The Russian Ortodox Church in buenos Aires

I previously Mentined something about this Russian Ortodox church built in Parque Lezama in Buenos Aires.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is located at Avenida Brasil 315 at the border in between San Telmo and La Boca. Built at the beginning of the 20th century by Russian expats it still offers its religious services to the small Russian community in Buenos Aires.

Yesterday I had the chance to go to tour they offer once a month to see its interior which basically is the church that sits on the first floor of the building and is richly ornamented with Russian icons and rich religious art. These visits are held once a month and require previous sign up on line.

La Casa Minima

When you visit San Telmo, make sure you pass by the Pasaje San Lorenzo, on number 380, you´ll see whats considered the smallest lot in Buenos Aires. called "Casa Minima" or "Casa del Liberto", it is said to have belonged to an emancipated slave, that made his abode in a small lot that was vacant.

Basilica del Santísimo Sacramento

The church of the Blessed Sacrament in Buenos Aires is a most visited landmark of the city. Kinda hidden behind an Empire State lookalike building, its actually very well located in the Retiro neighbourhood , Being one of the most lavishly decorated churches in the city with gold and silver Works, a French organ, important stained glass Works, marble and blue granite, bronze and Venetian mosaic ornaments. 
It was built by the Anchorena family that lived basically across Plaza San Martin in a mansion being used today as the Ministry of foreign affairs headquarters, that can also has a tour guide available.

The idea was that the church´s steeples could be seen from the Anchorena´s house, until a marriage proposal was rejected by the family´s matriarch because of lack of social status. The aspiring bride belonged to the Cavanagh family, very rich, but nouveau rich. So it is rumoured that in revenge, the concrete behemoth called the "Edificio Cavanagh" was maliciously placed blocking the church´s view.

"El Ateneo" Bookstore

"El Ateneo" is a bookstore with several locations in Buenos Aires. The most famous one is located at Av. Santa Fe, half a block away from Av. Callao.
This former Theatre-Cinema was called the "Grand Splendid" and still has the sign on its facade. Converted to a bookstore in 2000, it has kept its original decor as it was adapted into a bookstore.
Besides admiring its interior you might want to pick up a book on Buenos Aires as a souvenir.

The Guardian ranks it second nicest bookshop (as the brits say) in the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jan/11/bestukbookshops
 I´m attaching the article cuz you might want to check out the others if you´re in the mentioned cities.

Colonia del Sacramento

 
Colonia del Sacramento is located roughly 200 clicks southwest of Montevideo, by the River Plate facing Buenos Aires, and also closer to it than Montevideo. Being one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, I was surprised by the small size of the original Portuguese settlement, since according to the tordecillas treaty, signed by Portugal and Spain, this town was founded by the Portuguese and later handed over to the Spanish.

The cobblestone streets are adorned by stategically placed old cars like this 48´Studebaker champion coupe, that reminds me of a composition I made in grade school that was titled " the Little red Broom Broom car.
Be advised that this is probably the most photographed car in the town, Ive seen it even in a bill board in Buenos Aires.
See the PDF

Calle Lanin, Barracas

La Calle Lanin is a two block strech of colourfull houses whose fronts have been painted and decorated with mosaics ,the murals there, were created in the year 2001 by local artist Marino Santa Maria ,who  lives on number 33. Its worth going if you have mobility, but the area in general is quite rundown, and gets spooky after dark.



Russians in the Pampas



Everyone emigrated to Argentina, including the Russians. Across from Parrque Lezama sits the Russian Ortodox Church of  Buenos Aires, with beautifull blue onion domes, held by chains as was the custom in the white steppes.



Parque Lezama, Reminiscing the Past

Benos Aires has a great ammount of Parks, some are called Parques, wich usualy occupy several blocks, and others are called Plazas, wich vary in size, but usualy are´nt bigger than a block.

Parque Lezama is one of the oldest parks in the City, and is said to be the site where Buenos Aires was originally founded.

Its in the boundary between San Telmo and La Boca, two places that you will visit for sure if you come here. Unfortunatelly, it´s a little unkept, but still has some features of its former splendour.

On the Park premises sits the Museo historico Nacional, wich used to be the house of Lezama,that was a whole with the park itself. Its woth visiting if you´re interested in argentine history.



Que decir del Parque Lezama. situado en una zona media abandonada de la ciudad, donde San Telmo deja de ser turistico, y antes de lo único turistico de la Boca, que es caminito. El Museo Historico Nacional, que se encuentra anexo al Parque tiene objetos interesantes de la epoca de Rosas y de la naciente nación argentina.

Embu, the colonial Brazil

Blogging has been kinda slow in 2013, in part due to my laziness in processing and my aversion to writing. Why did I get into this in the first place?
Anyway while in Sao Paulo,Brazil, I dropped by this Little colonial Town called Embu. Its as colonial as you´ll get close to the mega city of Sao Paulo.

Photos from my last trip to Montevideo

Montevideo was very prolific in photo oportunities, so here is the PDF with some shots from the Trip.

La Recoleta Cemetery

Why am I posting more stuff about Buenos Aires, than other Places I´ve been to? I guess cuz there are more things to see per square mile in B.A. than there are in other places, and transport is cheap, and its flat, so you can bike, and many places are free admission, opposed to places like London (U.K) where you will pay a minimum of L15 to get into a nice place, plus another L10 for the train. (I like London the same).

Today I bring you the Recoleta Cemetery where all Argentina's Who is Who are buried. People that have cities and roads named after them.

El Teatro Colon

The Teatro Colón  (Columbus Theatre) is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world. I had the chance to attend a free concert on a Sunday Morning, and was delighted with its european interior.

the colours of Jujuy

This was part of the reenactment of the exodus of the province of jujuy during the independence wars of argentina. See the Pdf

Style on the River

This charming building is the Tigre Art Museum, located in Tigre on the Buenos Aires province . Built for  the regatta club of that city in 1909.

La Virgen y el santo

Everybody loves Our Lady of Guadalupe, including “El santo” a famous Mexican wrestler, that has appeared in innumerable movies from the 60s and 70s. He would never take his mask off, even during his public appearances, as corny as that may sound.
I saw this painting in the Museo de Culturas Populares in Coyoacan, Mexico City.