We had previously visited this
charming city as part of Stephanie’s 2008 “bar trip” and were uncertain as to
how much it would have changed during the intervening seven years. The superficial changes were
obvious; graffiti has proliferated and exchanging
dollars has become quite the adventure.
Regardless, what had initially drawn us to the city – it’s
easily-walkable streets, leafy parks, abundant wine, and delicious food – remained unchanged.
Back in 2008, we made sure
to stop by all the “must-see” city sites (as directed by our guidebook and various
New York Times travel articles). We had
explored the cobblestone streets of the city center and the historic Plaza Dos de mayo.
Now that we live closer to Argentina (although not that close – it’s still a four-five hour flight), it’s clear we’ll be returning a bit more regularly and can spend more time simply soaking up the atmosphere instead of running from one site to the next. Instead of staying in the city center, we’ve been exploring the trendier neighborhoods of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. We’ve spent time simply wandering along the city streets and through the parks; the crisp fall and winter weather has been quite a treat compared to Lima´s constant warm humidity. And taking the efficient and inexpensive subte is certainly a welcome break from being stuck in Lima´s constant bumper-to-bumper traffic.
While Giorgio has been learning how to be a better international businessman in Rosario, Stephanie has been exploring the city´s museums - one of her favorite nerdy pastimes. Among other things, she has encountered inscrutable performance art at MALBA (the contemporary art museum) and a shrine to Argentina's most famous first lady at the Museo Evita. She also dragged Gio to the Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat in the Puerto Madero district.



This time around, we even managed to find the elusive Italian restaurant recommended by Giorgio's mother, Mary, years back. In 2008, her description of the best Italian restaurant in Buenos Aires, which was located next to the "round building" near "some highway" by "the pretty square or roundabout" had led to a fruitless search for the apparently nameless locale. Back then, when we managed to find said "round building" that led us to a highway underpass, we thought we were destined for Italian-food greatness. But who knew that there are about 10 different Italian restaurants under an underpass next to a round building! We did not complete our quest. This time, however, armed with smartphones and seven years of pestering Mary about her direction-giving skills, we finally learned the elusive restaurant´s name (Piegari); it was well worth the effort and wait since we consumed some of the best gnocchis of our lives.
(Giorgio has now spent almost two weeks in the Argentine city of Rosario, a four-hour drive or 40 minute plane-ride from Buenos Aires. However, he has little to report, noting simply that the empanadas and wine are inexpensive and that it really is the home of Argentina’s most beautiful women. He has yet to visit the birthplace of the infamous Che to take a photo as requested by Stephanie. Stay tuned - he has two more business trips planned this year!)
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