San Miguel News

A Vacation at the Beach

2012-02-08T18:26:00.000-06:00

No, this blog is not about our vacation at the beach, but rather about a short story written by a friend, Carol Merchasin, about how to choose a place for a beach vacation. It is very amusing. Carol is a retired attorney who has only recently started writing. I hope she continues!

Her husband Roberto to whom she refers is the good looking gentleman in the photo above.

Click this link to a video of her reading her story

Whale at the Beach

2012-01-31T17:10:00.000-06:00

Last week we went to the beach at Troncones, Mexico (not far from Ixtapa) with a group of congenial friends.

We took over a small resort, Mahajua Palms, a modest place with a million dollar location.

We relaxed, birdwatched, kayaked, swam, ate, drank and walked the beach looking for interesting shells and rocks.

At a beachside restaurant at dinner one night, we spotted a pod of whales offshore - looked like a daddy, mommy and baby whale. I grabbed this photo.

By the way, whale in Spanish is "ballena"

New York vs. San Miguel --- You Decide

2012-01-06T21:51:00.000-06:00

This is a Youtube video I saw today. Interesting.
New York vs. San Miguel

A couple of things to note. I don't know where all the swimming pools in San Miguel are. They are fairly rare, as they are expensive to heat and maintain. We do have hot springs nearby (which I don't think NYC is blessed with).

Also, I don't know where the minigolf course shown in the video is located. No idea!

Below you see me eating a Cubana sandwich which compares favorably, I believe, to sandwiches in NY. However, in San Miguel it cost less than $2.50! Eat your heart out!

This is me at a new restaurant just outside of town. The owner is a New Yorker who opened a nice thin crust pizza restaurant a few months ago. Thursdays you get a free dessert pizza with a large. We had Granny Smith apples with walnuts and cajeta (caramel topping) and another with cream cheese, blackberries and a kind of streusel topping. Yummy!

And a photo of me in front of a barbershop in Oaxaca during our recent trip. There is an interesting concept in Mexico which has no equivalent in English. That is the concept of "tocayo". A "tocayo" is a person who share your first name. So Carlos the barber and I are "tocayos". I didn't test the relationship by asking him for a loan.

NEWS FLASH! - Granddaughter Kaiya Gets First Haircut!

2011-11-08T18:06:00.000-06:00

Our granddaughter Kaiya (daughter Tracey's 2 1/2 year old) looks a bit apprehensive during her first haircut....

But I think she likes the results, don't you?

In fact, she seems rather proud!

Traveling History Museum in San Miguel

2011-11-08T13:44:00.000-06:00

While riding home from the gym one day, I saw a semi trailer parked in front of a small strip mall.
Loads of school kids were milling around.

Curious, I had to check it out. Turns out it is a free traveling Mexican history museum, part of the Mexican Bicentennial celebration.

No one objected when I climbed the stairs, entered and listened to the tour guide.

I thought it was a pretty nice thing for a small Mexican town.

Blogiquette

2011-11-08T12:53:00.000-06:00

I finally figured it out. Rather than write long blogs with lots of photos, I need to frequently write short blogs with just a photo or two.

I'm going to try it out.

Cross your fingers!

Also, I will include more photos of our grandchildren! Above is Lilah demonstrating her early artistic talent. This photo was taken 2 years ago, when she was just 3+. This is what she is doing now! Not bad for a 5 year old!

Museo de las Momias

2011-11-08T12:18:00.000-06:00

Our town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is located in the state of Guanajuato. About 50 miles away is the capital of Guanajuato, also called Guanajuato. It is a charming college town, colorful and fun to visit.

Its most famous attraction is the Mummy Museum, or Museo de las Momias. It is famous throughout Mexico, mostly due to a low budget cult horror film as well as a TV series.

In the last few years, the museum has been renovated and updated. It is no longer as macabre as in years past, although vendors outside still sell the same skeleton adorned candies.

A recent article in the Atlantic described the writer's visit to the museum.

Definitely worth a visit on your next trip to San Miguel!http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208306/

When there's a need, is it your responsibility to help? | What's Your Calling

2011-04-02T17:51:00.001-06:00

Please look at this blog entry....

When there's a need, is it your responsibility to help? | What's Your Calling

When you finish, go to www.rompglobal.org

Pass it on!

Cuba - Part 2

2011-03-30T15:25:00.000-06:00

CUBA

Imagine wearing tinted glasses. Like when Dorothy went over the rainbow and everything changed from black and white to Technicolor. That’s Cuba.

Put on those tinted glasses and join me in looking at a billboard size photograph of Havana.

Start at the top. The sky is an electric blue. A blue so clear and vibrant that it feels like an artist on drugs painted it.

Move your eyes to the bay, the harbor of Havana. Celadon in color, clear as glass, the white caps of waves crash against the wall of the Malecon. History has unfolded here. The Spanish built a 5-kilometer wall and fortress in the 17th century to defend the city from pirates and foreign attackers. Still defending the city four centuries later. In the evenings, hundreds of Cubans sit along the wall or walk its narrow boardwalk, taking in the scent and warm air.

Look now at the cityscape of Havana. Studded with architectural jewels, there are hundreds of buildings of historical importance.

The architecture, from Baroque to Art Deco, is grand but its glory has faded, due to neglect and poverty.

Think South Beach, Florida, with its delicious palate of colorful buildings, wide boulevards lined with mansions.

Think major European cities with monumental squares, each with fountains and statues of historical figures.

Think of decaying edifices, empty structures with broken windows, laundry hanging next to Doric columns. See ruins of magnificence, many now a memory of a glorious era. That’s Cuba.

Turn around and look at the streets filled with people of every skin color imaginable, all in jeans and t-shirts, except for those dressed in authentic Cuban costumes, hoping that you will give them a few pesos for a photo. Tourists from England, Canada, Spain, Poland, Germany, Asia and a few Americans congregate in groups in the four main plazas in Havana Viejo (Old Havana), all listening intently as their guides lecture about the importance of this and that. Young men yell, “What country are you from? Do you want to buy cigars (mostly counterfeit, we are warned)?

A 1950s time warp, an American Dream Cruise moved to a Caribbean island.

We watch the cars of our youth

Sleek, streamlined
3 on the tree

wood grained dash with AM radio

All colors of the rainbow
Memories of sliding over to the middle to be next to him

Paul Anka singing “Tears on my Pillow”

Strains of “Rock Around the Clock”

Bobby Darrin and Johnny Mathis crooning my favorite songs.

Chevy Impalas, Ford Fairlanes, Pontiac Bonnevilles, convertibles with white interiors and red or turquoise exteriors.

I sigh.

Surprise Trip to Cuba - Part 1

2011-03-30T13:55:00.007-06:00

A Surprise Trip

Monday, February 28, 2011 - I announced to Carlos as he left to meet the breakfast group at 7:00 am, “Be home by noon. We are going on a surprise adventure with Alice and Max for his 70th birthday.”

His response:

I can’t go on a trip.
I’m too busy.
I have plans.
I have a training session at the gym.
I have a meeting at the Presidencia (city hall).

Blah, Blah, Blah

My response:

Deal with it.

His response:

6 Days? That’s impossible.
I can’t go.
Change the trip.

My response: (with teeth clenched)

We are going.
We can’t change the plans.
Cancel your appointments.
Pack your suitcase.

His response:

Where are we going?

My response:

I am not at liberty to discuss it.

At 2 pm a van drove the four of us to the Queretaro bus station. Our destination: Mexico City airport.

Excitement was beginning to build. Questions and guesses were flying back and forth. Alice and I maintained our “no response” response.

5am - Wake up call.
6am - Board shuttle to airport.

They still have no idea where we are going.

“C-oo-ba”, ever so quietly slipped out of my mouth.

Their response: “CUBA”! FANTASTIC!”

A few hours later, we landed in Havana...

and an hour later, checked in to the hotel Parque Central (Central Park)

Nice slideshow about San Miguel

2011-03-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

Click here to see a nice slideshow about San Miguel with music!

Miracles do happen in our time! Milagros Ocurren en Nuestro Tiempo!

2011-02-14T14:21:00.039-06:00

It's time for your lazy blogger to get to work, and a remarkable event this past week has inspired me to create this blog entry.

Many of you know that Linda and I are Jewish and are active in the San Miguel Jewish community, and especially at Shalom San Miguel, our synagogue. This group not only has weekly services, but also cultural events, classes and holiday services and meals. For some years, services have been led by Dr. Dan Lessner, a (young) retired doctor from New York.

Carole Stone and Dan Lessner, Co-Presidents of Shalom San Miguel, address the crowd

Several years ago, a small number of Mexicans began appearing at our Saturday services. Some claimed to be descendants of Spanish Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Spanish Inquisition. Others felt a strong attraction to Judaism for some reason - emotional or intellectual. They came from nearby cities - sometimes taking a bus an hour and a half each way to attend weekly services. Dan Lessner, who speaks fluent Spanish, began teaching a weekly class for them. In addition, he and Carole Stone, Shalom San Miguel's President at the time, created a Spanish version of our Siddur (prayer book), including a transliteration and translation of all prayers - a monumental and remarkable task!

Eventually, some of the Mexicans decided to convert to Judaism, a decision not lightly taken. It required extensive study and commitment on their parts. Last week, after two years of study, seven of these men and women, whom we term B'nai Anousim, underwent the conversion.

Three Conservative rabbis (all members of the Rabbinical Assembly) from the United States - Rabbi Juan Mejia (born in Colombia, now working in Oklahoma City), Rabbi Daniel Mehlman (born in Buenos Aires, now working in Los Angeles), Rabbi Felipe Goodman (born in Mexico City, now Senior Rabbi at Cong. Beth Sholom in Las Vegas) - convened a Beit Din, essentially a Jewish court of law, to administer tests to these aspirants and to determine their commitment and sincerity.

Left to Right - Rabbis Goodman, Mehlman and Mejia

Each of the B'nai Anousim was required, among other things, to bathe in a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath. Because no mikveh exists locally, they bathed in "living water" (natural spring). Shown belong are the converts and the rabbis, after the mikveh ceremony.

After the Mikvah. Left to right standing: Paola, Salomón, Josué, Elida,

Graciela, Heriberto, Iván and Rabbi Felipe Goodman.

In foreground: Rabbis Juan Mejía and Daniel Mehlman.

