Gallery Nights: Palermo

This week is Art Week in Buenos Aires with various events throughout the city. A few friends and I went to Gallery Night in Palermo last night but only made it 4 out of the 20 or so open and serving free champagne before we got too cold and gave up.

Saturday Brunch and El Ateneo

Discovered an amazing new brunch spot called "OuiOui"

My eggs benedict

Dulce de Leche Mouse for dessert

A lot of musicians play on the subte and people respond really well - usually with an applause after each performer and I notice a lot of people giving money

Headed to El Ateneo to start studying for parciales (midterms) coming up this week - a theater turned bookshop

A testament to the Argentine diet here - my friend's dish which was i the salad section of the menu - apples, celery, and (mostly) ham and chicken

First day of Spring

The 21st was the first day of Spring here. The day is also known as 'Student's Day' and all the students get the day off and go picnic in the park. Unfortunately I had class.

I celebrated instead by trying mate for the first time at my friend's house. Mate is a typical argentine herbal drink that everyone here drinks, they walk around with these cups - 'Mate' with the straw('bombilla') which has a strainer at the bottom. You fill the Mate with 'Yerba Mate' (the actual herb) and walk around equipped with a thermos. A very bitter drink, even with the teaspoon of sugar we added but it grew on me.

I went to a free tango acoustic concert after

A picture I snuck of the subte(subway) to show the flowers on the left. Another tradition on the first day of spring is women get flowers from their significant others. Everyone in the streets was carrying one.

Steak Happy Hour!

I went to happy hour at a famous steak restaurant here, La Cabrera which is 40% off between 7 and 8pm. Great deal, although the restaurant is full of tourists. 

The restaurant is famous for it's sides, they waiter came around with this huge tray of sides and we could pick as many as we wanted unlimited.

The spread

Graffiti Tour

I went on a graffiti tour of the city today. A lot to see. Apparently well-established graffiti art really grew in 2001 during the huge economic crisis here (during which the country had 5 presidents in one week and the currency's value shot down from the 1:1 ratio it had with the $). A testament to the extremely visible freedom of speech here.  

A piece done by real paints, unlike the usual use of spray paint which enables street artists to make their mark then run quickly from police etc. The tour guide emphasized on how well-received graffiti here is.

A piece done by an Argentine artist as part of a festival held here. These walls are known to host graffiti and the artist  paid homage to the previous graffiti here which honored two boys nicknamed "Teta" and "Salta" who died due to police violence in the quite rough neighborhood. The artists media of choice is cheap white paint mixed with tar and gasoline to create the dark browns etc

This piece right next to the above, done by a British artist in the festival

The white head scarves above a playground - the symbol of the Mothers of May Square, protesting the desaparecidos

This is the outside of a upscale restaurant here, Tegui which commissioned an artist to create this graffiti

More close ups of Tegui

More close ups of Tegui

Just a private home

Me next to some graffiti in Palermo Soho

Vinos&Bodegas Festival

This past weekend, the city hosted a wine tasting festival which I  went to

It was held in a huge exposition hall with different booths serving their wines

Each person got one glass and went around and tried all the wines

Tips from a brochure on how to enjoy their wine