Day 2 – Don’t cry for me Argentina

Pope Franciscus I, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Che Guevara, the football players  (or soccer players) Messi and Maradona are just a few of the most famous Argentines.

In Maradona’s Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, we have a first stop on our way to Patagonia. Buenos Aires means good air, good winds, and indicates good weather. At least on this chapter of our journey, we don’ t need to worry about the weather ... you would think.

We landed earlier this morning under an almost cloudless sky but during breakfast,  the sky completely changed. Worse, the passers-by have all opened their umbrellas.

No lovely weather for us today in Buenos Aires.

And the worst thing is that all our visits are outside. There's a city tour on the program with stops at the most important places of Buenos Aires. The weather forecast is that it would start to rain heavily in the afternoon with temperatures above 20 °. Most of us are dressed in T-shirt with the obligatory sweatshirt and a rain jacket. If we get on the bus at 9 am, it starts raining heavily. Oops, that was not quite what was predicted. That promises for our first stop, the cemetery of Recoleta. This cemetery is a bit like our Schoonselhof in Antwerp or Pere Lachaise in Paris. The place where the rich and famous residents of the city find their final resting place in tombs that are architectural delights in itself.

We are looking for the grave of Maria Eva Duarte. That name  might not say anything to you, but when I tell you that she was married to Juan Peron, this will ring a bell. Yes, we are looking for the final resting place of Eva Peron, affectionately called Evita by a section of the population. Juan and Evita Peron were the leaders of the working class and therefore revered by them for what they have done for them. Eva was like a modern Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Not that I want to damage the image of Evita, but when giving to the poor, something sometimes sticked to her hands. And that something is now on bank accounts in Switzerland. But apart from this, the Peron's were able to leave their mark on a more social Argentina and the country was steered away for a while from total dictatorship. Evita died at the age of 33 due to cancer.

The most famous song from the musical Evita, is 'Don’t cry for me Argentina’. Today Argentina has massively cried. When standing at the tomb of Evita, rain is poaring down and we are treated to anincredible sound and light show in the form of a roaring thunderstorm.

We simply drown, everyone is soaking wet. Not fun. We stumble (or swim) back to the bus but for most of us, this is enough. Time to move on to Plan B. At the end of our trip through Patagonia, we are expected back in Buenos Aires and we can give it another try. Buenos Aires is indeed often compared to Paris, which is probably true if you see the architecture but charming I will  not call it yet.

Whit the bus we explore the wealthy neighborhood of Buenos Aires where you will find, among other, embassies in stately homes. And  we drive on the  Avenida 9 de Julio, which is the widest street in the world since 1936. The sidewalks are nearly 140 meters apart. Impressive.

To warm up, we go to the grand café Toroni, the oldest café in Buenos Aires and voted one of the most beautiful in the world.  And very popular… there is a big queue in front of it.  But once inside, it certainly pays off. It still has the stately grandeur of yesteryear. A truly grand café.

The rest of the day is spent lounging. After all, the weather is not very attractive to do many things. A little stroll to Florida, the shopping street of Buenos Aires with the beautiful shopping center that was built in magnificent architecture.

Buenos Aires, we love to to see you back soon, so we can finally enjoy all your beauty.