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.

Friday .. Then and Now

Fridays used to be such a longed for day ,a looked forward to day , going out with friends that night, maybe going away for the weekend, sleeping late, staying up late, relaxing and doing what we feel like.

In the Summer we would aim at Friday as the day that we would pile everything into the car and drive to the beach, where we would wear summer clothes, go barefoot and eat fresh fruit and fish and get sunburned and come home Monday night brown, relaxed and hating to go back to the Real World.

In Winter it meant maybe a drive Upstate, apple picking, pumpkin "picking, antiquing or just lolling in a four poster bed in an old Inn and driving around and admiring homes and wishing we could live in the "country".

Now we live in Buenos Aires.

There is no more Monday back to Work. No more driving anywhere unless we get the Taxi driver to do it for us and the only apple picking we do is at the Disco supermercado.

Summer is here, I miss the idea of a beach, even though I never lay in the sun anymore. Yes, those years of tans caught up with me.

So it is Friday, the main streets leading out of town are full of cars already, early in the day. Horns are honking , tempers flaring.

We flag down a taxi in front of our home and say Palermo Soho por favor and off we go !

We just wanted a change of scenery. It is always green on the streets of Palermo, welcome shade in the summer. Makes it more comfortable when you want to dawdle in front of the windows, that have so many interesting and sometimes just funny things in them.

This shop sells Everything your dog needs to be the Best Dressed Pup in BA. I didn't go inside but something told me that there would be nothing in Pup's size, but it was a laugh just looking at the window.
This is more the sort of thing Pup would appreciate if I brought it home. I might have to go back and pick up a Pup Stocking Stuffer here.

There are a few streets in Palermo that are mews. They call them Pasajes and I love them. Some are cobblestone, small private houses, with gardens and terraces on the roof, I sometimes consider living that way, but then we love our neighborhood and say no, we will stay here.





There are a lot of Artistic types living in Palermo. And some like using a large "canvas" wherever they can find it.


It was a nice day. We came home, grabbed Pup and took him to the parks, where our walk led us to the restaurant that serves a decent Bloody Mary. Then we ambled on home.. where we will stay in and relax until dark, when Ice Cream may tempt us to come out .
Have a good weekend !