Tag Archives: Buenos Aires

January 11, 2017 · 8:43 pm

Last day in BA

11th January.

Darn, it’s time to leave already! I had until 8pm though before my transfer from the hotel so could spend all day out and about again. I set out for the Museo Nacional de Belles Artes intending to spend a couple of hours there then go sketching in the Recoleta Cemetery afterwards. Well, that plan went astray, before I knew it, it was one o’clock, I was famished and had only just finished looking around the ground floor. I found a nice restaurant not far away for lunch then returned for another couple of hours. I’m blaming the heat for the awful angles on todays pics……….

Diego Rivera painting at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

One of my favourite artists, Edgar Degas

Little Chinese treasures at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

One of two paintings of the same theme, this one now and the other one old

The other showing the old version

Van Gogh painting at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

Toulouse Lautrec painting at Van Gogh painting at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

By then it was too hot to sketch in the cemetery, actually too hot to be outside, so I took a quick look inside the cloisters of the church next door, browsed shops and tried Starbucks for the very first time, before settling at an outdoor bar in the shade for a last quick sketch.

Lunch near the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

Lunchtime sketch

Rooftop view from Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

Floralis Generica, the huge flower that opens and shuts daily from the rooftop of Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, BA

Recoleta Cemetery from the cloisters of the church

Escaping the heat!

Resorting to Starbucks sketch

Last sketching place in BA

Last sketch in BA

Our Lady of the Pilar church at Recoleta

Apartment building with a deco feel near Recoleta

Good thing I headed back to the hotel a little earlier than planned as Diego arrived not long later for my transfer to the airport. Wow, it was so crowded inside and out. The traffic wardens were blowing their whistles non-stop! The driving continued to amaze me, so many drivers don’t seem to take any notice of lane markings or use their indicators – although Diego wasn’t in this category. Yet the traffic seems to flow just fine! I can’t imagine what would happen in Australia if you drove in the middle of two lanes – there would be lots of road rage!

At the airport I ordered a glass of wine with my baguette and thought it was expensive; not sure if they didn’t sell by the glass, but I got a half bottle!! Bit more than I bargained for, but why leave any when I’d paid for it, hehehe.

Cool sun and cloud formations, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires airport – more wine than I bargained for, lol!

Flying home

So, that’s the end of another adventure, I’ve had a wonderful few weeks. Already planning my next one to Chicago for the Urban Sketchers symposium and a couple of weeks in either northern US or Canada in July/August. Hopefully that will keep the wanderlust at bay for a while.

2 Comments

Filed under Argentina, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Buenos Aires, Floralis Generica, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Recoleta Cemetery, sketching, the giant flower

January 8, 2017 · 8:25 pm

Buenos Aires revisited

8th January

Well Ushuaia, like a lot of places that practice the siesta tradition, doesn’t seem to wake early! After a quick walk to Ushuaia Extremo to try and return my hired jacket I went back to the harbour, to a cafe Katie had told me about that opened early, Ramos Generales. I had to cool my heels for a little, but I wasn’t the only one lining up for a warm place to sit, a coffee and to get back in touch with the world. A whole heap of us ended up there, all head down with laptops or phones in front of us, their free wi-fi is a sure way to entice those just back from Antarctica.

This cafe was full to the brim with old things

and they had free wi-fi, just what you need after 12 days in Antarctica, lol

And we all meet again in the only coffee shop open this early

Was itching to take a peek – but not allowed……

Back in Ushuaia sketch

Even the bathroon was full of old stuff

Novel bathroom signage

I eventually left to take my jacket back and pick up some souvenirs before collecting my luggage and making my way to the airport for a 4pm flight. It was like “old home week” in the town and at the airport though, running into people from the ship all day. Was lovely to sit with Marijke for a while at the airport to catch up on the last few days as we’d been separated for the latter part of the voyage. Another 2 women sharing weren’t getting along and the only solution was for one of them to swap with one of us – so I lost my bestest roomie, but gained another who was nice too, but it just wasn’t the same. The only problem was the 4pm flight turned into 6pm, then 7pm, and eventually 7:30pm – I heard this wasn’t uncommon.

Ummm think something happened to the jetty!

Dropped off my trusty hired jacket to Ushuaia Extremo, thanks guys!

Leaving Ushuaia for Buenos Aires

I was so pleased I’d booked through a travel agent, had transfers organized and could keep in touch with Luis from the agency to update him during the wait. Walking through arrivals at almost midnight to see a driver holding a sign with my name on it was such a relief. Although I didn’t take it all in when I arrived, the Patios de San Telmo was a darling place to spend the next few days. I fell in love and could have happily spent all day every day just hanging out there – I didn’t!

Courtyard and sculpture Patios de San Telmo

Courtyard at Patios de San Telmo sketch

More courtyards and sculptures

Not quite up to mv Plancius standard, doh

Patios de San Telmo, just lovely

inside Patios de San Telmo

Inside Patios de San Telmo sketch

Rooftop pool Patios de San Telmo

Stork & baby sculpture Patios de San Telmo

Off to Antarctica on Christmas Day 2016

25th December 2016

Well, this is something you haven’t seen for quite a while, a new post from MidlifeTraveller! I last wrote about my 2013 travels a year ago, and was only up to Vigo in Portugal on 6th August 2013. I continued my travels that year until early November and continued on to Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and Puglia in Italy as well as Sicily. I still hope to write more about this one day!!! In December 2015-January 2016 I had a fantastic trip to Cuba and Mexico and same time this year I was off on an Antarctic cruise, just returning home on 13th January 2017. If I don’t write now it won’t happen, so here goes.

Hobart Museum sketched Jan-16

I took a trip to Hobart last year over the Australia Day weekend, and found the Antarctic section of the museum there totally fascinating. Then and there I decided my next destination was going to be the great southern continent. By the end of March it was all booked and deposit paid, only thing left to do was save the rest!!

On Christmas morning 2016 I flew out of Brisbane on Air New Zealand bound for Buenos Aires via a few hour stopover in Auckland. I’ve never flown with them before but couldn’t recommend the airline highly enough. The plane, staff and service was exceptional, we even had NZ wine poured out of full-sized bottles, something I haven’t experienced before in economy class! Being Christmas Day also bought a visit and chocolates through the plane by Santa and one of his elves – how cool was that.

Santa & helper on Air NZ flight Christmas Day 2016

About 20 hours later I arrived in Buenos Aires to Christmas Day still, about 3 in the afternoon, talk about making the day last. Stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Merit in San Telmo and took a half day bus and walking tour around the tourist hotspots of the city. Being only 5 of us in the group, it was a very relaxed and fun morning. This gave me a good idea of where I wanted to revisit when I came back for a few days at the end of my trip. La Boca was one of my favourite spots, seemingly, along with plenty of other tourists.The rest of the day was spent wandering back around the streets near the centre of the city.

Flying over NZ on the way to Buenos Aires, peaks in the distance

An early start to the next day saw me at the airport by 5:30am and landing in the southern most town of Argentina at Ushuaia by about 10am. I must say it’s quite a change for me to be met at the airports by someone holding a sign with my name on it who whisks me off to the hotel. Much less stress that finding my way in a country where I don’t speak the language.