The sights (and shops)
For the inside goods on travelling, dancing and shopping in Argentina, check out The insider's Argentina
They say it takes two to tango. I disagree.
My proof? A recent trip to Argentina where I happily soaked up the South American sun, bargain shopped for designer fashions, sampled world-class wines and glided to the region’s signature dance in two-four time. To my delight, I discovered that Argentina is one of the easiest and most friendly destinations to navigate; with a little savvy planning, the country becomes a solo traveler’s dream.
To facilitate my shop-dance-and-drink agenda, I met up with local guide Silvie Gonzalez Verocay, who spirited me around Buenos Aires faster than I ever could on my own. From the start, it was a good match. Not only was Silvie conversant with every historical detail of the city, her coat was so stylish I offered to buy it off her back. She didn’t want to part with her Prada-inspired trench, but promised to escort me to the appropriate boutique after I had sampled some of what “The Paris of South America” had to offer.
The shops
On Sundays, San Telmo, the barrio (neighbourhood) where Buenos Aires was born in 1536, bustles with antique booths selling century-old heirlooms. The prices reminded me of shopping days before the rocketing euro, when Canadians could comb France, Italy and England for treasures and buy to their hearts’ content. After a cursory stroll through the market (I asked Silvie to make sure I didn’t purchase anything that wasn’t a bargain), I spied 10 silver-plated forks and soupspoons engraved with a lovely curling family crest. The knives had already gone missing, but I didn’t care. Silvie nodded in approval and we haggled till our throats hurt, settling on $20 for the lot. I hate to think what I would have paid without her.
Having cut my shopping teeth in San Telmo, we headed to La Boca, as I was eager to take photographs of iconic Caminito Street with its colonial tenement buildings painted a riot of primary colours. It was here that an extraordinary cowhide carpet seemed to call my name. Normally I wouldn’t have given the rug a second glance — it would cost a fortune at home. But once again, Silvie’s superior negotiating skills resulted in a $75 steal. Although I was beginning to worry about heavy suitcases, customs officers and the like, the sheer joy of seeing the city with Silvie — and of unearthing such extraordinary finds — outweighed my concerns.
The food
Silvie insisted I couldn’t leave town without a foray to Palermo, a woodsy barrio characterized by embassies and ambassadors’ residences. I sensed Europe yet again and no wonder — during the second half of the 1800s, the French landscape architect Charles Thays planned all the gardens according to Paris’s Bois de Boulogne and London’s Hyde Park. Palermo is also home to some of the city’s most trendy bars, restaurants and cafés. Look for outdoor seating and staples such as lomito (thinly cut steak sandwich), media luna (ham croissant) and Argentina’s divine Malbec wine. Don’t miss Cecilia Gadea, an airy, light-hearted space with the most irresistible clothes I saw in Argentina. I picked up a pair of denim and slate-grey patent-leather tango shoes along with a black dress with loose panels made for dancing. Unfortunately, Silvie’s coat was sold out.
Capping off my tour of Buenos Aires’ markets and boutiques was an outing to Celedonio, the store for designer Celedonio Lohidoy. His much-coveted jewellery is fashioned with semi-precious stones, pearls and crystals that are threaded and formed into necklaces, brooches and rings. Made by a small group of craftsmen in a nearby atelier, Celedonio’s accessories were a fixture on Sex and the City — and now in my jewellery box.
