Traveling to Europe has always been a plan of ours so when my husband and I started looking for January honeymoon destinations, London, Paris and Rome just seemed a bit too chilly (not to mention,expensive!) and the Caribbean/Mexico seemed done. Before you knew it, we were planning a nice stay-cation in beautiful Sarasota, Florida. Honeymoon in Sarasota? Not Happening! After a thorough research for unique cities with a European flare we found ourselves booking a flight for Argentina and Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America!

The first thing we both noticed as we sat in the taxi, listening to The Police (you know, Sting) blaring over the radio, was that this Latin American country was NOT MEXICO. We were in a large, sprawling city; one that was surprisingly Parisian and metropolitan but distinctively Latin America. We immediately set out on our adventure with 6 years of Spanish under our collective belts and consumed by just how European Buenos Aires really was.

Walking the cobblestone roads of the San Telmo barrio, Calle Defensa is a long street lined with old buildings, antique shops and boutiques. It’s also home to an extensive street market on Sundays that sees anywhere between 30 to 40 thousand people! With its music, street dancing/performances, and of course food, it’s much more than just your average farmers market. Even the locals or porteños as they call themselves, perch on their balconies and crowd the cafés along the street, catching up with old friends and participate in a little people watching. We strangely felt right at home. Definitely worth changing our flight plans to stay an extra day so we could experience it.

Plaza de Mayo is another community gathering location of sorts in the Microcentro (City Center) barrio of Buenos Aires. Here you might find people eating their lunch during the work week or even groups of people holding political demonstrations. When we visited, we saw many people drinking maté, an herbal tea and official/unofficial drink of Argentina, which is passed around in a circle and drunk through a metal straw. We had the opportunity to try it and I have to admit, it’s an acquired taste! Despite our less than desirable rating of the tea, we could definitely appreciate the sense of camaraderie that’s shared between friends and family when they partake.

Casa Rosada is the backdrop to Plaza de Mayo and is the White House equivalent in Buenos Aires… well, with distinction that it’s pink in color. The immediate thing that struck us was how close you could get to the building. Sure, there’s a secured gate around the perimeter but I’m quite certain we wouldn’t get that close to the white house without risking arrest! Casa Rosada is also where Eva Peron, affectionately and more famously known as Evita (cue the song, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina), made her famous speech from the balcony. Speaking of Evita, her final resting place lies in one of the world’s most famous cemeteries in the barrio of Recoleta. It’s actually a collection of elaborate mausoleums that’s a must visit in Buenos Aires.

Despite all of the European connections to this city, there are two major things that are indigenous and distinct to the people of Argentina: parrillas and tango! If you’re a carnivore and believe steak is the holy grail of meat, then look no further. Parrillas are essentially steak houses and are easily found throughout the city. From a hole in the wall, to a five star restaurant, one thing is fairly consistent, the quality of Argentine beef is like no other you will ever, and I mean ever consume. One restaurant, La Brigada, was even so bold as to cut the steaks at our table with spoons! I kid you not. And I won’t disclose how many nights we ate at a parrilla during our stay for fear of embarrassment; it was that good.

Just as there are parrillas abound in Buenos Aires, naturally you might expect to also find many leather shops. And I should add at incredible prices! Many of these shops and other fashion spots can be found in the Palermo barrio which is known as the trendy part of Buenos Aires. You might even rub elbows with some Argentine celebrities in the beautiful tree lined streets of Palermo Hollywood or Palermo Soho as many of them take residence there.

Colorful buildings make up the streets of the La Boca barrio which is known as the birthplace of tango. There’s a touristy area of the barrio where you’ll find many dancers dancing the tango in the middle of the street and bandoneón (an accordion-like instrument) or violin players providing the music. You can even get a lesson right there if you’re feeling saucy. As a matter of fact, Café Tortoni, near Plaza de Mayo, is a famous restaurant where you can enjoy both a performance and take a lesson. Tango music has strong African influences specifically in the rhythm but is also quite multi-cultural in its roots. Try listening to a bit of Astor Piazolla, one of the most popular composers of tango tunes, to give you the flavor of this unique musical and dance genre.

One last thing you must do is visit (and cross if you dare) Avenida 9 de Juilo. It’s the largest avenue in the world with nine lanes on both sides for a total of 18. Okay, so it isn’t that dangerous but we were a little nervous crossing it, even with pedestrian signals. It’s surprisingly breathtaking to see the amount of traffic on this road on a weekday. You also can’t miss the huge monument in the middle of it, El Obelisco, which closely resembles the Washington monument.

We had an incredible time in Buenos Aires. The city and its people obviously have a rich history and culture. What’s refreshing though is that you truly get a sense that they are enjoying their city and culture just as much as you are. There’s an open door to be immersed in the culture without feeling like a tourist. For a moment we got to call ourselves porteños and for that, we are forever grateful.

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Features: Architecture, Arts, Food, Historical, Live Music, Romantic, Shopping, Sightseeing