Julie Nagler – Argentina & Uruguay – Finding sanity in the chaos
Even if being a “city person” is as deeply central to your identity as it is to mine, when studying abroad somewhere as busy as the famously metropolitan Buenos Aires, it is critical to find places that make you feel like you’re taking refuge from the daily hustle and bustle of urban life. Luckily, I had a lot of success with that this week with a couple new discoveries and a continued love of a cafe that has officially become my new home away from home.
Today, we ventured out to Don Silvano, an estancia located in a more rural part of Argentina. It was the polar opposite of our home in Buenos Aires; A picturesque land of vast green pastures, littered with charming barns and farms and horses, cows, pigs, bunnies and even, surprisingly, flamingos. We got an authentic “gaucho” experience through riding horses, watching terrific performances of Andean music, tango, and cowboys with the horses, and eating a fantastic meal with fresh meat (for me, fresh veggies), bread, potatoes and salad with flan and dulce de leche for dessert. The whole day had a refreshingly and much needed peaceful essence.
Fortunately, I also was able to find a peaceful sanctuary in a cemetery in the heart of Recoleta, a neighborhood that is walking distance from my apartment and rich with attractions. Now, before you think I’m weird for finding a cemetery to be peaceful, please note that this cemetery is the mother of all cemeteries. The Recoleta Cemetery is famous for its vastness its elaborate and beautifully detailed tombs, as well as being home to the tombstone of the revered Eva Perón. Many of these tombs are the size of small huts which gives the place much more of a small village feel. Each has its own unique charm, some with stained glass windows, intricate art, or even, in some cases, elegant sculptures and towers. One could revisit this cemetery hundreds of times and it wouldn’t be nearly enough to see all there is to see.
My last tranquility haven, worth honorable mention, is a cafe near my apartment called Dos Escudos. Something about the overall ambiance of cafes really relaxes me, and it doesn’t hurt that the food and service here are spectacular. I’ve made a routine out of working on my project here in the mornings and getting my daily cafe con leche (which, contrary to popular belief is actually a latte and not cafe with milk) and my two medialunas. While nothing can fill the hole created in my heart from temporary lack of Dunkin’ Donuts, this certainly comes in as a close second.
