there were monuments:
florales generica in the plaza de las naciones, in recoleta.this aluminum and stainless steel flower sculpture stands roughly 82 feet high, and it blooms every day: a system of light sensors and hydraulics draws the "petals" to close at sunset and opens them at 8am every day, except on may 25th ("may revolution day"), september 21 (the first day of spring), christmas eve and new years eve. i wish i'd caught it "sleeping."
the sculpture was donated by the argentine architect eduardo catalano one year after the 2001 financial crisis.
it's meant to represent hope for a "new spring."
the sculpture was donated by the argentine architect eduardo catalano one year after the 2001 financial crisis.
it's meant to represent hope for a "new spring."
this one, honoring 19th century president bartolome mitre, stands in the plaza mitre along avenida del liberator, in recoleta. 
this statue of eva peron, which stands in...the plaza evita, was dedicated 1999.i love the simplicity and the proportions of this one.
it is the only full-sized statue of a woman in all of buenos aires.
and majestic trees...
i read that there are around half a million deciduous and evergreen trees in buenos aires
and around 1500 palm-type trees.
i have a lot of photos of trees (not quite half a mil but) surely enough to merit a stand-alone post, as soon as i can attach a few names to them. we admired art:
o magico, 2001, by beatriz milhazes. at MALBA. (more on MALBA later)(and cooed over our equally artful lunch plates)
lomo (beef) salad at the cafe des arts at MALBA.and finally, in the evening, we enjoyed a live music and tango show...
the accordion of astor piazzolla! at the piazzolla theater... ***
early in the week, i started to contemplate themes for photo sets devoted to the recurring sights and experiences that already seemed to be defining the trip for me (the spectacular on a smaller scale). one would be all about the buses. i just love those buses. another would be about all the people who hammed it up for me--the "foto!" collection.
day 4 offered abundant opportunity to build on those themes. if i had a faster lens or carried a tripod with me all day, i might have been able to build a third set called "foto! from the buses" because all afternoon i was greeted in this fashion:
can you see the wave here?(how did these folks have time to see me?)
but my favorite story and shots of the day will be for the "foto!" collection. it occurred before noon, as z and i made our way up avenida figueroa alcorta, snapping away at all the charming homes and consulate offices.
i think this is a private residence
the embassy of haiti.we stopped for a few minutes in front of the spanish embassy (you, my friends, know why). as i waited for the flag to unfurl for the shot i wanted, i heard zovig say "uh oh...i think we're getting in trouble..." i peeked out from behind the camera.
and the next 2 minutes were a whirlwind. it took us a few seconds, but we came to understand that this red-faced, well-suited older gentleman wasn't actually waving us away with loud admonishment--he was just waving. he was saying hi! he wanted his picture taken. he wanted his picture taken with us! he wanted to chat--all the usual pleasantries, where are you visiting from, how long will you be here, where are you going now? he's so happy to see us at the embassy--and he showered us with little compliments and bear hugs. then he hopped into his nice car and sped away. who was he? in all the fuss, i forgot to ask! zovig and i spent the rest of the day imagining he was a super-famous-honorary-big-time-ambassador-something-or-other...we may never know. but we will remember.
señor, with señorita z.
señor, with me.i look like i'm 12 years old in this picture, but still-- it makes me smile.
it was like a bugs bunny cartoon, he hugged me and squeezed me...
and then he went on and on about how pretty i was, china girl! so pretty, china! pretty, pretty face should be in the movies--
did he say i should been in the chinese movies? ha! i'm not sure. whatever he said, i know he meant it well.
all photos © anita aguilar
