Tonight’s the night!
What is often labeled as one of the best parties in Europe is about to take place & unfortunately I won’t be there… but I once was, back in 2010! Many of the cities I’ve visited recently have been preparing for their own festivities, reminding me of the fantastic time I had in Porto. In fact, the party is so important that it is broadcast to the entire nation:
Read More »porto: festa de são joão
Next week I’ll be embarking on another intense work trip beginning with two solid weeks of guidebook research for Rick Steves. A few readers might think: “oooh, how exciting! what a glamorous job!” Fun moments will happen as always, but overall the schedule is so tight that there’s little room for glamour 🙂
Read More »guidebook research: typical day
Barrio 17 de Octubre • Villa Pueyrredón
(Avenida de los Constituyentes & Avenida General Paz)
Like several other Perón era housing projects, a name change occurred after military leaders ousted the President. 17 October 1945 marked the birth of Perón’s political presence when workers marched on Plaza de Mayo, demanded he be released from jail & requested his nomination as President. Later consecrated as the Día de la Lealtad & made a national holiday, such a polemic moment in history could not survive the anti-Perón years which followed the coup. A less controversial name for this neighborhood —Barrio General José de San Martín— today commemorates a less controversial historical figure. Locals also know it as the Barrio Grafa, named for a former adjacent textile factory (Grandes Fábricas Argentinas), today occupied by Walmart.
Read More »housing for the masses: barrio 17 de octubre, 1950
I’m what might be termed a repeat traveler. Not sure if it’s fate or (un)intentional acts on my part, but I seem to return to the same places over & over. Whether for work or play, I always go back for more.
Read More »glasgow: second time around
No denying it. I have a certain fondness for this piece of sculpture. Columbus was the subject of some of my first digital photos in 2002, he often wowed tourists when I began guiding locally ten years ago, & Plaza Colón was one of the few places my mom wanted to see during her first & only visit overseas (that’s a tiny her below!). But in addition to sentimental reasons, the Monumento a Cristóbal Colón remains one of the most remarkable pieces of public artwork in Buenos Aires… a city filled with hundreds of statues. That says something.
Read More »buenos aires: monumento a colón
Visiting the national congress was a challenge: internet said one thing, the TI said another & everyone in between had an opinion as to official visiting hours. After dragging Darío to the Cementerio Central, we took a bus there. I walked in to confirm the time & was comforted by the lack of security. Sure, I passed through a scanner but everyone was laid back & it seemed like we were all hanging out instead of entering one of the most important buildings in the nation.
Read More »montevideo: palacio legislativo