It’s not just the final resting place for the dead; Recoleta Cemetery comes alive— as the backdrop for a fantastic street festival every Sunday.
I can’t resist the scene— something about the random combination of color, crafts, people and products—-
Toss in some tango— I’d rather wander around this fair than Fifth Avenue.
What could be better than going to a street fair?
Going to two of them.
Across town is another Sunday institution: the San Telmo flea market.
Located in a quaint part of the city, this is the mother of all flea markets/garage sales—stores, stalls, street musicians—stretching for blocks and blocks as far as you can see.
There’s no way to see it all—no way to describe all I did see. If you love garage sales or antique shops or art or shopping, it could be worth the ticket to Buenos Aires.
V would rather have a root canal than go shopping. So this was a rare moment when I felt okay that he couldn’t come to Buenos Aires.
For Daniel, for me, and for my friend who came on the trip— today was as good as it gets.
Great piece. A long time ago, a good friend and writer, a true circumnavigator, who had circled our planet dozens of times over many years, visiting and writing from every nation on the globe, told me that if I wanted to quickly take the measure of a place and its people, I should immediately head for their daily open markets and regular street fairs. There I would find the true soul, the living heartbeat, the truth of the place. You will know it and you will feel it, he said, in the first few moments. He was right … be it Buenos Aires, Paris, Rome, Venice or New York. Enjoy.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful insight —now I get why street fairs in general hold such magnetism for me—and the fairs yesterday definitely expressed the heartbeat and soul of this city, at least as much as I’ve seen so far. I’ve also been to various markets all over the world—each with its own unique character and personality. Now I can’t wait to think about where I would want to go next.
I haven’t been to Argentina, but I think Saturday Market in Portland, OR, could be “a contendah” in the flea market Grand Prix!