As Argentina quickly becomes a giant in the wine world, Mendoza is at the heart of this amazing growth. Mendoza is wine country. Most of the area’s industry and tourism revolve around the production and showcasing of Argentina’s best wines.
Mendoza is also filled with amazing landscapes, from lakes to forests to vineyards, all with the towering Andes mountains as a backdrop. This area is also home to the best Malbec in the country. Tour options in this area are endless, which can be overwhelming. Tours vary greatly in price, length, tour guide expertise, and while some offer tours in English, their level of fluency may vary greatly. Another factor to consider is should you join a tour group, Read more
What do they eat in Argentina? Meat. And for good reason, Argentina is known for producing some of the best quality red meat in the world. Due to its popularity many Argentinians eat it almost every day, in all kinds of exciting ways.
Here, grilling is elevated to an art form. Asado is barbecued beef roast, Churrasco is grilled steak, and Parrillada refers to different cuts of meat and blood sausage (morcilla) grilled over an open fire. Asados are usually served with Chimichurri, a light sauce made with garlic, herbs, olive oil and lime juice or wine vinegar. Another common meal is Milanesa, breaded and fried steak served with mashed potatoes.
Other common dishes are borrowed from their Italian Read more
Getting out cash at an ATM in Buenos Aires can be quite the endeavor, especially if you are trying to do it on a Saturday night, or just after the entire country has gotten paid (the 15th and 30th of each month).
ATMs can be found all over the city, and so you would think that getting out money would be no big deal. Here’s the thing, Monday is the refill day, so by Saturday the funds in the ATMs are usually limited. You may end up visiting quite a few ATMs that blink INSUFFICIENT FUNDS back at you before you find one that spits out your cash.
Going right after pay day is annoying just because of the extremely Read more
In the land of everything meat, it is important to know how to order what you want! BBQing is serious business in the States, and Asados are serious business in Argentina. Don’t look like a fool when trying to order; brush up on these Spanish expressions and make sure you get exactly what you want when ordering out.
English Spanish Pronunciation
I want… Yo quiero… Show key-ero…
Barbecue Asado Ah-sah-doh
Blood sausage Morcilla More-see-sha
Chicken Pollo Poe-show
Chop Chuleta Choo-let-ah
Skirt steak Entraña En-trah-nya
Flank Vacio Vah-see-oh
Intestine Chinchulín Cheen-choo-leen
Kid (Goat) Chivito Chee-vee-toh
Kidneys Riñones Rin-yon-ays
Lamb Cordero Cord-eroh
Liver Hígado Ee-gah-doh
Pork Cerdo Ser-doh
Living in Buenos Aires and wanting to learn Spanish? Lucem Institute is offering special 15% discounts for groups in the month of July.
Lucem Institute is known for using the latest teaching techniques and materials, and putting a high emphasis on communication. They also organize a number of cultural and recreational activities to help students immerse themselves in the culture and the language.
Courses are 20 hours per week, or you can sign on for private lessons. Teachers are all University educated in the field of teaching Spanish and highly experienced with what they do. Private lessons are $45.00.
Cafe Tortoni is more than famous in Buenos Aires, it’s iconic. If it isn’t on your list of places to go, it should be. Even if just to say you had a cup of coffee there.
If you are looking for more on a night out to Cafe Tortoni, come and see the tango shows. Sure, there are plenty of tango shows in Buenos Aires, many of them better quality (and more expensive) but seeing a tango show at Cafe Tortoni is something special, and quite affordable.
Tango shows at Cafe Tortoni cost only $120 pesos for 2 people, and the show is quite enjoyable. The only complaint I have heard is that there simply isn’t enough dancing. Only about Read more
Dulce de leche is practically everywhere you turn in Buenos Aires… I mean, they even offer a special Oreo that is filled with dulce de leche instead of the regular cream filling. If you really want a sweet treat though, skip the Oreos and head to the famous Cafe Tortoni, known as the meeting point for some of the city’s greatest literary minds.
Cafe Tortoni offers a lot in the way of typical light food… but today we are focusing in on the sweet stuff. Dulce de leche, for those of you who don’t know, is basically caramel, but with milk mixed in (depending on which country and who is cooking, it varies, of course).
Art is Buenos Aires can be found in many forms showcased in a variety of galleries and museums. For the “not exactly traditional” art crowd, check out Appetite, which specializes in a sort of punk-rock-style art.
If you’re into the avant-garde style Appetite has to be on your list of things to do in Buenos Aires. It so readily holds to the punk-rock ideals and showcases talented Argentineans and more.
Although it is located on one of the less exciting blocks in San Telmo, once you walk inside you are immediately transformed into the coutner-culture created by an underground movement much bigger than the walls of this gallery can contain. Everything from the ceiling to the floor is a Read more
Interested in peering into Buenos Aires’ past? Start at El Zanjón de Granados, a 175 year old mansion that leads to a series of underground tunnels that connect back to the city’s early settlements.
El Zanjón offers 1 hour tours through the museum housed there and the different levels of the city, leading all the way back to its earliest settlements, which date back to 1536. The tour costs $36 for adults and $18 for children under 16 years of age.
You can find El Zanjón de Granados at Defensa 755 in the San Telmo neighborhood.
The official web-site is http://www.elzanjon.com.ar/, although that doesn’t provide you with much information.
Despite the price tag for the tour, even a visit Read more
Buenos Aires is teeming with culture, and no doubt you have a list of museums you want to visit. Make sure you have the Bellas Artes (Fine Art) Museum on that list.
The National Museum of Fine Arts has a variety of paintings on display, most of which are done by 19th century European impressionists.
The coolest part of the museum, in my opinion, is the upper level, which is devoted entirely to South American artists. It is cool to see paintings and other pieces of art from Argentina’s past, as well as many other items from around South America.
There is a pre-Columbian exhibit as well, which houses Peruvian and Mexican artifacts.
The National Museum of Fine Arts is located Read more
Facebook
Twitter
Recent Comments