Recoleta

Day 2 November 29, 2011

There are over 90 museums listed in my Moon travel book for Buenos Aires. So much to see and do in this city. But today we chose to spend several hours at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Admission was free and we were able to view paintings by Renoir, Monet, Manet, Rembrandt, Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh, Degas, El Greco and many Argentinian masters. There were sculptures by Rodin and huge ancient tapestries from Belgium on display. At the turn of the century, several wealthy families donated their European art and furniture collections to the museum that filled entire rooms for display.  Chinese vases, silver mate cups, porcellain and objets d'art from the middle east and asia.  A world class museum full of wonder.  I especially liked the Sisely and the Monet.
   After completing several hours walking around the museum we walked in the park and encountered some school girls who were celebrating their graduation from high school. Who ever heard of a last day of school in November, but we are on the other side of the globe and everything here is a bit upside down. They asked us to take their picture. They were so happy, singing and dancing around with the joy only 18 year old graduates have.    After a long walk in the park, passing by young lovers oblivious to the surrounding joggers and the local football game, we rested at the 150 year old La Biela near our hotel. The cafe has a terrace with outdoor seating under the shade of an enormous 100 year old rubber tree. Once again, it felt like a day in Paris....the museum, the park,
the side walk cafe. One big difference is that in Paris we look for a patch of sun in the cafe and in Buenos Aires we sit under the shade of the old rubber tree as it is 88 degrees. But we are not complaining.