Potty

Ipanema Beach Bar
Originally uploaded by lusignan

I just returned to Buenos Aires after four days in Rio de Janeiro...where it was overcast and rainy most of the time. Nevertheless, Rio is stunning. Approximately 7 million Cariocas live in this city on the Atlantic Ocean. You are sure to see amazing scenery and great looking people. And according to many people, you are sure to get mugged or robbed. I must admit, there is a certain dangerous feeling out on the streets in Rio.....but nothing unsavory happened to me...and I was walking alone. I visited one week before Carnaval...and these people want to party. The street festivals were happening and the hips were shaking, in spite of the poor weather. The brazilians exhibit very few inhibitions, and the attitude is contageous. In my humble opinion Brazil and Argentina could not be more different. Let's just say....in Brazil, they samba and in Argentina, they tango.

Parrilla, Calle Bolivar, Buenos Aires

Parrilla, Calle Bolivar
Originally uploaded by lusignan

OK, let's get the meat issue out of the way. Argentina has the best beef in the world (sorry Alberta)...and the argentinians know how to work a parrilla (traditional grill). The meat is slow cooked on the grill and the taste is amazing. I have already tried the "bife de lomo" with papas fritas, followed by a bit of dulce de leche at an ice-cream parlour. There are many, many ice cream parlours in Buenos Aires and it really is the thing to do at midnight. I better get used to this pace fast.....no more crashing after watching the 11 PM news. And I had better watch it.....one of my resolutions is to get fit :-)

Window, Boeing 767

Window, Boeing 767
Originally uploaded by lusignan

En route to Buenos Aires, on American Airlines. Sleeping on the plane is almost impossible, especially when they serve you beef in red pepper sauce at midnight. Travelling by air is now a nightmare...delays in Montreal due to a sick crew member and in NYC due to a bagage handling error.....but finally arrived safely in Buenos Aires 24 hours after I left my apartment in Montreal. My apartment is in Barrio Norte...a district between Recoleta and Palermo. Excellent location for sight-seeing. Surprisingly, I find the city very manageable and I have walked from Barrio Norte to San
Telmo (birthplace of the Tango), Recoleta (Evita's playground), Microcentro (Obelisk et al) and Palermo Viejo (Buenos Aires hip, artistic, fashion epicenter).