Last Tango In Buenos Aires

We've been to some great milongas over the last two weeks. Some of our favourites include Nino Bien, a milonga only 3 blocks from our flat (pictured here). It's a grand, traditional hall that gets very busy. The space available for each couple is very small, so you have to take very small steps. It's also quite dangerous and I walked away from the dancefloor bleeding. I've now come to learn this is an occupational hazard with the popular milongas!

Another favourite is Bien Pulenta. A hall that is used for one of the tango spectulars. It's a little gem in the middle of Once - an area quite rough around the edges. Both these milongas offered up live orchestras to dance to. Truly beautiful.

El Beso (The Kiss) is a very small milonga, with a tiny dancefloor. A large pillar obstructs the flow of the dancing a little, but isn't too imposing. The photo's of dancers here are taken in El Beso. This was the favourite club of Belen, our landlady - she goes about 2-3 times a week until the early hours of the morning. It's difficult to get a good seat here. The regulars reserve the best tables round the edge of the dancefloor and because the venue isn't big, foreigners tend to get tucked away in a corner or at the back, making it difficult to get eye contact for dances.



My favourite milonga was a social club in Flores, a residential area a little out of the centre. Here, families come together to eat, chat, catch up and dance, so it's got a much more relaxed atmosphere. We went with Aurora, our dance teacher. She has a regular table reserved for her. We were blessed that night with a lovely show from a couple of German tango teachers living in Buenos Aires. They were lovely dancers.

Los Reyes Del Tango

One night we decided to take our visitors to experience a real milonga. We were very lucky to come across an advert for Los Reyes del Tango - a tradition tango band with four bandeleons and about 6 other members. They're renown for their energy and it's often quite difficult to see them.

They were on at the Confiteria Ideal, a famous dance hall in the centre of Buenos Aires. It's in a beautiful building that gives you a sense of the what a tango hall would have been like in its hayday. Now though, the hall needs some attention to the floors and ceilings. Regardless, it's still full every night with dancers, while tourists sit at the edge watching the dancers take to the floor.

Señor Tango!

In the evening of Stuart's birthday we went to the most glitzy, showy, extravagant tango show in Buenos Aires - Señor Tango! We were picked up from a hotel in town and then bused out to the theatre in La Boca (a little too unsafe for walking about). As we arrived we were shown to our seats - a private booth and then seats over the balcony for a birds eye view of the stage.

Some guests had been there all evening and were finishing off their dinner when we arrived at 9.30pm. By 10pm everything was cleared away, the dry ice was filling the air and the orchestra were setting up. The lights went down and then the stage in the centre of the room was filled with Indians on (real) horseback, fighting against the Spanish invaders. This was the start of the show - certainly setting the tone for the rest of the spectacular we were about to enjoy.

The show had a similar feel to Moulin Rouge, especially as they had one of the main dancers come down from the ceiling a la Nicole Kidman for a rendition of 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend', this was later added to by the Rozanne Tango, again danced in a similar way to the Moulin Rouge. The show was just as spectacular and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The show ended with a glass of champagne and a toast to Argentina as the cast sang 'Don't Cry For Me' and flags and glitter fell from the rafters. A little much for me, but the locals loved it!

Stuart´s 30th Birthday

The poor fella turns 30 today. Bless. No longer a wipper snapper, but now a man looking forward to middle-aged spread and nights in. So, to celebrate we went out in style by stuffing ourselves silly with steak (well, pasta for me the vegetarian) and then the mother of all tango shows in the evening - Senor Tango.

Lunch was great (for the meat eaters). Steaks all round at La Cabrera, a restaurant that is one of Palmero's best guarded secrets. This time the steaks were different. Instead of the usual mannar of simply grilling the steaks on the parilla, they came with different flavours. Cooked with thyme, crushed black pepper or a variety of other subtle flavours really enhanced the meat. Then the waiter just kept on coming with the accompaniments, dips and relishes. 24 in all. 6 each for each meat dish. Some where repeated, but in total there were 17 different condiments or relishes on the table. Lush.

Since the pasta was really bad (not suprising since this is a parilla) I happily nibbled on the accompaniments, salad and bread. We washed down the meal with a lovely Malbec and thoroughly enjoyed the ambience. An hour or two later, we agreed that that was probably on the best restaurants we've been too so far. I would certainly go back and happily nibble on accompaniments to the boys steaks. Yum.

A Sunday Stroll through San Telmo

Yesterday we went for a stroll through the cobbled streets and market vendors of San Telmo. The area is now famous for it´s antique market and tango dancers on this street. At every corner you turn, you´re confronted by tango bands, dancers, models dressed in tango regalia or street artists all vying for your attention. Mixed in with this is are old relics left over from the golden years of 30´s and 40´s that fill the antiques stalls and shops. It´s a real feast for the senses, the visual appeal of the stalls, dancers and colonial architecture, the sound of the music filling the air, the heat from the sun and the smell from the antiques on the stalls. It all combines together to creates a great vibe, that is special to this area.

If you take away the performers and the vendors, San Telmo is stripped back to reveal the grandiose, colonial buildings with intricate ironwork and pretty facades. Coupled with the cobbled streets and old tram lines, you get a glimpse of the what the grand Buenos Aires was like. Now though, that grandeur has gone, only to leave crumbling paint. The only new paint in this area is now graffiti.

I do like San Telmo. It offers a most pleasurable way to spend a Sunday. I think we´ll end up there a few more times before leave.

Our First Taste of a Milonga

In the evening of New Year´s Day we met with our soon-to-be landlord and Bridget and Leo, our tango teachers from London, in a lovely, traditional ´salon de tango´ in Once. Once is an area of Buenos Aires close to the centre. It´s a bit rough around the edges, but there are lots of milongas (tango nights) held around here. (Photo here by Carlos Alkim).

The tango salon was a traditional old tango hall with a four large marble columns supporting the ceiling which also marked out the edge of the dancefloor. Tables and chairs were laid out around the edge of the dancefloor and a waitress provided a slow, Argie style table service. The club was frequented by porteños (the term used for people who live in BsAs) and not for foreigners. As we arrived at the door, the organiser checked us out and offered us a table in the worst spot - at the back, against the wall and close to the door, so we would have been distracted and annoyed by the comings and goings of the club. As it happened, our porteños had reserved a table, on which we were included, so we informed the organiser and he allowed us to wander freely to find them. Throughout the night, he asked us three times if we found our friends, with a slight feeling of mistrust I think!

Our porteños had a great spot, right on the edge of the dancefloor and close to the bar. After greeting our friends we put on our shoes and took the dancefloor, whilst it was still not too busy. The music was all the old tango classics that we´re familiar with. After four songs, there is an intercession of 50´s rock and roll to denote the end of the session and to change partners.

By 1am, we´d had enough (New Year´s Eve catching up with us) so we headed back to our hostel and went to bed.