Three months. Had it already been three months? I don't think we've ever lived in a place where time seemed to fly past so quickly. It felt as though we had just arrived and yet, there we were with bags packed. After a week-long vacation on the Paraná Delta, we were going to hop on a plane for Bolivia, our next destination.
With its shelves stacked with books, soda bottles and photographs from years past, La Poesía is a bar beautiful enough to truly deserve its name.
One of the world's biggest book fairs takes place in Buenos Aires. We visited the 37th annual Festival Internacional del Libro, which brought together a million readers and 500 publishers from over 50 countries.
Fleeing the yellow fever which was devastating the city's southern barrios at the beginning of the 20th century, Buenos Aires' most wealthy families established fabulous residences around Retiro's Plaza San Martín. None were more extravagant than the Palacio Paz.
There's no reason to leave Buenos Aires to experience the different cultures of the world. So many people and cultures from all around the globe have established a strong presence here... the Bolivian neighborhoods of Liniers, Chinatown in Belgrano, the Italian heritage in La Boca, and Once with its Jewish population are just some of them. There's even a Valencian community which celebrates Fallas in Buenos Aires!
Compared to a lot of photographers I know, I have it pretty easy. Visiting so many new places all the time means I never have to sit around, waiting for inspiration. When you're in a new location and everything is novel to your eyes, finding interesting things to photograph is a piece of cake!
I can count on exactly one finger the number of times I've stood before a flower sculpture and thought to myself, "Now that is really fucking cool".
The geographic center of Buenos Aires is Caballito, a charming neighborhood with large green spaces, and well served by the Subte. Although it's not on the top of the normal tourist itinerary, this barrio has enough highlights to make it worth a trip.
Since opening a couple years ago, the closed-door pescaterian restaurant Casa Felix has built a name as one of the best dining experiences in the capital. Chef Diego Félix and his US American wife Sanra welcome guests into their charming Chicarita home for an evening of excellent cooking and conversation. In the garden and around the dining table, it's not uncommon for total strangers to quickly become friends.
Swirling, symmetrical lines and bright colors are the primary elements of fileteado, the most porteño of all arts. The decorative style can be seen everywhere in the capital, from store fronts to city buses, and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. We met one of Buenos Aires' most famous filete artists, Alfredo Genovese, at his studio in the barrio of Paternal.
