In October 2010 I went to Argentina – mainly Buenos Aires. For some reason I’d been wanting to go visit Buenos Aires for sooo long, years even – and I finally made it – from London to Madrid to Buenos Aires…it took forever, but so worth it!
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It’s beautiful, beautiful, beautiful – perfect combination of Latin American passion and vibrant colour, Mediterranean European sophistication and culture, fabulous weather, gorgeous nature and scenery…I could go on forever!
The city of Buenos Aires was first established as “Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre” (literally “City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds”) after Our Lady of Bonaria (Patron Saint of the capital of Sardinia, Cagliari) on 2 February 1536 by a Spanish expedition led by Pedro de Mendoza.
By the 1920s Buenos Aires was a favoured destination for immigrants from Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, as well as from Argentina’s provinces and neighbouring countries.
When you think Buenos Aires you think:
- Tango
- Eva Peron
- Football
- Maradona
- Wine
- Steak
- Beautiful women
- Polo & Horses
- Shopping
- Late night clubbing
- Ice Cream
And yup – you bet, its all true – BA ticks every single one of those boxes!
I visited the Recoleta cemetary in Buenos Aires to pay homage to the grave of Eva Maria Duarte de Peron – the former First Lady of Argentina.
I went to the La Boca neighbourhood (living in the hospitable and wonderful neighbourhood of Palermo though) and saw the tango dancers on the street and the gorgeously colourful houses!
And I even had the pleasure of getting to play polo at the beautiful La Martina ranch (call it an “Estancia”) and trying the patience of the lovely Juanjo who was burdened with trying to teach me polo – before heading to a party at the La Dolfina store where they were presenting their new collection with the one and only Adolfo Cambiaso – definitely turned me into a huge polo fan:
