Picada à la Argentina

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A picada is a typical Argentine meal or pre-meal and perfectly fits to satisfy a growling stomach. Having it with friends is a fine Argentine tradition. Basically, a picada consists of a selection of hors d’oeuvres to munch on. It can be as simple as a few cold cuts and cheese or very opulent with many different items. This particular picada in the picture had some slices of salami (chorizo and salchichón), cured ham, cheese (Roquefort and Emmental), green and black olives (with pits), leberwurst (liver sausage), Spanish omelet (tortilla de patatas), vegs with mayonnaise and peanuts. It usually comes with bread. Oh, and don't forget to order a bottle of good red wine for you and your friends. That will make this typical Argentine dish even more authentic and tasty.

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Close-Up Shot of Auxilio de Colectivo

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Today I give you a close-up shot of the same old and fancy auxilio de colectivo that you saw in yesterday's post so you can once more marvel at its perfectly formed car body. This is one of the so called auxilios recortados. That means the bus has been converted to a roadside assistance truck to give the vehicle a multi-role capability which is a very common practice for old colectivos in Buenos Aires. Judging from the design of this tow truck, it's obviously a Mercedes-Benz chassis probably a LO-1112 from the swinging 1960s, but I'm not an expert. I just love the vehicle's exceptional design. Have you noticed the improvised car bumper? It's made from an old tire.

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Classic Wooden Interior of Subte Linea A

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Subte Linea A is considered the tourist epitome in every guidebook of Buenos Aires. I guess, back in the good old days when Argentina was unimaginably rich this was one of the most comfortable and elegant public transportation lines in the world. This picture shows some details of the historical wooden interior of Linea A which is in use since the Roaring Twenties. Nowadays, riding this subway line isn't so pleasant anymore. It is making a loud clattering sound when running, but still, it's fun. It is definitely one of the most authentic tourist attractions in Buenos Aires.

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P is for Parrilla

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A parrilla is a specially designed grill to broil huge pieces of meat. Using the parrilla is the most popular cooking method particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile. You will find these kinds of grills in all styles imaginable. There is hardly a part of cattle you won't find on these charcoal or wood fired parrillas. From sausages like chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage) to riñones (kidneys), chinchulines (intestines), mollejas (sweet breads) to tenderloin and strip steaks, everything gets grilled. You just have to make your choice. The beef is naturally flavorful and always perfectly tender. Buen provecho!

Enjoy even more ABC Wednesday posts from around the world! Click here.

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Cartoneros in Buenos Aires

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A cartonero (lit. cardboard picker) is someone who digs through the trash to collect anything that may be of value. Basically, they are sorting through the garbage set out at the curb, mostly in search for cardboard and other useful remains. The cartoneros work within certain territories in the various neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Sadly, there are thousands of them out on the streets, many are children. The number of cartoneros has rapidly increased during the last economic crash in 2001. For many people in Argentina, that is the only way to make a living.

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Big Brother is Watching You

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Have you recently been to London? If so, you must have noticed the vast and rapidly increasing number of surveillance measures. No doubt, the UK is sleepwalking into a surveillance society right away. What a scary prospect! But WTF is this mysterious, Orwellian looking thing in many streets throughout Buenos Aires then? Is Argentina doing likewise? To me, this object does look like a CCTV camera unit, but as it turns out it's just an odd looking street light. In Buenos Aires street lights are frequently hung in the center of the street. Big brother is lighting you!

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Pastelitos Criollos

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In Argentina the word facturas is an umbrella term for all sorts of sweet pastries. In fact, facturas are extremely tasty and extremely unhealthy. There is a broad variety of different facturas ranging from the classic plain medialuna de grasa (lard croissant) to pastry filled to the bursting point with dulce de leche (milk jam). The pastelerías sell them by the dozen (docena de factures) to a fairly cheap price. They give you a basket and tongs for choosing your favorites. For Argentines their facturas are like the daily bread, they love them especially for breakfast or tea time. These ones in the picture are pastelitos criollos (traditional fried pastry).

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Strange Trash Baskets on Poles in Buenos Aires

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I always wondered what it is with these wrought iron forms perched on poles that you find on sidewalks in some residential neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Some of them are empty while others are filled with plastic bags and plastic water bottles. Then I realized they are garbage collectors. But why do Porteños put their trash baskets on poles? Well, there are several good reasons to put them up. Main reason: animals! Elevating the garbage baskets above ground is rat, cat, and most importantly dog-proof. There are so many hungry stray dogs that would otherwise spread the rubbish. Another reason to keep garbage off the ground is the heavy rain that occasionally floods the streets. Last but not least, a reason might be also that these baskets make it easy to spot recyclables, such as cardboard, paper, cans and bottles. There are thousands of trash pickers in Buenos Aires that make a living of what others dispose.

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The Frugal Society

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I suppose the frugal society is an ideal breeding ground for sustainability. Sustainability, in a nutshell, is the principle of an economic system that suits the demands of today without burdening future generations. In most high-tech societies where the maximization of revenue is the strongest economic impetus the buy and trash cycles become shorter and shorter. Hence, times are tough for the traditional gadgets. Not so in Argentina. It is truly fascinating what large numbers of old machinery you can find in daily life in Buenos Aires. Traditional machines that surely have seen better days which are still kept functioning and resilient like this old printing press. For sure, a certain adversity has unintentionally built a frugal society and forces people to be more prudent and more rational in their planning and spending.

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T-Bone Steak BIG as Hell

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Argentina is where steaks are an art form. What you definitely can expect from Buenos Aires are prime steaks and meats in a lot of restaurants. This BIG one on the plate is the classic T-bone 800 gr. (1.76 lbs) garnished with some French fries. That grilled T-bone steak is BIG enough to feed a family of four hence you can imagine how hard it is to eat it all alone. What a waste! What else can I say? Size does matter and BIG is king when it comes to steaks! There's something else BIG to report: the estimated beef consumption. Well, the average Argentinean eats 68 kg (150 lbs) of red meat per year which makes Argentina the most carnivore nation on earth.

You may have already guessed it by now - this month's theme day topic is BIG. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

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Working Hands: Confitería Argentina

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Today I'd like to introduce you to facturas, one of Argentina's sweet delights. Facturas is how pastries are called in South America, especially in Argentina and Uruguay. Basically, there are bigillions of these sugar-carb bombs out there in Buenos Aires. Three at a time, however, were more than enough to satisfy my munchies. I'm not ready to become a tubby yet. ;)
So, what do we have here? The black one is called tortita negra, the piece between the tongs is a medialuna con dulce de leche and, last but not least, the one in the basket is a medialuna de manteca dusted with powdered sugar. Medialunas are the Argentine croissants and are exceedingly tasty. It's needless to say that this sweet stuff is best accompanied by a hot café con leche. Enjoy!

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Buenos Aires Subterráneo Sign Fail

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There is this voice again telling us about the importance of keeping humor in mind at all times. Since I saw this sign I believe that also sign designers keep humor in mind even though the humor is some sort of wry. I'm not sure if I understand the sign correctly but I guess it is saying: Do not embrace the train! Aw, c'mon, don't be such a kill-joy! This is exactly what everybody wants to do, right?
Kidding aside, I'm not convinced that someone who wants to jump off the platform can be stopped by a sign like this.
In what way do you perceive this sign?

There's another sign fail post on Buenos Aires Perception:
Beware of Businessmen in Buenos Aires?

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Wheelbarrow BBQ at a Construction Site

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If you are a focused, attentive reader you will remember my post about the vast number of construction sites and revitalization works throughout Buenos Aires. This site caught my attention because of the wheelbarrow on fire. Well, the fire wasn't build because it was so cold that day. It was made to have a street version of an asado. The asado is the South American version of the barbecue. It is quite common that construction workers use their wheelbarrow as a parrilla, put charcoal in it, set the stuff on fire, prepare the meat and place the steaks on the preheated grill-wire. What an ingenious misuse of a wheelbarrow!

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Unique El Ateneo Bookstore

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What's so unique about the El Ateneo bookstore in Avenida Santa Fe in Buenos Aires? It is so distinctive because of the interior of the building the store resides in. The magnificent building was conceived as a theater in the first place. Back in 1919, the Grand Splendid Theater was inaugurated and had been a place of activity for only a few years. In 1929 the theater was converted into a cinema which existed for more than 80 years. In the late 1990s the building once more was converted into the exceptional bookstore you see in the picture.

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The Gold of South America

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This grocery store sells 1kg cans of Dulce de Leche for about U$S6.5. Dulce de Leche is the true gold of South America, gold that is hoarded on your love handles to be exact. The sweet spread consists mainly of three basic components, sugar, milk and fat. It looks and tastes like a crème caramel dessert and can be spread e.g. on bread or toast. Actually, there is hardly a thing Argentinean wouldn't add some Dulce to. They have dulce de leche-flavored ice cream, cookies and cakes and even soda and other beverages.

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Large Assortment of Nostalgic Phones with a Past

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If I happened to be a movie production designer or a set decorator and I had to recreate an illusion of Buenos Aires back in its glory days, I knew where to go first. I would start my search for particular items for the set in San Telmo, which is full of these vintage collectible and antique stores. I really like to browse these stores because you'll find so many things that were already outdated several decades before I was born. It's just fun to see these gorgeous items. Sometimes I wonder what people will think about our state-of-the-art tech and gadgets such as the iPhone, the XBox or Netbooks in about a hundred years from now. Psychic abilities, anyone?

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Carlos Gardel Remembered on 74th Anniversary of Death

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Thousands maybe millions of fans around the globe will today remember a "singing hero" who dedicated his life to the tango. In 1935, the spotless career of the King of Tango came to a sad end. Carlos Gardel died in his mid 40s in a plane crash in Medellín, Colombia. Gardel is buried in the La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. His tomb is over and over plastered with bronze memorial plaques and fresh flowers. On top of this his adoring fans provide the lifelike statue with a smoldering cigar ever so often. He truly remains an idol especially for the Argentinean and Latin American fans.
If you are interested in more information on Carlos Gardel, I recommend a visit to gardelweb.com.

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Cable Tangle in Buenos Aires

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The sky over Buenos Aires is all over criss-crossed by interconnecting electrical cables and telephone wires as you can see in the picture. Many parts of the city seem to lack an underground wire system. Whenever someone needs broadband internet service the cable guys just throw a new cable from house to house. It is as simple as that. I find this a great example to get an idea of what the Internet looks like in 3D.
What do you think, is the Internet friend or foe?

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Public-Private Sponsoring in Buenos Aires

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These streets are proudly brought to you by...
The sponsoring of street name signs in Buenos Aires is quite common but still surprising. Companies put up street signs branded with their corporate logos. They are almost everywhere throughout the city and it seems pretty normal to have these kind of advertising. I wonder what would happen if they were not sponsored. Would they simply disappear? Would street name signs even exist then?
Do you know other cities where the street name signs are branded?

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Street Tango Corazon

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The tango belongs to Argentina such as gauchos (Argentine cowboys), asado (Argentinean barbecue), mate or soccer. Some say dancing the Argentine tango is good to begin with when it comes to learn ballroom dances. I guess this is what tango teachers tell you. But before hitting the tango schools I would suggest you start from scratch by simply watching others dancing the tango in the streets of the city. There is a very high chance of watching locals dancing the tango somewhere in Buenos Aires.
What do you think is the best dance for starters?

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