BellaGamba & Parolaccia

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It's our first full day in Buenos Aires and the morning in the Balvanera neighborhood starts with a dance lesson. Gord and Leslie are keen about learning the Tango (as in it takes two to tango) and have arranged for private lessons from a teacher they've met at a Tango club (more on that another day). Kate used to teach dance lessons and I'm constitutionally unable to grasp any dance moves so we're only onlookers.

There's some pictures of their AirBnB rental and street scenes in the neighborhood. They have private access to a large roof top patio where we often go to enjoy the end of day and a glass of wine. The building is only two stories with a shop on the ground level, us on the second and the roof top patio above us.

We walk only a few blocks to have lunch at the Bellagamba (does that mean nice legs or great shrimp?). It's a neighborhood restaurant that Gord and Leslie know, having been before. We are careful about how far we can walk as both Kate and I have some mobility problems. Kate is using a cane which helps quite a bit. Gord and Leslie are very accommodating and it turns out we do pretty well.

The restaurant is only a few blocks away on Rivadavia (we're on Moreno) which seems to be a major shopping street. Along the way we admire the many Beaux Artes era buildings. Gord and Leslie's place is a prime example with wrought iron balconies, large rooms with high ceilings, a servant's quarters and what would have been an inner courtyard. Streets in the area are tree lined and well shaded with many ground floor shops. Along the way we pass a plaque to "Carlos Gardel" who Leslie tells us was an Argentine singer/songwriter/performer and an important character in the history of Tango (the dance and music). We also pass a Tango dinner club (Café de los Angelitos) where one goes for an expensive dinner in a very classy joint to watch dancers — we investigate and discover that it's too expensive (and for tourists) so we pass in favor of another club farther afield where real folks (like Gord and Leslie) go to dance and to learn to dance.

Leslie is awfully concerned about me and my camera. I'm intentionally travelling light with only the one camera (I often travel with several, a camera bag, various lenses, etc.) and have it secured with a neck strap and a wrist strap. It's well secured and would be hard to grab away from me. Nevertheless, I'm often approached by friendly neighbors telling me to be careful, watch out you'll get robbed and so on. As we're wandering the streets, Leslie brings up the rear making sure I'm not left behind and vulnerable to a snatch and grab. I've bumped into this before, especially in Brazil, and really don't want to stop taking pictures and documenting our memories. In retrospect I never felt threatened in all our travels around Buenos Aires. There are more dangerous places we have visited, e.g., New Orleans and Chicago.

We have our lunch outside on the street and enjoy some white and Malbec red wine. Service is a little slow but it's busy at the restaurant and in the neighborhood. When served it's one of those meals with good food, huge portions and, for us, very modest prices.

That afternoon we visited a neighborhood mall (the Spinetto Shopping Center) and wine store (El Franjamar where they remember your name) to stock up our supplies. Along the way, just a half block away, there's a small corner restaurant, Parrilla El Litoral, where we're promised a good feed of grilled beef on another night. Kate makes sure they have some vegetarian sides. Beef is a big thing in Argentina, they have lots of it. The butcher counter at the market within the shopping center was packed to the gunnels with huge hunks of beef. Gord tells me the butcher will carve off steaks and roasts as you like it. 

That evening we have dinner with our friend Myriam, a colleague and friend of ours through the KBS (the international conferences Kate has been attending for many years). Myriam has recommended an Italian restaurant, La Parolaccia Recoleta, which is in the Recoleta/Barrio Norte neighborhood. There's a large group of very fine restaurants, with outdoor patios overlooking the parkland. It's very near the famous Recoleta Cemetery (lots of sculptures and famous grave sites, e.g., Eva Peron). We met Myriam as we arrived and were greeted warmly with a big hug. Myriam says we are her favorite KBS couple. 

We have a reservation at a table inside. Kate and I would rather eat outside but Myriam says we might be bothered by panhandlers and beggars which, as far as we've seen, are few and far between. I've seen more street people in London and Toronto than here.

The restaurant is a gourmet's delight with white table cloths, formally dressed waiters and wine stewards, an excellent menu, and, by Buenos Aires standards, quite expensive. But we ate our fill with appetizers, main courses and desserts slurping down lots of Argentine white and red wines (Malbec). At the end I think it amounted to about $40CA per person which ends up being quite a stack of peso notes. At home it would have been probably at least $150 a person. Reg had a plate of Cacio e Pepe — a very simple dish done very well  — and a mango flavored panna cotta for dessert.

Gord and Leslie are very familiar with the neighborhood having stayed nearby in the spring. Gord is currently taking Spanish lessons nearby in the park.

Gord and Leslie got us back and forth this evening via Uber.

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This morning, November 11 being Veteran's Day, I've been in communications with a Professor Sykes of Manchester University in England. She was raised nearby in Mitchell (Ontario), was a history student at Western (London) in 1983 and had written an oral history of a couple of veterans of D-Day and World War II. One was my uncle William (Mac) Dixon. She kindly gave me permission to publish that account to be shared with family and friends.