Hasta La Vista, BsAs
It’s hit me. Our time in Buenos Aires is drawing to a close and now we must say goodbye to the life we’ve built here over the last five weeks.
In a short time we have made little routines and found favorite spots.
This is my kind of adventure: Yellow bananas on the counter, a pot of coffee brewing, clothes unpacked and folded in drawers.
Outside, after we’ve slept in good and late, there are museums to discover, restaurants to sample, markets to stroll through. Seems I am most satisfied having adventures from a home base.
As my friend Kate put it, “It’s enough stimulation and challenge to try to make a nest in an unfamiliar tree.”
When we leave our Buenos Aires nest we will miss the sweet couple who owns the lavandaria two doors down, the vegetable and fruit man who offers samples of mandarinas with a twinkle in his eye, the pleasant amble to the Scalabrini Ortiz Subte stop, the lady at the fresh pasta shop who is charmed by the kids’ Spanish, a bedtime snack of sliced apples dipped in dulce de leche, sweet medialunas from the bakery across the street.
Amazing sights await us. And I know we will find other places to love. But I don’t think we’ll be in another single place long enough to feel this sense of belonging.
BsAs has thrilled us with its green spaces and flowering trees, elegant architecture, walkable neighborhoods, and excellent food.
What great place to spread out the school books, cook dinner and relish the beauty of routine.
5 comments
I can’t wait for your next adventure!
I hope you get to see the rest of Argentina, especially Patagonia. I would adjust your schedule to spend more time on the Argentina side of the Andes as you make your way to Santiago. When we were in Mendoza, the visitors that came in from the Chile side all had the same complaint… “Chile is expensive and Santiago is the most boring city they have ever visited.”
Dani, I was wondering how long it might take to hit you. The near comforts of home, with more of a daily rhythm. Whether in the most fascinating or relaxing place, unexpectedly your nesting instincts creep up. It was probably very important that you had the long BA stay fairly early on. You can re-energize. You may have to live out of a suitcase for many nights, but when you are back at 17 Sunnyside, folding laundry (maybe that’s not been worn for six days), you’ll remember the moon over the Iguazu falls or chuckle about the dog who befriended you early on in your trip, and the nomadic life will probably seem worth it.
Any BA tips would be appreciated. I have a new e-mail address.
Where to next I wonder?
I agree that Buenos Aires has a lot of those magical moments that other cities don’t have. I’ll miss how open the people are when we leave.