Another slow start…
On advice from our host in Montevideo, Jerónimo, today we’re heading across the city to San Talmo, a bohemian district of Buenos Aires. Our route took us back through the Plaza de Mayo and we popped in to the Catedral again, just in case anything was happening, especially as it was Easter Sunday. And there was! We caught a service in full swing, being televised too! The place was packed, every seat was taken with people standing in the aisles too. We didn’t stay as the service was in Spanish and full ‘high church’ too.
Back outside, we crossed the Plaza, spotting the Sunday market we’d been told of by our host. We expected there would be a few tourist heavy, souvenir laden stalls but instead, we were surprised to find some excellent artisan work for sale. The road, called Defensa, was lined with stalls on both sides for its entire length, with our Apple Watches clocking up 1 mile of it. There we side roads with stalls and also scattered along the route were food and drink vendors selling all kinds of goodies.
Branching off we also took in the Mercado de San Telmo, built in 1897 as a central fruit and veg market, it now houses all kinds of bars and eateries that make it a bustling vibrant space. We’d planned to eat here, but as it was so busy, with many of the eateries having very long queues outside of them, we couldn’t find anywhere to stop. Giving up on the eating for a while we headed back looking for Plaza Dorrego, where we’d heard you could find street Tango being danced, something we’d hoped to catch and we weren’t disappointed!
After pausing to enjoy the Tango we headed back, but taking a parallel side road to avoid the crowds and look out for something to eat, finally happening upon a small cafe and with front row seats in the shade to enjoy a drink and alfajores, we were also just across the street from another couple tangoing.
Picking up some handmade wire rings as gifts, we headed back in to town and the hotel where we had to start packing our cases for our return home.
Cases finally stuffed and zipped up we walked back out in to the Buenos Aires evening to find our final dinner. Eventually stopping at Tostado, a fast food restaurant that actually sold fresh food, the first totally fresh meal we’d had all holiday. We sat and surveyed the busy intersection below us while tucking in to a Buddha bowl and Greek yoghurt dessert, watching young children begging, a very sad sight to see!
And that was it!
Our 2023 adventure was pretty much over!
mrandmrsyoung 