3. Chocolate con churros!
What’s better than a café on a chilly winter day? A traditional merienda option known as chocolate con churros. Pronounced, cha-co-la-tay, this hot chocolate is best taken with two or three (or 10) crunchy golden brown dulce-de-leche-filled tubes of pastry goodness pronounced “choo-RRos.” Practice the rolling R and then you will have earned this high calorie snack.
The best place for this warm treat is Confiteria Ideal on Suipacha 380 downtown. This beautiful old tearoom dates back to 1912 and takes you back in time with antique (original) stained glass, marble staircases and waiters in formalwear. Check out the schedule on their website to find out about their tango shows, classes and live music events.
4. Very cool festivals!
Four super-important, educational and exciting festivals take place during winter in Buenos Aires: ArteBa, the International Human Rights Film Festival, Ciudad Emergente, the Festival Buenos Aires Tango and Mundial de Tango.
ArteBa 2009 takes place in late May at La Rural. La Sociedad Rural Argentina, or La Rural for short, is both a society and an exhibition center. The society was founded in 1866 under the motto, “To cultivate the soil is to serve the country.” The original members were wealthy landowners who started the tradition of holding agricultural exhibitions in La Rural’s belle époque stadium.
This year will be ArteBa’s 18th annual contemporary art fair and is a great way to spend time indoors learning about Argentina’s hot art scene. Check out this video for a sneak peek, http://www.arteba.org .
The 10th annual Festival Internacional de Cine de Derechos Humanos, is a very important film festival focused on human rights. Taking place in June at the Centro Cultural Recoleta, this event aims to show social realities that allow for personal reflection on human rights issues.
Ciudad Emergente is a high-energy music festival, ideal for lovers of rock, indie pop and local beats. It may be cold in June, but there’s no better place to warm up during a wild week of concerts.
For more information check out ciudademergente.gov.ar .
The best Tango shows of the year take place during this festival which in 2009 falls between the 14th and 31st of August. During the BA Tango Festival, followed by the World Tango Championship, visitors can take part in various classes, shows, fairs and finally an open-air milonga as a closing ceremony.
5. Guiso , locro , puchero! Oh my!
First, lets set the scene: the weather outside is frightful, but inside you, your housemates and friends have congregated around a large witches brew. Looking inside the giant olla you spot veggies, meat, pork, beans, rice and pretty much anything that hadn’t already spoiled in the fridge. Guiso , locro and puchero are all names of traditional Argentine stews. Each differs slightly, for example guiso often has rice and lentils while locro generally has beans, which are not common in the Argentine diet. These delicious dishes are steaming hot and unimaginable during sweltering summer months. Dig in with a fresh baguette, have a glass of malbec on the side and don’t forget your manners, “Buen Provecho! ”
Madi Lang
LPBA Staff
