We learn A LOT of history.... and a bit about tango.....

After yesterday's geography lessons, I think everyone would enjoy a bit of history.... We did!
While Eva Peron was only part of Argentina's history for a short period of time, marrying the much older General Peron at the age of 26, and dying at the age of 33, in 1952, her influence, and almost presence is still everywhere.  So we started the day, with this big mural:

and ended it with this statue, which our guide referred to as "the ugliest statue of Eva Peron - she looks like an anorexic bowler", which is fact is a pretty good description....

But in between, while we did not completely steer away from Eva (more about her later), we did learn more about the history of Argentina and Buenos Aires.  This morning, we went to the old part of town, the South part of the city, which still displays its strong Spanish and immigrant heritages.  While Argentina gained it's independence in 1810, and tried very hard to transform itself into a more French city - often tearing down old Spanish buildings- this influence is still there everywhere:  Plaza de Mayo (May place, named after the 25th of May 1810, when Argentina declared its independence from Spain - which it eventually gained 6 years later) is a great example of the typical Spanish plaza - government, church and banks around a center square, where all business happens:

 Here, you can see all of the different European influences in one shot:  the Spanish church, the French "grand boulevards" influenced building in the right corner, and the British style government tower in the back.
This picture is taken from the steps of the city's cathedral (where the current pope once preached), which is very Italian in design and layout, including a lot of marble (from Italy), and stucco painted to look like marble because - let's face it- Italian marble is just too expansive!
The cathedral also has a mausoleum for San Martin, the liberator of Argentina, Peru and Chile, who died in France, but was brought back at some point, and put in a mausoleum that looks exactly like the one napoleon is on (go to "les Invalides" and check it out!)

 And this is the other side of the square, the presidential building, including the famous balcony from which Eva Peron sang "don't cry for me Argentina" - Oh wait, maybe she did not actually sing, maybe she just gave a speech.....anyway, it's famous.


This square is where all political protest happen - and a lot of it happens - all the time.  Today, they were people sleeping there (the tent) - they were protesting the rights of native people in the north.  This is also the place where the "mothers" use to come every Tuesday during the military regime to protest the "disappeared" - about 40,000 of them - a very dark part of Argentina's history. 

 The current government seems to be much more tolerant of protest, and our guide suggested that we could start a protest too, could stop traffic if we wanted on the square, and no one would bother us.  We choose not to..... (the current government is socialist, apparently in 2015 it will flip to the right, because it always does.  The right seems to have a good impact on the economy, the left seems to have a good impact on freedom..... why, oh why can't we have both.......).

 We then drove to the even older side of town, where immigrants use to live in tenements, which they painted in bright and varied colors, because they would use whatever paint was leftover from the ship yard.  It is a very cool and colorful neighborhood and, although touristy, still inhabited (mostly by poor people still).

this is a balcony decorated with papier mache statues of the great Argentinian heroes:  Maradona, Eva Peron, and a tango singer whose name escapes me........

From there we went to one of the many street fairs/flee markets that dot the city on Sunday, and where, to quote Suzanne, we can buy not just junk, but "other people la junka".......  The best part of that were the may street musicians and dancers!

 

  Speaking of street art - there are many, varied and beautiful graffiti/murals all throughout the city:  here is one showing 2 of the most beloved part of the culture:  Tango and Soccer:  this is the La Boca team, including the semi-god Maradona, playing the Tango...... 

 After lunch (oh yes, we did.....), we went to the BEST cemetery you've ever been to .... and yes, I realize that's not a phrase one uses a lot....). 

 The cemetery in the center of town is just so cool!  first it has this really amazing rubber tree in front of it!  (we know from previous blogs how much I LOVE trees! ) I would have  gone closer to hug it - because I do in fact hug trees, but this particular tree is a national monument, or something, so you cant really get close to it - but it still is a really good tree!  (oh, how I do love trees....)

 But the cemetery itself is just this amazing town of dead people in very ornate mausoleums, with streets, and alleys, and architecture, it was just awesome:

it has flying angels, and symbolism,

 and all king of different styles,

 and cool doors that you can look through and see the stacked coffins (I KNOW!!!! it sounds weird, but it's COOL!!!!!).

 And of course, the place where Eva Peron is buried, in a rather modest (by the extravagant local standards) family plot (Duarte was her maiden name).
BTW- the plot next to hers is for sales for about $300,000, so if you want to spend death in style, this is your chance!

  From there we went to a park - I forget which part of town it was in (I think south, but don't hold me to it, because by now, it is after dinner, and I've had several glasses of Argentinian wine.......)- which has this very cool flower sculpture, that opens and closes with the sun - except not right now, because it is broken and this is after all Latin America, and people are pretty relaxed about such things....

 you can see not just the law school reflecting in the petals, but also the tourists (I'm there, waving, trust me!)

It is nice to see that Joe, true to himself, always takes pictures of the beautiful scenery around........ (if asked, I'm sure he'd say that he was taking a picture of the nice chairs and umbrellas the city provides for people to enjoy the park.....)

In the evening, we got to meet our tour group, were treated to a wonderful tango demonstration, which showed convincingly why tango is sometimes described as "a vertical expression of a horizontal longing".......

 All these beautiful young people then came into our group and invited some of us to dance with them, so I got to embarrass myself by dancing the tango with one of the tall, dark and handsome dancers.  it was, to be sure, an embarrassment, but an enjoyable one, and one that shall forever remain sealed in our memories, because my iPhone5 can only be unlocked with MY fingerprints, so Joe could not gather any incriminating evidence.  I love technology!

 and of course, we ate more beef......
Tomorrow is our last day in Buenos Aires, maybe we can squeeze in a bit more geography and/or history, or maybe a bit more tango......