Our B'nai Anousim passed "with flying colors", and on Monday, February 7, the entire Jewish community of San Miguel was invited to a party celebrating the event. Almost a hundred people attended the event. Prayers were recited, and each of the three rabbis spoke briefly in English and Spanish before the B'nai Anousim jointly read a statement indicating the commitment to Judaism and its beliefs. It was a moving experience for all (an understatement, to say the least). Even the rabbis were unable to hold back their tears and strong emotions. Each rabbi said that this event was unique in the Jewish world.

Our B'nai Anousim are:

Josue Garcia Vasquez (Yehoshua Ilan) and his wife, Paola (Adina Tamar; born in Leon)) and son, Salomon (Sh'lomo Yaakov)Ivan Gari Arredondo Nova (Yeshayahu Zecharia)

Elida Vega Munoz (Rivka Batsheva)

Heriberto Gutierrez (Eliyahu Aviel)

Graciela Alejandrina Ramirez Chavez (Chana Ruth)

After the speeches, a surprise awaited us. Two of the converts, Josue and Paula, a young married couple with a one year old son Salomon and another child on the way, were married under Jewish law by the three rabbis present. A makeshift chuppah was erected using a tallit (prayer shawl) and four hockey sticks as posts.

Tears were flowing freely. I can safely say that there wasn't a dry eye in the house, including mine.

Be sure to visit the Youtube video of the wedding!

After the wedding, a lovely comida (luncheon) was served.

We are looking forward to the participation of our newest San Miguel Jews, and to their continued learning and commitment. They are an inspiration to all of us.

In Spanish, the word "miracle" is translated as "milagro". We are justifiably proud of the milagro in our midst this year.

Virgin of Guadalupe Day

2010-12-31T18:29:00.000-06:00

Calle Rosal (Rosal Street)

Another story. Before the Christmas season began, Mexicans join together for the festivities of the Virgin of the Guadalupe, the most venerated and important day of the year. Celebrations abound all over the country, beginning In the early morning hours (starting at about 4am) with fireworks, which is something we never quite understand. They can’t wait until let’s say 8:00 am? Over the years we have learned that the Mexicans do love their fireworks no matter what time of day.

Lunch tables

Like the rest of Mexico, the people of San Miguel celebrate this day with local neighborhood posadas (celebrations), religious masses, building altars, and gathering with friends and family to share comida. (lunch).

We were home that particular Sunday morning, watching CBS Sunday morning news, having a nice breakfast, and just enjoying the quiet when we heard what sounded like a marching band coming down our street. Grabbing the camera and our curiosity, we followed the 15 or so young people who were in full dress marching band costumes. Quite a crowd of people followed the procession, many of whom were older women carrying individual statues of Guadalupe. At the top of the hill, all stopped before an enormous altar with a very large portrait of the Virgin, decorated with large paper flowers in glorious colors, candles, additional flowers and plants, small statues, oranges, and greens.

It was spectacular to see it on the street. As we were the only gringos, I asked permission (a courtesy) to take a few pictures. The people were both pleased and eager to have their photos taken.

Aurora (to right)

As I was stumbling through my conversations with “my better than what it used to be but still not so great” Spanish, an older Mexican woman came over and introduced herself to me as Aurora Gutierriez in English.

She told me the story of this particular posada, that it had been a tradition for 15 years between a group of friends, expanding each year with more extended families and friends. Each of the small group of women who were the organizers had their roles: one ran services, one created the altar, others cooked for the comida (lunch), etc. Aurora asked me to take a photograph of the group of women who were the organizers, and after a few minutes, insisted that we be part of the photograph too (including Bella!). Other families asked me in turn to take their photographs. As an added bonus, we were invited as special guests to their comida, which was a great honor.

While they were conducting the service, we went back to our casa and made about 30 prints, and returned to the celebration with photos in hand.

By this time, prayers were almost over, so I presented the envelope with the photos to Aurora. As everyone gathered about to see the pictures, I realized another reason why we are here in Mexico. It is opportunities like this that remind us of our own humanity, that giving something back to the community with a simple thing as taking a photograph can give us the greatest sense of joy. We were included as part of this group, no matter who we were, what religion we were, what was the color of our skin. As we were welcomed into our neighborhood posada, this was indeed “un regalo”, a gift for all of us.

Back to San Miguel!

2010-11-28T17:54:00.004-06:00

Dear Friends, Family and Blog Readers,

Our drive to San Miguel was long but uneventful. We listened to books on tape and lots of podcasts so the long day's driving weren't difficult or boring. We ate at interesting and/or unusual restaurants, some found at www.roadfood.com....like Gus's Fried Chicken in Memphis. Yummy! The best fried green tomatoes I've ever had!

...and some found when we were just plain hungry, like the Catfish King, where a table of policemen were also lunching.

Our friends, Hope and Dirk, caravanned with us - waving to one another as we passed on the highways and meeting up at night for dinner and hotel. Of course Bella was the usual terrific traveler, and happy to be with us.

We stopped in Houston

to visit our friend Wendy from San Miguel, who is undergoing special treatment at MD Anderson. It was wonderful to be able to spend special time with her and Tashi, her dog. Bella agrees!

We also took advantage of our time there to visit a few of Houston's museums, such as the the Menil Collection, below....

But mostly it was good to spend time with Wendy.

Our crossing over to Mexico was a cinch! No problems at all!

About four hours across the border, we stopped overnight in an old mining town called Real de Catorce. Situated about 8000 feet above sea level, the only main access is to wind up the mountain and then go through a tunnel of 2300 meters (over a mile)!

Inside the mile and a half long tunnel!

Tunnel entrance - one lane only!

You can just imagine the thoughts going through our heads (ok, mine) (most notably, are we crazy?). We stayed at a bed and breakfast, Refugio Romano, which was perched on the top of the town, another harrowing drive up narrow cobblestone streets. (Another "woe is me" sigh)

View of mountains from Refugion Romano

Our hosts Mayra and Lucio (he's Italian) greeted us warmly with a home cooked dinner at their bed & breakfast, Refugio Romano.

Mayra, our host

Our welcome dinner with friends Dirk Bakker and Hope Palmer

The kitchen at Refugio Romano

Other images from Real de Catorce....

18th Century Church interior

Robe with metal "milagros" (miracles) inside church

Closeup of milagros

A vendors sourvenirs

Dirk, Carlos & a vendor watch Linda and Hope shopping

We left the next morning after exploring the town and arrived in San Miguel late Monday afternoon. Mari, our housekeeper, was waiting for us with open arms to help us unpack. We were so happy to finally be out of the car, and sleep in our own bed.

The weather here is beautiful, warm and sunny. I know some of you are not having the best of weather up north (sorry!).

We are spending Thanksgiving with friends and are having a typical American dinner of turkey and all the fixings.

Wishing you health, happiness, and good food on this day of thanks (Dia de Gracias).

Write soon, or call us!

We miss you all and send our love.

Linda y Carlos

Detroit at a Crossroads

2010-07-20T11:10:00.002-05:00

We live in suburban Detroit, but were raised in the city proper. It was a great place to grow up.

Frequently, I go to into the city because I own some property, or for meetings.

It's more than scary. It's more than frightening. It's just plain sad.

For people my age (61), it's difficult to imagine a renaissance of Detroit. They tell me that young people are moving here for the cheap housing, artists' studios, etc. I just don't see it. Maybe it's me.

Two out of three of my kids have left town. I don't see them returning...ever. Most of my friends are in the same situation with their children.

Is Detroit at a crossroads? Can it be the model of an urban revival? Or is it simply a dead end place, destined to die a slow, painful death?

We are likely not going to find out for a long time; in the meantime watch this trailer for a film being produced about firefighting in Detroit.

BURN Trailer from Tremolo Productions on Vimeo.

and here's another video done by the BBC...."Requiem for Detroit?"
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/03/clips_from_bbcs_requiem_for_de.html

Not very encouraging, are they?

Montevideo, Uruguay or, well, at least we visited another country

2010-04-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

I looked forward to a trip to Uruguay. It sounded interesting and even perhaps a bit exotic. A welcome change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires.

The huge Buquebus boat station...with Linda waiting for me. If she looks annoyed, remember that it's about 6:30 am!

It was all of those things...and less. But it did start with a three hour boat ride on a huge hovercraft. It was so smooth it felt like we weren't moving at all. The River Plata was enormous...like a huge lake or ocean.

Upon arrival, we taxied to the Hotel Ibis and checked our bags. It was a typical business hotel, slightly off the tourist track. However, it had been difficult to find any hotel, due to the presidential inauguration on Monday. Note the price - $65 US (breakfast not included).

Then back to the big market, which sounded more interesting than it was. There was a big warehouse full of small roasted meat dishes (not that appealing to Linda), and most of the restaurants were packed.

We wandered around for a while, taking in the sites. Also turned out that Montevideo was a big cruise ship destination, so the streets were full of tacky souvenir shops. Oh boy!

We did like the well organized fruit stores with carefully stacked fruit.

Then we happened upon this guy with a steering wheel. Took us a minute to figure out that it was attached to a video camera, and was some kind of stabilizing device.

The streets were lined with old buildings in disrepair. Reminded us of photos of Havana. Also lots of graffiti.

As in Buenos Aires, there was tango dancing in the street.

and stores with funny names (Carlos' gifts)

and funny pants...more about these later.

See the tacky souvenirs. Who buys this s..t?

So instead we ate at a fancier (i.e., white tablecloths and expensive) outdoor restaurant. Turned out to be pretty good. I had steak and Linda had a salad. We relaxed and watched the world go by. And actually, it was quite pleasant.

After lunch we set out to explore Montevideo. There were supposed to be a few interesting museums. Not true.

There were some lovely buildings...

such as the Teatro Solis...

but basically everything was closed in anticipation of the inauguration...

In desperation, we found our favorite ice cream store from Buenos Aires, Freddo, had branches in Montevideo.

and even more interesting, the ice cream was Kosher (how appropriate, since it was the Sabbath). But it was just as delicious as in BA.

Note the first photo of strolling mate drinkers...more to follow

Tattoos and piercings are ubiquitous

and I loved the name of this store - tiempofunky

But, as you can see, virtually everything was closed.

By the way, although we did not do much investigation, we did find out that the newly elected president, Jose Mujica, was the first "man of the people" ever elected. He is also called the flower president and a former guerrilla fighter. We saw Mujica books and posters everywhere.

Back to the hotel for a siesta. I went out for a walk along the boardwalk. Montevideo is surrounded by water and lovely beaches, such as this one.

Some bathers were out, but I saw no one I would describe as a beach bunny.

What I did see was the ubiquitous mate drinker!

Honestly, these people need three hands - one for the thermos, one for the cup, and a third for ?

