Post by Grubb. A little more than a century ago La Boca was the port that saw hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrive. Second only to New York at that time for grand relocation, it differed in that there was no Ellis Island to filter the newcomers. Walking around the streets it certainly seems the…
The wide glide
Post by Grubb Yesterday I learned quickly that if I was to make it through the Boca Junior crowds without losing sight of our tour guide I would be wise to follow the big guy. He was like a locomotive nosing its cattle catcher through the herd; people spilled off on either side to avoid…
Working class Pietá
Post by Grubb. While we were trekking towards the La Boca Junior futbol stadium I had to pause and admire some socialist street art. Okay, it’s not van der Weyden’s “Descent from the Cross”, but the emotion is still there, and it’s not a parody so much as a heartfelt expropriation. There’s a lot of…
A colorful day
Post by Ella. La Boca (“ the mouth”), one of the oldest barrios in Buenos Aires, sits at the mouth of the Matanza River. Ages ago it was a busy port but as ships grew in size, the small port of La Boca grew quiet. Now there is only a cleaning project. Come back in…
Cemetery of the select
Post by Grubb Long blocks of outdoor cafes across from high fortress-like walls, crowds of people lining up at the entrance, street vendors yelling out in Spanish, I could be in Seville outside the Royal Alcázar, but here in Buenos Aires we’re joining a small group walking tour ready to explore the Recoleta Cemetery. No…
A few pics
Today was La Boca, a colorful neighborhood by day, but don’t get caught there after dark. I will write a longer post a little later on La Boca but for now, here are a few pics from atop the Museo Benito Quinquela Martín (the guy who painted La Boca).
Let’s talk cash
Post by Ella Local currency in Argentina is ARS (Argentine pesos, but also uses the $ symbol which is sometimes confusing). In Argentina, there are several currency exchange rates the official (government/bank) rate, the market rate, the blue dollar rate, the rate your credit card will give you (and it’s different for different cards). Example rates…
Swift holiday entrance
Post by Grubb. After flying ten hours nodding off between binging episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Curse” this Norte Americano zombie was happily surprised at how efficient passport control was at Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport. Busy with Easter Weekend travelers, the terminal had an easy flow that put entrepôts like Heathrow to shame….
Argentina
Here we go. We arrived in Buenos Aires this morning. We will be here about a week then toddling on and around until May 2. Our route is below. A little crazy zig-zaggy but hey, it all made sense when we were planning it. Sizzling carne a la parilla, cheesy matambre a la pizza, sweet…
30 Days on the road
Post by Ella. “It was too short, wasn’t it?”. That’s what Grubb and I always remark to each other at the end of a trip. Somehow, it always is too short. Because I can never see everything or get the total measure of the nature of a place. We’ve made our almost final hop. From…
Walking the Newport walk
Post by Grubb. Monday, with one last look at the sea, we did the Newport Cliff Walk. This asphalt path along the coast was made for tourists. Pursuing their promenade, their heads can swivel between cliff top ocean views and voyeuristic peeks at the backyards of the rich or, even better, the campus grounds of…
Lobster and old synagogues
Post by Ella. The Newport harbor area, where we went after the Cliff Walk (see Grubb’s post), was packed. Tour busses galore, two cruise ships parked in the outer harbor, lines of people waiting for harbor cruises (or maybe they were waiting to be ferried out to one of the humongous cruise ships). We were…
Not a mental institution
Post by Grubb. The drive we took on Sunday from Sunderland, Vermont to Providence, Rhode Island got us into Providence late in the afternoon. This gave us enough time to twist our way through the cramped downtown streets and visit the museum at the Rhode Island School of Design before it closed at five. RISD…
MOCA in the mountains
Post by Grubb. Why the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is located in North Adams, Massachusetts only Ella can tell you because, well, I was going to say I don’t have a clue, but I think abandoned factory space might be one of the reasons. The town is in the Berkshires and has a lot…
Mass MOCA
Post by Ella. After sweet, pastoral Vermont, we crossed the state line into busy Massachusetts arriving at the Mass MOCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams. As we wove our way around decrepit, foreboding prison-like brick buildings to find the entrance, I wondered what awaited inside. The site has a long history. The…