ARGENTINA FEATURE
celebrated football clubs, where
world-class stars Diego Maradona
and Juan Riquelme once plied their
trade.
And a microcosm of the ardent
Argentinian passion for the Beautiful
Game. On game days, the hinchas
turn up in style and in numbers, and
for a good ninety minutes, the city
is divided by fierce loyalty.
Not today though. The
Superclásico – still a week away.Sitting on picnic mats, a couple
of porteños sport a book in their
hands. Not just holding it, but
keenly focusing on the scroll’s
contents.
In this day and age, what a
curious sight.
But in a city with the highest
number of bookshops per
inhabitants in 2015, and where one
of the world’s most enchanting
bookstores resides, perhaps, it is not
supposed to be that much amusing.
Shame on us. Shame on the rest
of the world, for forgoing one of
mankind’s earliest indulgences and
knowledge pursuits.Approaching the city bike station,
a second hand bookshop on the
park’s periphery comes into view.
Maybe it is time to once again, pick
up a good old book.WHIZZING PAST the life-sized
monument of the charismatic Italian
general Giuseppe Garibaldi, the
bicycle wobbled ever so marginally,
as if in a hint of reverence. Not too
far away, the bustling entrance to
the Buenos Aires Zoo is visible.A few blocks down southwest and
the aroma is pleasingly apparent.
Coffee.
There is this certain disposition
that somehow inexplicably
rejuvenates and reinvigorates.
Several cafes line the streets. The
scene is effervescent. A lively affair.
Even at a marked distance, not
exactly in the thick of activity, the
hurly-burly is palpable.
At the Palermo Soho, the dining
tables are not constrained by the
footpaths. Which makes it easier to
notice the local preference. Apart
from the usual cup of caffeinated
concoction, spot the odd
transparent glass of fallow-coloured
beverage.
Submarino. The Argentinian take
on hot chocolate.
Or a cute light-crusted pastry
that looks delectably delicious.
Medialunas. Homemade,
hometown croissants.
Mental notes taken: will be
back for a sweet treat. The journey
continues, for now.A splash of kaleidoscopic hues
awaits.
On the walls, on the doors.
Pastel graphics. MonochromaticDID YOU
KNOW?
With over
130 km of
connected
bike lanes, the
Argentinian
capital is
a cyclist’s
paradise.
The city
government
has even
implemented
their very own
bike sharing
scheme
dubbed
EcoBici.commentaries. You name it.
Where graffiti is legal, at the
building owner’s permission, the
innate artistry runs wild and free.
Around the Soho, Palermo Viejo
and Villa Crespo, this is street art, at
its finest.
On two wheels, the displays are
engaging, appealing and a satisfying
breath of fresh air.
Stop, stare and ponder, though,
and there is a chance a profound
understanding transpires.
Ten minutes away, and nature’s
greeting is affable. The Parque
Centenario takes a bemusing shape;
pedal around the park’s perimeter,
and you will realise you have
travelled a circumference. In the
centre sits a lovely pond. The Swan
Lake, they call it.
Oh, the greenery is exquisite, all
right. But the interest lies in not the
trees, the leaves nor the bushes.
A rowdy and rambunctious
bunch of boys decked out in a blue
and yellow football kit strolls past.
Their gait; fervent and cavalier with
an air of thinly-veiled arrogance.
Boca Juniors fans. Supporters
of one of the country’s mostPhoto: Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Photo: Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos AiresPhoto: Matias GarabedianPhoto: ProtoplasmaKidBuenos
Aires