Then back to the hotel to pick up Linda for dinner. We had heard about good food and good shopping in Montevideo, and asked the clerk where to go. He sent us to a mall, which he said was full of shops and restaurants. NOT! We were the oldest people there, and there was nothing to buy and no food, except for fast food. In desperation we went outside the mall and finally found a restaurant called Don Pepperoni, serving, you guessed it, pizza. But not just any pizza. The worst pizza in the western world.

Somehow we ended up with pizza without tomato sauce.

and we asked them to bring some sauce, which made the pizza (barely) palatable.

All in all, a miserable evening. We taxied back to the hotel in silence, having decided to go to the (supposedly) wonderful street market in the morning, and then to go to our next stop a day early.

Computadoras Pro Jovenes in San Miguel de Allende

2010-04-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

I would like to share with you one the of things I am working on in Mexico. I don't want you to think it's all fun and games (although in this case it's computer games).

Please look at the attached Youtube video, and contact me if you would like to donate old computer equipment to Computers for Kids.

The beginnning of the end....

2010-04-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

While I visited the water museum (see previous blog), Linda was working feverishly to finish the edition of prints she had been working on. Oblivious to her efforts, I continued my lazy walks. I passed the building shown above - guess what they sell?

Then a lovely building, shown below at ground floor level.

moving up one floor...

and then looking up....an idyllic painting.

all atop a lowly dry cleaners!

I stopped for a quick coffee and snack at a beautiful old coffee shop.

Then continued to the main synagogue and Holocaust Museum, closed (as usual) for the summer.

All synagogues and Jewish buildings in Buenos Aires have federal security.Note the small white booth to the left of the entrance (appears to be just to the rear of the van).

Then past the Teatro Colon, a world famous opera house, unfortunately, closed for a major renovation. It is scheduled to reopen in May (our luck!) with the opera Manon.

Continuing my walk, I went to the famous old Cafe Tortoni, intending to have a drink at this landmark.

However, seeing a line in front of tourists waiting to pay an exorbitant price to have a drink in an historic bar, I fled.

And went to Linda's studio to see her latest results.

and as the print comes off the press, we see a bit more...

and more...

TA DA!!!!!

The final print - the largest and most complex yet.

Linda was exhausted, so we celebrated with dinner. As we walked to a restaurant, we passed some lovely old homes.

We ate at a casual, but hip restaurant that had been recommended by one of the young artists with whom Linda was working. While the salad and pizza were not special, the mood, the presentation and the streetscape were well worth the visit.

Homage to the Master (Plumber)

2010-04-10T16:16:00.004-05:00

One of my blogging heroes is John Wood. John, a retired engineer, has found a second career as a talented writer. A few years ago he traveled to Argentina, where he blogged his trip extensively. One entry involved John's trip to the Water Museum. I highly recommend that you look at John's blog - especially his blogs on Argentina. His blog on this museum is found in the 1/8/08 entry (you'll have to scroll way down!). Thanks, John!

Inspired by John, I was determined to visit this museum. John had warned me (in his blog) that the hours of the museum made visits a bit difficult. Very true. It opened late and closed early, leaving only a small window of opportunity for visiting.
After two or three attempts, I finally made it to this beautiful place, the former city waterworks.

The building, designed and built by an English firm, was full of gorgeous exterior details, such as shown here.

After entering the building, I followed signs (with some difficulty) to the museum, which turned out to be a suite of about 3 or 4 rooms on the second floor of an administration building. The place was deserted. The first room contained some fascinating objects (for those who are fascinated with urinals, toilets, pipes and old ads for bathrooms; i.e., not many of us, other than eccentrics like John and me.)

An artistic rendering of urinals...

in the next room were more porcelain fixtures...

A woman with two young boys entered the room, and a guide appeared to explain things to them.

I'm not sure how interesting the youngsters found the presentation...

Man in a pipe, above.

I finally reached the piece de resistance, below. I'm sure you'll find it as fascinating as I did.

Have you ever seen so many toilets in one place?

As I exited the museum, I noted its visitor count...

2009, the biggest year yet, with 11,071! I did my best to make 2010 even better!

El Tigre...

2010-04-06T00:59:00.005-05:00

Wednesday, February 24 dawned sunny and warm. Today was my expedition to El Tigre, in the Parana delta about an hour outside of BA.

First I dropped Linda off at her studio. She and Alicia showed me some of Linda's new work. Alicia was like a proud mother hen.

Linda's work was getting larger as she grew more comfortable with the studio, the equipment and her assistants.

The trip involved taking the subway to the main train station, then finding the train to El Tigre.

In fact, it was a cinch. Everything was well marked, and when I asked a group of students the way, they replied "Follow us!"

Note the "artistic" trash bucket at the train station!

We arrived at the train station,

and after a brief look around, I noticed that a short boat trip was leaving in a few minutes, so I rushed to make the boat. It was a comfortable mahogany boat with an enclosed cabin, about 2/3 full. I seemed to be the only American, although I later heard a few English speakers.

As the boat left the dock, we passed a rowing scull...

and a lovely large municipal building...

and other boats...

and a large casino (more details later)....

We motored through miles - make that kilometers - of canals, mostly lined with small weekend homes. Very few, surprisingly, appeared to be large or luxurious.

Some were downright pretty...

some not so pretty, but still nice...

and some were downright dumps....

Most had docks and boats...

We passed an attractive beach and swim club.

