We returned to the same B&B back in Buenos Aires a couple of days before Christmas. We checked with several restaurants and couldn’t find one that would be open on Christmas eve, so we picked up some things at a small grocery that we could munch in our room for an easy dinner of sorts.
We were their only guests the day before the holiday in 2005. Notes were lying under the decorated Christmas tree with requests for Santa written by the children. At 10pm on Christmas eve, we heard a knock on our door. It was our host, Gus. “You are our guests; won’t you join us for Christmas dinner?” Red tablecloths covered long tables in the courtyard. We were welcomed to a delightful evening of conversation by candlelight with their large extended family, an educated, interesting group including a professor or two. My son befriended a pair of young architects. At midnight Santa (Gus?) arrived with presents and the children opened them immediately. Then we all headed up to the rooftop where fireworks were set off around town.
Unable to find an open restaurant in Palermo on Christmas day, we taxied to the Jewish quarter to find several restaurants serving dinner as usual. Over the holiday weekend, we shopped along Florida Street, and strolled the citylike pathways of Recoleta cemetery, well known for its statuary and famous inhabitants, admiring stately and ornate mausoleums, poignant statues.
Recoleta
The Sunday antiques fair in the charming, old San Telmo barrio, with its unique street performers, had interesting booths and tables.
San Telmo
We went to a tango show our last night in Buenos Aires and were seated at a front table. The tango dance tells a passionate story of lovers — embracing, jealous, spurned, love flung away and reclaimed, in dramatic and graceful movements — their eyes burning, noses almost touching, backs straight and proud, legs flying, dresses flaring. A vibrant end to a glimpse of a beautiful and passionate country.
Street dancers
Argentina: Vivid Buenos Aires, Patagonia on horseback, Ushuaia: End of the World, Buenos Aires holiday
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Another one very much on the wish list
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Hope you get there! Thanks for reading.
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Lovely time in Buenos Aires! I stayed in Recoleta, and I enjoyed the visit to its cemetery. I actually never saw tango performers on the street (only at a show), but must’ve been nice to observe, even join in! Thanks for this post; it brought back memories of my time in Argentina!
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Glad to spark some good memories, Rebecca! Thanks for your comment.
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I love your travelogues. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much, Barbara!
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That’s a city a person could explore almost for forever, I bet. Your words and photos bring it alive.
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Thanks, Neil! It’s such a vibrant city. There’s so much going on.
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Tango is such an expressive dance, it mesmerizes me when I watch it
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It’s true. I especially loved watching the street dancers. There was a beauty in their moves and the spontaneity.
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Watching couples dancing in synchrony on the streets of Buenos Aires must have been an amazing experience. I’ve heard that some tango shows especially the ones where Argentine tango choreography is performed alongside live musicians and singers in indoor venues can cost up to hundreds of dollars. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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It wasn’t that expensive, but it was in 2005, so I imagine they may be charging much more now. It was lovely to watch the street dances.
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What amazing hospitality to invite strangers to dinner. Heartwarming.
I have one of those head-tingler thingies. They’re the best!
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We saw them setting up for the evening and were careful not to intrude, so it was such an unexpected invitation.
Really? I guess I should have bought one. They looked so weird!
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I was going to highlight the same disparate items but The Travel Architect beat me to it. Good on you for thinking of the Jewish quarter on Christmas Day; not sure I would’ve come up with that solution myself!
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Just a couple of years before this trip, we were in London over the holidays. At a friend’s suggestion, we dined at the Lebanese quarter. It was great! ☺
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How lovely of your hosts at the hotel to invite you to join them for their Christmas celebration! It reminds me of the time our hostess at a B&B in Redding CA invited us to join her 4th July party in the garden. The other guests were amused at the idea of having the one-time ‘enemy’ at their Independence Day celebrations!
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Ha ha! How fun! We were honored and everyone was so friendly and welcoming, so unexpected and delightful.
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This brought back some lovely memories – San Telmo, Recoleta, the tango dancers. But not a Christmas like that! It sounds wonderful.
We really enjoyed BA.
Alison
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I can’t imagine not enjoying that city! Thanks for reading, Alison.
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An amazing way to spend the holidays Ruth, I’d love to visit Argentina one day.
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I hope you will! It was one of the more unique experiences I’ve had while traveling.
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It was very sweet how your host invited you to his family Christmas dinner. Sounds like you had a memorable holiday celebration.
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It’s always a treat to get to know locals, and this was so welcoming and enjoyable.
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Lovely memories and captures Ruth from a city we would love to visit one day. Sladja would particularly love to see the Tango. One day…
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Thank you, Leighton! If I didn’t have my son with me, I would have taken a tango lesson, just to understand the dance a little better. You’ll get there…
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We also saw a few tango dancers on the street and at a Cafe in recoletta and La Boca. I wish I could dance as elegantly and passionately as they did. It’s such a great story that your hotel owners invited you for Christmas dinner. Maggie
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The dancers are so graceful and yes, passionate! Gus and his family were so welcoming and kind. It was a holiday we will never forget. Thanks for your comment, Maggie.
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FANTASTIC photos – each and every one. I wish we had street dancers in our country, in our cities and our towns. I recently went to a musical show called Rhythm India and the dancing was incredible, and the narrator said many Indians dance every day in the street. If so, how great. Thanks for sharing all of this.
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Thanks so much for your kind comment! The city is colorful in so many ways. Your show brings to mind those Bollywood extravaganzas.
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I recently attended a concert called Rhythm India with the history of India through music and dance. It was outstanding. And it included Bollywood.
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