AMO the ARG: the "i enjoy being a girl" edition...

though i didn't come close to z in terms of pace and volume, i too got my "girl" on--squeezed in little bit of real shopping--during the week. i bought scarves and bags, candies and a great art book--some items for me, others to give. carla danelli, the very last store i visited, is one of my favorites in part because of the store itself. the entrance on carlos calvo 372, off calle defensa, is easy to miss, especially if you're not familiar with the brand name. (i found my way there by following a plain brown sign that said "leather goods.") it exemplifies a restored "chorizo" house, so named because of the structure's elongated space; rooms are located one behind the other with galleries and patios connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

behind the store's front door and up a few steps, is the open-air patio with hanging plants, a green wall of ivy, even a "santo." the brick and wrought iron are painted a pale pink and white; marble and colorful tilework add old argentine flair. the sun glowed softly through the doors and windows, i could hear quiet city sounds. it was a combination retreat/retail experience.

and there's the stuff: carla danelli, an exclusive brand created by merecer, s.a., one of the most renowned leather goods manufacturers in argentina, has some beautiful pieces in its collection (some of which you can see here. i came home with 3 chic and reasonably priced bags from the summer line).

but my favorite part was chatting with joanna. like most everyone i met during the trip, she was open, forgiving of my limited language skills (which incidentally petered off toward the end of the week. i think i was getting tired?), curious about my impressions of buenos aires, and generous with suggestions for where to go next time. and we talked a little about new york--she's never been but wants to visit someday. to her it is "like...a wonderland..."

very nice words to carry home.

the lovely senorita joanna.

AMO the ARG: shots of color (san telmo, day 7)

all photos © anita aguilar

AMO the ARG: and, on the seventh day...

a quick spin through neighborhoods that share a border, but not much else in terms of scale or style...

san telmo




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and monserrat

piramide de mayo

the casa rosada

all photos © anita aguilar

AMO the ARG: the streets of san telmo

as z and i finished lunch, we exchanged thoughts on what we'd seen of san telmo to try to decide whether we wanted to return later in the week. we both thought, cute, but not sure about coming back... but to that point, i'd spent most of the day waiting for her in the plaza dorrego and a short section of calle defensa. i hadn't explored the side streets, hadn't visited many stores. she had done some good damage in a few boutiques and was ready to head back. i decided to linger and see what else san telmo had to offer.

first stop was sima, specializing in leather bags and shoes, which she recommended. i had a nice chat with the proprietor, and contemplated some gift buying, but decided to hold off. i wanted to look around more.

the rest of the time, i enjoyed life on the streets, admiring the art and the architecture. i hope you will like what you see as much as i did. these photos are from the full day...the weather turned dramatically in the late afternoon. it would rain--pour--long into the night.

avenida san juan

i peeked through the fencing for this one. no view of the courts, just the sign.
avenida san juan.

according to my trusty guide book, san telmo was in the nineteenth century the province of the very wealthy...they fled the town for better air after a yellow fever epidemic in 1871. the new inhabitants, mostly immigrant, left the original buildings largely intact, but adapted them for their use, converting mansions into tenement housing.

while the area remains largely working class, it's also enjoying a resurgence, buoyed by the arrival of smaller business--shops, galleries, bars, and restaurants--who no doubt see the beauty of "the bones" of the place and understand its potential to attract enthusiastic tourists. like me.

the intersection of calle defense and chile

i was trying to capture the long, pretty view of the narrow streets (here, calle defensa)

and the view from the wider ones, like calle independencia.

independencia/defensa

an evita-esque balcony.

more defensa, but further north...

i should probably stop with the "me in the mirror" shots...but i probably never will...ha.

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pasaje san lorenzo is renowned as one of the smallest, most colorful and charming streets in town...

on the right, is "casa minima" at no. 380 san lorenzo. it is the narrowest building in buenos aires.
trusty guide book tells me its 2.17 meters (what's the conversion?). anyway, tiny...

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peru

independencia

peru, i think.

defensa

all photos © anita aguilar

AMO the ARG: elsa lionti-norberto sanchez (shopping, san telmo)

years ago, my best friend from college observed that i used my camera (then, a wonderful new nikon slr, from mom) as a way to distance myself from people--avoid particular conversations or situations. it was definitely true that day (we were attending the wedding of a former college roommate and i'd been out of touch with all "the girls" for a few years. i was happy to be there, but nervous). it's probably been true a number of times since.

but lately i seem to have more conversations because of the camera--people will want to ask about it, and me. and it makes me a little bolder with people, especially people who i find interesting to photograph.

and when i'm in museums or stores (where the goods are particularly precious), i've been direct about asking permission--better sometimes to hear the "no" than to leave a bad taste.

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my favorite antique shop in san telmo is elsa lionti-norberto sanchez at defensa 1170 in the galeria "la candelaria." my "trigger" finger was itching to click away before i even made it all the way inside the place. i was almost sure i wouldn't be allowed to shoot in there, but there was also no sneaking around. the place was small, and packed to the antique chandeliers-- and the girl behind the counter looked too sweet to consider even possibly offending... so i asked if it was ok take some photos. she gave me the nod and a yes.

and then we had a nice long chat about things, including the store: her parents are the owners, and they were famous dancers--the "fred and ginger" of argentina. (i'm pretty sure that's what she said! and it does say "fred y ginger" under their names on the card she gave me...)

que cute, no?

i took this for my sister...she likes groovy old bottles...

senorita jazmin (que linda!)...she let me take her photo, too. but she wanted to be "at work"

i offered her the chance to see them, to approve; she said no, just send them, as a surprise.
i hope she'll like them.


all photos © anita aguilar

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AMO the ARG: food (dulce de leche day, in san telmo, day 2)

i was stalking the area around plaza dorrego, for an hour or so, maybe longer, waiting for my friend. i was hungry and wanting a little something to tide me over until the unknown time she and i met again. i stopped at havanna, for my first taste of real alfajores (i served a version of this dulce de leche cookie sandwich at a little party i had here last summer. they are not even in the same league as the treats at havanna).


i love everything about this: that it's a delicate, but not chewy cookie; that they don't skimp on the dulce del leche but yet that rich cream doesn't overwhelm; that it melts into your mouth. and that this one is covered in meringue...

i did feel like kind of an ass, standing on a narrow strip of sidewalk in buenos aires, pointing my g10 at a half-eaten argentinian cookie. kind of.
it was just too good not to try to share..

part 2 of dulce de leche day involved a mid-afternoon gelato break at freddo, a popular chain. i read somewhere that freddo is good, but maybe not the best. i can't even imagine how anything could be better than this. it has a real nice salty bite. it's so creamy and condensed that it was slow to eat. it seemed forever before it even started to melt.

even the the color is rich.


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oh i ate "real" food that day, too. lunch at a mexican place. i ordered a daily special: arroz con hongos y mil hojas de papas, which apart from the rice and potatoes bit, was kind of a mystery. i thought hongos were going to be beans. well, this is what it is and it was pretty good...

all photos © anita aguilar