Teatro Colon and some window shopping

Monday, February 17, 2014.  Last night we crashed and slept for 12 hours!

This morning, we exchanged some money at a very good rate and then off to coffee at Cafe Victoria overlooking Recoleta Cemetery.  Same waiter who recognized us.  We walked over to the cemetery to find that English language tours are only on Tuesday and Thursday at 11 so we will return tomorrow.  From the cemetery we walked around the Recoleta park a bit then to Avenida Guido to find a working bus stop.  No. 17 busses to Teatro Colon were being diverted due to heavy road construction in front of our hotel.   

Juan Lavalle

Teatro Colon is on the side of Ave 9 Julio, a 14 lane wide boulevard.  Four of those lanes in the center are for busses—and they run on the left in those lanes.   The stops are a fair way apart but we got off at the right one and headed to the Teatro. Purchased tickets for a 1 pm tour and then decided to check out the plaza across the street.   Plaza Lavalle, with a huge statue of Sr Lavalle, and the indication being that he was important to the founders of BA and died in 1841 on the base of his pedestal.  (It turns out that he was sometime dictator, carried out a reign of terror, tried to hand over the country to San Martín who refused to head it with the factionalism them prevalent.  He was later shot during another fight in 1841 and his body was carried over the mountains to Bolivia to make sure the winners didn’t do something nasty to it!  It’s a striking statue, nonetheless.)  There are works of art and photography in the park in the plaza of music stands and photos by a leading Argentinian photographer who was really good.

Reception Roo

Inerior of Hall, no flash

Hall Ceiling

Plaza Lavalle

Photo Show

Todo Orchestra 2

The tour of the Teatro is fine.  It’s gaudy, very turn of the last century, lots of gilt and lots of mirrors.   The acoustics are magnificent as proven by our guide who sang for us from the orchestra seats (the stalls). Pavarotti said the hall had one major fault:  its acoustics were perfect—not allowing the singers to make any mistakes.

Window Shopping
Palermo Viejo
Note Skull Tablecloth

From there we took a bus to Palermo Viejo, John had a fine salad and a local beer (Quismo--he thinks) and then we walked around the neighborhood of very fashionable shops.   Most of the stores were for men’s clothes that Ben found of interest.  

Palermo--Working toward a Ciudad Verto