Although the water was brown, it was because of the muddy bottom, not because it was dirty. Due to recent rains, the water level was quite high.

Previously, I had visited (and blogged) the Museo Sarmiento, the Buenos Aires home of one of Argentina's first presidents. I recalled from that visit that Sarmiento had a weekend retreat in El Tigre.

As we rounded a bend, I saw that his home had been converted into a museum.

and the house itself was enclosed in an unusual way.

As the cruise ended we passed an amusement park,

and then, as a sign that we had really reentered the civilized world....

After the cruise, I wandered the streets of the city, searching for an area with Victorian homes, rowing clubs, restaurants and museums.

But first, I happened upon a small building that was a Mate Museum.

What is mate? It is a plant - called Yerba Mate -

that is brewed with hot water to make a tea-like infusion. It is drunk from a container called a "mate" through a straw, called a "bombilla", with a filter on the end.

Mate is drunk extensively throughout Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and other countries in South America (more later). It is BIG BUSINESS!

Over the years, artists have applied their skills to mate advertising...

to the mate cups (also called "Mate" to confuse things...
Quick...whose picture is on the mate cup below?

Score one point if you said Carlos Gardel, the famous Tango singer.

Below are several lovers' mate cup and double ended straws...

And then on to the main event (for me), the Mate Bar.

The host, and owner of the museum, served me.

I purchased a pot (actually a thermos) of mate, and got a free sample (it's addictive and full of caffeine, so the manufacturers are thrilled to give away free samples).

Let me put it this way. It's not exactly delicious, despite all the advertising hoopla and the ubiquity.

It must be an acquired taste (which I haven't yet acquired).

I wandered on to the next attraction, some rowing clubs, and interesting old buildings.

Then I found the National Naval Museum...

an enormous fascinating museum showing the maritime history of the nation.

From models of ships...

to gondolas (don't ask me why)...

to naval uniforms...

and diving equipment...

to Argentinian Polar expeditions...

to torpedoes, missiles and bombs.

Remember parents, don't let your kids play with the torpedoes!

All for only about 75 cents! It was hard to leave after only an hour, but I still had plenty to do. Remember the lovely casino from the boat trip? It has been turned into an art museum. Although there was no significant art there (or at least no artists I had ever heard of), the setting was lovely - the sculpture garden, grand halls, chandeliers and stairways. Despite no photography being allowed inside, I managed to sneak some photos.

As I walked back to the train station, I passed this vintage Cadillac DeVille in front of an odd teashop.

and then back along the river, past the lovely brightly painted boats...

and then back to Buenos Aires after a long, but very satisfying day.

All Dressed Up and Somewhere to Go!

2010-03-21T13:42:00.000-06:00

Today (March 20) we were invited to a party to celebrate the wedding of friends John Wood (a fellow blogger) and Laura Josephs. In the interest of being the first blogger to announce this event, I am rushing to press today! [Please ignore the guy in the picture between John and Laura].

Question:

What's more fun than a wedding?

Answer:

A wedding in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with mariachis, Mexican food, and dancing.

I should mention (in the interest of marital bliss) that Linda looked smashing!

The newlyweds were radiant as they entered!

surrounded by friends and family...

admiring the gorgeous and delicious cake...

and generally being very happy...

and dancing...

the first of many tender whispers while dancing...

and the bride looked lovely as the groom slipped his arm around her waist...

The wedding dress, by the way, was designed by Eduardo (here with partner Michael).

A wedding in San Miguel is not without its funny parts. Here a guest has got her boot stuck in a grate, as a waiter tries (eventually successfully) to assist her.

Among the guests were Linda and Carlos Soberman

Linda dancing with the groom's brother...

Actually, I noticed that he danced with most of the ladies.

Although this is the end of this blog, it is the beginning of a long and happy marriage for Laura and John.

Congratulations!

Linda's Back in the Studio; I'm Back on the Streets - or "Rain Rain Go Away!"

2010-03-21T10:52:00.001-06:00

On Monday, February 21, Linda returned to the studio for her second week of hard work. I walked with her, because our friends Barbara and Jim were visiting to see the studio and Linda's work.

Jim is a retired market analyst from NYC who lives part of the year in a lovely apartment in Buenos Aires, and the rest of the year in New York (tough life, Jim!). He is the brother of Claudia Schwartz, who, with her husband Tony, has been staying at Casa Bella in San Miguel, caring for our dog Bella.

Following the visit, there was a delicious studio lunch, as always.... Apparently the Argentinians believe that an artist cannot create good art on an empty stomach. There's some logic there, I believe.

After lunch, bach to the grind! Making more good art!

Adriana and Valeria, Linda's trusty assistants!

Linda's latest results... she is feeling very productive!

While Linda continued her work, I left for a walk around Recoleta, a lovely part of the city. First I took a bus to Plaza San Martin, the city's second most important plaza (after Plaza Mayor). This interesting building is Edificio Kavanaugh (394 feet), which was, when built in 1934, South America's tallest building. It is considered an Art Deco landmark.

While walking through the Plaza, I spied a couple of oddly dressed people carrying a sign with Hebrew characters. Curious, I followed them until I realized that they were Jews for Jesus.

I continued my walk, as always, looking for the oddball and unusual.I noted, for example, that many buildings in BA had a jug outside, with a tube dripping into it. I realized that this was water from air conditioning condensers. In New York, these are normally dripping onto the sidewalks and onto pedestrians' heads. Were Portenos (people from BA) more neat and polite, or were they making some use of this distilled water. Another unsolved mystery.

