns.
At first it is funny, then it is really ( at least for me) very touching. These people have been through so much, through the years, with their governments and people in charge and horrible things have happened and they are still cheerful, smiling, kind and ready to laugh and just want a President and government that will work for them. And when things don't work, they make themselves heard.
God Bless the People of Argentina, I love them all and I hope they don't need to bang anymore pots after this.

                                Another reason why it is easy to love Argentina .... the music.

Wherever you go, there you are ....

We spend our days walking.
We spend our walks talking.
We start slowly with many cups of coffee, perhaps a scone , then bundle up against the winter wind and off we go.
Some days, lately, have been bright and sunny and not quite so cold.
Those are the days that lift spirits that are a wee bit low from what seems like an endless winter.

Plans and anticipation for other places and other people cause anxiety and restlessness, best fought off by long walks and stops for hot tea and perhaps something sweet.
Evenings are spent with movies, catching up on last years Masterpiece Theatre, last years BBC specials and a few bloodthirsty television shows from Fox.
We snuggle in with pillows and soft blankets and watch television in a dark room.
We could be anywhere, New York, Florida, Oregon, but we are in Buenos Aires... Argentina.

Today gave a small hint of Spring .. there were more flowers in the trees and bushes.
I thought I found a cherry tree, covered in pink flowers, beautiful.. full of promise of warm sunny days .
The big, fat, white clouds skid across these impossibly blue skies  , it is chilly but you can sit at a cafe outside and turn your face to the sun and close your eyes and know it won't be long.
Summer will be here before you know it.

The birds are busy.
Doves are building nests outside the neighbours windows.
Parrots come down the boulevard, squawking and carrying on , now they like the tree outside our living room window.
I have lived here for over 5 years now, I still get excited when I see bright green parrots in the Plane trees outside the living room window.

The trees used to cheer me, they look so Paris-like.
Plane trees, planted here by plan by a Frenchman who lived here, worked here, planned parks and avenues and is buried here, in one of his parks.
Now the Argentine parrots live in the trees .. while ex-pats look out the windows and admire them.

I comfort myself with the chore of storing away all the memories as best I can, in photographs and writing it all down.
Some day, I will be so glad that I did.

Friday Photo

                   Winter in Buenos Aires

Today was Flag Day

I admit that we did not know until we realised that it was awfully quiet outside, there were no horns honking, no sounds of traffic or work being done somewhere.
It was quiet.
How very odd !
I looked out the French doors and there, across the street ... a flag on a balcony. Then a taxi went by, a flag on his antenna, more flags on more cars !
There you have it, Flag Day.

Most food shops and grocery stores were open, cafes and restaurants were open, there was something large and loud and musical happening at the park ..
Slowly we made our way to the shops, picked up goodies for dinner then having dropped those at home, decided to wander.

We are experts at wandering.
We decided down the block that it was a bit too cold and windy to wander far, so we just meandered .. This means we only went a few blocks, through another park, then home again to hot tea, scones and deciding what movie to watch tonight.

Yes, life as an ex-pat in Argentina can be almost   too exciting sometimes.

(flag photo taken by my husband)

Summers end

As we all know, nothing stays forever, nothing stays the same, everything changes, no matter how we try to keep them the same.
Loss and grief will only ease over time, new joy and adventures are always possible.
Summer is winding to an end , the nights are a tiny bit cooler, the air conditioning is needed less at night. Days continue to be sunny and bright, but in the parks you can see the trees are a bit dry looking, a bit brittle. ( I often feel a bit brittle myself)

The skies continue to be their glorious blue and the clouds still make me imagine I could walk on them if given the opportunity.
The Argentine flag is blue and white, was the amazing sky overhead the inspiration ?
Wherever we go , whatever we do in the future, our life here has been almost flawless in the aspect of enjoying every minute of living here.
No matter where I go or where we end up living next, I will always treasure the years we have been here .. the people we have met, the kindness of so many strangers.
There may be more beautiful places in the world, but I am not sure there are people who are more wonderful than the Porteños we meet each day .