Today dawned bright and beautiful, so what better way to begin our daily adventures than with a walk through South America's most famous "campo santo"? The large and imposing Recoleta Cemetery, encompassing numerous city blocks, houses most of the rich and famous of Argentina. A winding labyrinth of beautiful "streets" lined with mausoleums as far as the eye can see, this is perhaps the most unique cemetery in the world, and the only one in which I would go out of my way to spend a couple hours exploring. Its most famous resident, Eva Perón--in the Duarte Family plot--is the star of the place in a "Princess Diana" sort of way, overshadowing the other past presidents, military leaders, and celebrities buried here.
Recoleta Cemetery from above:
From within:
In front of president Guido (yes Guido!) grave:
And the famous Duarte family plot:
Following our tour of the cemetery, we had our daily coffee at the famous Café La Biela, around the corner:
Then we took off walking, leisurely meandering our way through the Recoleta and Palermo neighborhoods. We shopped and shopped (mostly the "window" variety), and even found a great playground for an afternoon break for the girls.
But then both girls got tired, and took naps. Gemma slept in the stroller and Isabel slept strapped to my back in a child carrier (notice the small pink shoe sticking out).
Other interesting things we saw today include...
A great McDonald's sign with classic Argentine (as opposed to "castellano") grammar and serving sizes:
A cool billboard for a clothing shop (with Isabel mimicking the monster's face):
And a great sign announcing "Here are Bimbos" (actually a brand of bread):
At the end of another marathon day of walking, we took the bus home from the chic Palermo Soho district, bought some fresh fruit for dinner, and relaxed until bedtime.
Tomorrow is Independence Day (July 9) and a friend has invited us to an authentic "asado" (barbecue) with her extended family. It's going to be a great day!
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