Continuing my walk, I looked up and noted a gorgeous building. It was not listed in my guidebook, so I approached for a closer look.

No dice...just another interesting, lovely, unique office building.

Another oddity of BA is that all the street signs are advertisements for cell phone providers - in this case Claro. That is a clever way of getting nice new street signs, and giving someone else besides the city the maintenance responsibility and cost.

Walking along one of the main thoroughfares it the theatre district, I saw this marquee for...guess what?

You're right - Beauty and the Beast

I searched my guidebook for some interesting sights, and noted that there were a few small museums in the area. Unfortunately, they were either closed or uninteresting, so I mostly wasted my time. The building above, Mazana de los Luces, was supposed to be a very ancient group of buildings and tunnels. However, it apparently serves as some kind of municipal building, with meeting rooms and a patio for concerts. Nothing for a tourist...at least this tourist.

As I wandered through Recoleta, it began to rain. I ducked into an ice cream shop (no surprise) I had heard about - Volta.

I ordered a ice cream, and slowly savored it as it rained cats and dogs outside.

It continued to rain. I wandered around the store, looking at the lovely chocolates.

Talking to the manager...

Admiring the decor and the menu....

and then finally breaking down and ordering another bowl of ice cream. I kidding with the manager - was the third bowl free? When would I have to start paying rent for the table. Meanwhile, it continued to pour. My small umbrella would have been powerless in the storm!

Finally, the rain slowed down enough for me to run to the subway station. Not much different than a NY subway, except no air conditioning.

Linda met me back at the apartment, and we decided to go back downtown for dinner and some shopping, not necessarily in that order. It was lovely as we wandered the streets and the sun began to set.

Avenida 9 de Julio (9th of July) - an enormous wide street (perhaps 10 lanes wide)!

The famous obelisk....

Calle Paraguay had big crowds and lots of street vendors. A lot of energy here. Tango dance demonstrations and more!

We wandered through Galeria Pacifico (and upscale mall)

and the good news - Linda even found some boots she liked!

Our guidebook mentioned a nearby Italian restaurant that had a nice writeup in one of the guidebooks. Frankly, we were so tired and our feet hurt so much, it wouldn't have mattered where or what we ate (so long as it was followed by some Dulce de Leche ice cream).

After dinner, we taxied home and, as we entered our building, noticed something we had seen before but not focused on - a garbage picker. This woman was wheeling an enormous bag of garbage at a rapid pace through the street. We later saw people like her picking through these sacks of garbage, presumably looking for things to sell or eat. A sad commentary on poverty in Buenos Aires.

Another Sunday in San Telmo

2010-03-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

Next morning dawned clear and not so hot. We decided to go back to San Telmo for the Sunday fair/flea market. We saw some interesting art...

And tried on some handmade shoes (Carlos still regrets that he didn't buy a pair)

The streets were full of people

and the windows full of interesting displays

and the shops full of fun stuff

Funny! "Basura" means "garbage"

and more tango

I bought an interesting gadget. Can you guess what it is?

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
any ideas yet?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

it's a scalp massager/scratcher! Works pretty well, too! Please ignore thinning hair photo below.

We found a lovely small restaurant for lunch

where the menu was on a chalkboard

and the waitresses were young and perky

and the food was delicious.....

before...

and after....

dessert - lemon souffle and espresso

After lunch we kept exploring San Telmo. We stopped in an interesting building with lots of small shops and galleries.

that used the old facade as part of the renovation...

This artist/gallery owner took videos on the street of people dancing to music they picked. It was terrific. One of the videos is shown on the monitor between us.

Linda tried on this felt coat

and I loved this apron...

which says "Eat more chicken"

We straggled home, full and tired. Linda needed to get a good night's sleep for the next day at the studio.

A Museum Day

2010-03-07T15:17:00.006-06:00

I think I've already mentioned the ice cream in Buenos Aires, but if I haven't, please see sample above. This is a cup of Dulce de Leche Granizada (with chocolate chunks) and Chocolate with Almonds. This was our favorite combination, and Freddo is the high quality chain where we most often ate it!

But delicious ice cream is available all over BA, and most of the shops will even deliver to your home in styrofoam containers. What a luxury!

After Linda finished her first full week of working in the studio, she was justifiably tired. However, the next day, she was ready to go again.

Walking along the street, we took photos of some interesting signs.

and ripped and torn signs...

We had a non-memorable quick lunch, but even in a small cafe, the chocolate brownie dessert was lovely and delicious.

We decided to make this a museum day (despite the rain, or perhaps because of it), and visited a number of small museums, such as....the Museum of Decorative Arts

Unfortunately, they didn't permit photos to be taken in this magnificent museum, which was one the home of a wealthy family who made their money in agriculture. At the time this was built, wealthy Argentinians were most influenced by the French, and this home was designed by a French architect.

We didn't have a chance to eat in the lovely restaurant on the grounds of the museum, but would definitely say it looked beautiful.

There was an exhibit of posters designed by a German designer named Pierre Mendell. If you have time, Linda and I would definitely recommend that you look at some of his gorgeous work, such as...those he designed for the Bavarian State Opera.

Although it was hot and humid, Linda and I soldiered on (note frizzy hair on gorgeous blonde, below).

