argentina

buenos aires: monumento a colón

Buenos Aires, Plaza Colón, Monumento a Cristóbal Colón

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.

Perhaps to prove I saw more than religious architecture in Córdoba, there are even more photos in this post. Even though it was the middle of winter & the weather didn’t always cooperate, I managed to get a few decent shots. The newest architecture is pretty exciting —with a few notable exceptions— and the best from the past are a number of surviving Neocolonial buildings (pretty much the same period as Art Deco). So in no particular order, here’s the rest from my walks around Córdoba…

In an continuing effort to understand what makes Buenos Aires tick, I began investigating a few events that had significant historical impact yet are not represented or remembered in the collective consciousness. Once again, “The Collective Memory Reader” comes in handy.

Founded in 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera, he named the city after his wife’s Spanish hometown. Location was key. As geographic center between the capital in Perú & the major Atlantic outlet of the Río de la Plata, Córdoba became an ideal crossroads… connecting men & ideas throughout the Viceroyalty. Remember that Buenos Aires would be founded for a second time seven years after Córdoba.

Buenos Aires, San Nicolás de Bari, 1939 demolition

When historians look back on Buenos Aires at the turn of the 21st century, one of the topics they will likely discuss is the unfortunate destruction of the city’s architectural heritage. Nothing seems to be able to stop it.

Robert Wright, explaining flamenco in Sevilla

During 11 crazy years of working for Rick Steves my responsibilities included everything from guiding groups around Europe to updating & writing new content for their guidebooks. Over time, I even helped develop new tours. It was an incredible learning process & very interesting to see what worked & what didn’t. In many ways, the company & I grew together professionally.

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argentina

buenos aires: monumento a colón

argentina: córdoba, civil architecture

buenos aires: collective memory 2

argentina: córdoba, religious architecture

buenos aires: collective memory

business: what’s in a name