A colorful city - Buenos Aires

We had booked for three days & stayed for a week - Buenos Aires, the beautiful capital of Argentina. Our hostel was located in Palermo, the trendy neighborhood of the city. When we arrived early on Sunday, we were excited, but the streets were still almost empty. When we arrived, we were told why - everyone had been partying on Saturday, so everything is still asleep. At half past nine, the cafes finally opened, and we enjoyed breakfast at La Panera Rosa (we will come across this place several times during our stay). We had planned to go to San Telmo in the afternoon, but the rain ruined our plans, so we decided to catch up on sleep instead. The next day, we had La Boca on our itinerary. After a typical Argentine breakfast - just some biscuits/cake with Dulce de Leche & tea - we set off. First, we got on the overcrowded metro, and then we were supposed to take the bus. Unfortunately, the bus stops are not clearly marked here, so we missed our stop. When we realized this, we were already quite far from the city center, and since no one on the bus spoke English, we decided to stay on the bus and go back. What we didn't realize is that the ride took 1.5 hours - one way!! After a 3-hour bus ride through the suburbs of Buenos Aires, we finally arrived in La Boca. This colorful neighborhood is the birthplace of tango, and it is where the Boca Juniors football stadium is located. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to watch a game, but we did experience a club celebration. Fans were celebrating the founding of the club on the street. After that, we walked past red, green, blue, and yellow houses. There are restaurants everywhere where you can watch a tango performance or simply watch people on the street. The atmosphere here is amazing, and even the long journey was worth seeing this place. Day 2 starts in Recoleta, where there is a free city tour. We pass by the Theatro Colon, fancy houses, and more! The neighborhood has amazing buildings, and you can see how multicultural it is. A Roman building, an old apartment building, a modern skyscraper, a fancy church, a Jewish synagogue - everything you can imagine is represented here. The tour ends at the cemetery, and this place is incredibly impressive. There are no normal tombstones here, but rather small buildings with coffins, statues, each one more pompous than the other. Some famous Argentinians are also buried here. For our afternoon snack, we go back to La Panera Rosa. In the evening, we go to Verne, a bar in Palermo. It feels like being in a James Bond movie here, and Patrick tops it off with a Vodka Martini. So the next morning, we finally go to San Telmo, an old neighborhood. Unfortunately, we are somewhat disappointed, maybe we were in the wrong places... there are colonial-style houses everywhere, but they are interspersed with row houses made of concrete, there is dirt everywhere on the streets, and the cafes in the main square are only touristy. At the San Telmo market, we get a cheap burger. And in the evening, we finally go to a steak restaurant. We found a place on the internet that is good and affordable. It's not a tourist trap but popular among locals. The place is packed (at half past nine - that's the normal dinner time here), the menu is only in Spanish and overwhelms us completely. Thankfully, a waiter helps us and recommends a steak platter for 2 people for 15€, with about 600g of steak (filet) and many side dishes. It's simply amazing, and the atmosphere here is fantastic. Since our hostel has bicycles, we decide to use our last full day for a bike ride through the parks. The botanical garden is beautiful, and we even see some small parrots. And guess where we end up afterwards: at La Panera Rosa. On Friday, we have half a day left, and we stroll through the trendy shops of Palermo. Our wallet doesn't really appreciate it here, but looking costs nothing. Moreover, the streets here are beautiful. Graffiti everywhere, old houses, and cute cafes. Clearly our favorite neighborhood. Yes, we haven't done much sightseeing, but that's simply not what Buenos Aires is about. Instead, the city itself is the attraction. You walk through the streets and go with the flow, linger in a cafe and enjoy the delicacies.