We then went to another small museum, called Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernandez Blanco (now that's a mouthful, isn't it?). It was in a lovely old home, tucked away on a sidestreet downtown. And while we didn't love the collection (not our thing), it was a nice respite from the busy city.

On the long, hot, humid way home, we stopped for ice cream at Freddo (see opening photograph of this blog).

We arrived back at our apartment, and rested for a bit before dinner with Alicia Candiani (director of Proyecto 'Ace) and her husband Adolfo.

They took us on a driving tour of parts of BA we had not yet seen, and then stopped along the river Plata. There we saw people fishing and eating.

The barbeque looked wonderful. And in fact, Adolfo and I joked about eating here instead of in a fancy restaurant.

One of the vendors joked with us, and it wasn't until we left that I noticed his sweatshirt - University of Michigan! What a coincidence!

He offered to let me help him cook, and took a picture of me, which unfortunately did not come out great. But you get the idea.

Linda, Adolfo and Alicia

We had a lovely dinner in a parillada, or grill restaurant, where I enjoyed yet another delicious steak. And then on to Persicco, yet another ice cream parlor.

The streets were lively with people, young and old. It was very vibrant.

Singin' in the Rain in Buenos Aires

2010-02-25T07:48:00.002-06:00

Thursday and Friday were working days for Linda, and thus play days for me.

I went to the gym on Thursday morning to work off some of the good food I've been eating. Afterwards, I stopped in a local cafe and ice cream parlot for lunch.

I ordered what I thought was a sandwich and a glass of water (very healthy). The water came, along with the smallest sandwich I had ever seen (a micro-sandwich).

I ate it, and was still hungry, of course. So, this being Buenos Aires, I ordered an ice cream cone for dessert. (coconut with dulce de leche)

I started eating it when, lo and behold, a large tart came out of the kitchen for me.

Turns out that the sandwich was just something free to tide me over until the tart arrived. So there I was with the ice cream and the tart!

Later that day I went out to find some coffee for the apartment. I didn't like the coffee that we bought in a grocery store, so I asked in a cafe where to buy coffee. The owner told me he normally doesn't sell his coffee, but insisted on giving me a free cup of coffee and selling me about a half pound of delicious coffee. While sitting in the cafe, I started talking to an interesting woman who told me about how difficult her life had been living in Buenos Aires. I got the feeling that, before the devaluation (2002?), her life had been pretty good, and afterwards she may have lost her middle class lifestyle. The cafe was in Belgrano (our neighborhood), but she told me that although she couldn't afford to live in such a nice neighborhood, but enjoyed having coffee there. I took the following picture of her, which she didn't like, and she asked that a take a second one with a smile. As I left, we exchanged business cards. Hola, Sra. Delia E. Bareno.Mucho gusto conocervos.

On Friday, I met Linda at her studio for lunch. As I walked down our street, out of the corner of my eye I saw something familiar in the window of a glass and mirror store that I had passed a dozen times.

I went back and looked, and saw this familiar poster...funny.

Then I passed a lovely open doorway....

with a lovely entrance to the building...

On closer inspection, it appeared to be a shabby hotel, that probably rents rooms by the hour...apparently very popular in BA. The hotel was definitely NOT listed in any guidebooks or on the internet!

Continuing on towards the studio, I saw some men unloading a truck by tossing the boxes from one to the other. Fortunately, it was only toilet paper!

When I arrived at the studio, Linda and her mates were finishing something before lunch (the high point of their day!).

Now for lunch!

They eat like this every day, according to Linda.

Adrianna suggested I visit a photography museum down the street. On the way there I passed this amusing store that sold percussion instruments.

and then an odd store that sold only cooking oil of all types...Aceites 4.4.4. Go figure!

From across the street, I eyed the photo museum.

It's a mannequin...

Inside were mainly exhibits of old cameras and photo equipment, and a few photographs. All the cafe tables were glass topped with photo equipment inside. Clever.

Of course, I had to have a beer. As always in BA, it was served with something else, in this case some chips, cheeze things and nuts. Note the beer - Quilmes - which is the predominant local brewery.

Next stop was the Chacarita Cemetery, which I thought might be interesting on a dreary day. I wandered around, trying to find the entrance to this giant cemetary. I encountered these children playing alone.

Then a place alongside the cemetery wall where someone (not present) seemed to be living.

and then finally the grand entrance to the cemetery.

It was getting darker and darker. Rain threatened. A good time for taking pictures in a cemetery?
I passed some workmen carrying a ladder. What were they doing?

I figured it out. With so many people buried in each tomb, there were deep caverns below each one, such as shown below.

I thought about how all cemeteries were similar, in that they ultimately sold real estate. There were small, medium, large and monumental edifices, all presumably for different prices. I walked around and took pictures for a long time.

As I left and waited for the bus, it started to rain, and, as luck would have it, I had no raincoat or umbrella. I got out near the apartment, ducked into the Cafe Ritz, and ordered a coffee and a alfomja (wafer), covered with chocolate and with dulce de leche inside! Yummy. Also included (as always) were some delicious cookies.

Over an hour later, I was still cooling my heels, waiting for the rain to let up. It didn't seem likely, so finally, I ran home and got soaked in the process. Linda arrived shortly thereafter, also dripping wet. We laughed a lot, and stayed home that night, while it continued pouring.