I belong to a group called Buenos Aires International Newcomers, or BAIN, which I really enjoy because it’s a good mix of Argentines and expats. Although we have had quite a few Zoom gatherings, there have been no in-person events since the pandemia began.
Last night we finally got together for an outdoor dinner at a lovely place called Circulo Italiano, and it was a perfect spring evening to enjoy it. Thanks, as always, to Venetia for taking photos — these two show most of the people there.
Yesterday afternoon I met a friend for a glass of wine at a really cool place called Milion. I really don’t know why they have a bathtub there, but of course I had to take advantage of it for a photo opportunity!
A couple of months ago I was interviewed by Kathy Barthel, a friend and client in Toronto, for her podcast, The B.R.A.T. Show.
Unlike other podcast interviews I’ve done for my business, this one was an interview about my life, past and present, and my move to Argentina. It went live on YouTube today, and I thought you might enjoy it.
Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkpCr3cs02s
I realize once again that I do look better with my glasses on!
Nobody would deny that the people of Buenos Aires love their dogs, and that’s born out by the number of dog walkers and minders in all parts of the city. Some time ago I started shooting photos of these when I could, and now I have eight here I thought I’d share them with you.
There are a lot of greyhounds, or galgos as we call them, which I think is the result of people adopting the ones whose racing careers are over—much like in Canada and probably other countries. But really you see all kinds, all shapes, all sizes.
I think these minders do all right financially, especially those with lots of dogs, and all those dogs still had to be walked during lockdown, so their little businesses were safe!
On Friday I called my friend Joanna to see if she’d like to go out for dinner on Saturday. She said she’d love to, but she had a ticket for a show. If I wanted to go with her, that would be great. I jumped online and got a ticket, and we were set.
We had dinner first in an old-school Buenos Aires restaurant that was OK, and close to the show venue. It’s a great spot called The Backroom, in a larger place called Borges 1975, which is the actual address. I had been there before with a group of friends. The room was dim, almost full when we arrived, and the stage was full of a variety of musical instruments.
We found a table right at the front. Joanna was particularly pleased because the piano player was someone she sings with quite a lot. She said he was an excellent pianist and she wanted to watch his fingers!
The music was a fascinating fusion of tango and jazz. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, being more a fan of tango than jazz, but it was great. Here’s a little taste of it on video, and a couple of shots of the two of us. It was a great night. (For some reason I can’t embed the video in the usual way, so here’s the link to watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=100QUEAJP4A )
We’ve been in and out of lockdown, with and without curfew, so often our heads are spinning. But the mayor of Buenos Aires made a late decision to defy the federal government and keep the city open this weekend. So our friend Joanna was able to do her show and four of us went along to see her.
It was at a blues club a bit outside the city, outside of course. There was a nice little crowd and everyone enjoyed it. The weather was perfect. We quaffed champagne and generally had a great time. Here are some photos and very short video clip to give you a feel for the event.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have been in strict lockdown again since last Sunday, so no outings for lunch or dinner, and definitely not going anywhere at night. So I’ve taken the opportunity to do some sketching.
I don’t really like sketching from photographs, because part of the pleasure of urban sketching is immersing myself in the scene, but in these circumstances it’s better than nothing. It’s also given me a bit more opportunity to work on developing a looser style for my sketches. It’s a series of Buenos Aires scenes.
Anyway, here are the ones I’ve done this past week. I hope you enjoy them.
This is the view from one corner of Plaza Dorrego, in the Barrio of San Telmo. It’s a popular spot for outdoor tango on Sunday nights—well, normal Sunday nights!
This tower was built by the English during one of their sojourns in Argentina, and was called Torre de los Ingleses. But after the Malvinas (Falklands) conflict, the name was changed to the Torre Monumental. But based on this sketch, I’m calling it the Leaning Tower of Retiro!
This is a lovely old cafe in Caminito, a tourist spot in the Barrio of La Boca. I love sitting outside watching people and listening to the tango music that is always playing somewhere. I hope it survives the madness.
This is the Cabildo, a government building that has played a large role in Argentine history. It features on the Dia de la Patria image I posted on May 25.
This is an unusual view of the Congreso building. I’ve admired this view many times, but there was no place to sit to sketch it live. But now I have my new camping chair …
We are allowed out again this week, but the numbers are so horrendous that I’ll probably stay home even if I don’t have to. Given the lo-o-ng eight-month lockdown we endured last year, it doesn’t seem fair that we are now number nine in the world in terms of daily infections. The vaccinations are gradually getting done, but it’s so slow. Still, we stay positive—and I keep sketching!
So maybe there will be more sketches next week!
My days are often out of balance, either skewing towards work or play, but not today. We have now gone back into total lockdown, at least for nine days, so once again we have to find a way to amuse ourselves indoors.
I bought a slow cooker this week, and this morning I gave it its first go. I’m making a Moroccan veggie stew, with chickpeas and squash. I’m not a fan of squash, or calabasa as it’s called here, but I’ve decided to develop a taste for it. I honestly don’t think I set the cooker right, because it cooked way too quickly and looks a bit mushy, so I won’t post a photo, and I hope it tastes better than it looks!
I’ve spent a lot of time on YouTube, watching stuff on various subjects of interest to me, including business, cooking (don’t laugh—quarantine!) and art.
Speaking of art, I just got a new empty mini-palette to fill with my own watercolours from tubes. Here is it:
I don’t like sketching from photographs, as I prefer to sink into the scene as I draw it, but since I can’t go out and I have new paints, I settled for sketching from one of my own photos. This is a corner of Plaza Dorrego, one of my favourite spots in Buenos Aires.
So that’s been my day. It’s almost Malbec time, so I think I’ll settle in with a good book tonight.
All in all, a satisfying day, and one that sets me up nicely to begin the work week tomorrow. I hope you had a good day too!
A few weeks ago, Venetia introduced me to Eco Parque, which used to be the Buenos Aires City Zoo but is now, as the name suggests, a park devoted to flora and fauna in an ecologically sound way. Today we went back. We started with lunch at the cafe inside the park and then walked around a bit. Venetia had another appointment, so after a bit she left and I settled in to sketch.
Last week I bought a lightweight portable camping chair, and I love it! It lets me sit wherever I see something I want to sketch, and I’m going to make good use of it.
It’s a fun place, as some of the animals roam free — despite their aloof beauty, peacocks are just as shameless as other birds when trying to get crumbs!
Here are a few shots of the day.
Today I had a lovely birthday lunch with ten of my favourite chicas! We went to a place called La Olla de Felix, which is one of my favourite places. The name means Felix’s cooking pot, which might make you smile if you remember my Felix and his many great meals when we entertained!
Anyway, here are some photos of the many smiling faces, as well as the lovely gifts I received. Fun day, lucky girl!
