Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina, is well known for its spacious boulevards, art galleries and some very upscale neighborhoods, particularly in the Recoleta area, which is a wonderful neighborhood of sidewalk cafés and restaurants near the Recoleta Cemetery. In addition, there is the Gallerias Pacifico, a beautiful shopping mall retrofitted into a turn of the century building that had been abandoned; the pedestrian shopping and restaurant area along Avenida Florida; and the Sunday antiques fair in San Telmo (an older area of Buenos Aires that is said to be the birthplace of the tango).

Several photos come from the Plaza de Mayo, which for so many years was the scene of the "mothers" demonstration against the atrocities and "disappearances" committed by a former regime. While the atrocities are over, many people are still unaccounted for and many of the guilty have not been brought to justice. And so, each Thursday, the mothers continue to demonstrate in the square for a full accounting.

The photos here do not really convey the grandeur of Buenos Aires. I find it difficult to take pictures in a city. Without the proper architectural lenses, buildings appear to fall over backwards; wires and poles are usually in the wrong place; and the best perspectives are often from the middle of the street (which, given South American traffic, is more risk than I am prepared to accept for my "art"). In addition, there are those times when I don't feel like lugging a camera around. Buenos Aires was the last stop on a long trip and I just decided to relax and take it all in. And so, you will find only a few photographs from Buenos Aires, even though it is a remarkably beautiful city.