Learning Spanish before heading north

We have spent the last week hard at work.... Which has been quite a novelty! we enrolled in a weeks intensive Spanish course working 9-12 for six days hoping to get enough of the language to get by... We were well tutored by Facundo....

 and provided we keep up our practice and review I think we'll have enough to be able to ask directions, order food and get a room... anyway we now have a certificate to prove we can't speak Spanish!

We enjoyed exploring the city:-

 Next to the 'Pink House' (the presidential office) in the centre of town, to celebrate the bicentennial of the constitution a really nice new museum has been built in what was the old custom house.... We loved the desk.

 And the old brickwork has been restored beautifully. We thought the displays looked superb and the history of the country seemed really well covered although we did not have enough Spanish to really appreciate it fully.

 On Sunday there is a massive antiques and craft market that stretches down Defensa and to Plaza Dorrego, Very like Portobello and many other places we've been. This one was quite special in that the stalls all seemed to have fairly original stuff unlike most of Asia where every t shirt seller will have exactly the same thing. We continued on at the end of the market  through the side streets to La Boca, a route we latest discovered Facundo would have warned us against. We felt really safe however as when we spotted the football stadium we couldn't move for policemen as a Boca Juniors game was due to kick off later that evening.

 The tradition here is to paint the houses with paint 'acquired' from the old docks in a multi hue.... now however a discerning eye has taken to matching the shades carefully!

We had trawls round other museums as well although we were slightly perplexed by their naming strategy. What was billed as the Museum of decorative arts turned out to be a fascinating old house restored to quite a splendour.
 We had been told and told, we had to go to a Tango night and not wanting to go to a tourist trap went on the recommendation  of Facundo to this small dive of a knock down bar about a mile's walk from where we were staying. We arrived 'early' ie about 10.00pm to get a table and spent an amusing hour and a half watching the locals and listening to British pop circa 1980s wondering a). where we were; b) what we doing there and c) Tango??? at about midnight after we had drunk a few too many beers the Tango started, two men one sang one with guitar were just superb with songs and rhythms that came both from now and a deep past, it will remain a highlight of the city.

 And on our last night in Buenos Aires we were treated to this sunset from the balcony of Donald & Alicia's town flat where we had spent a wonderful week and a half..... They really helped make the start of our Latin American journey really special.... Thanks thanks and thanks again...

And before I sign off this episode I'll just show you the trays that everyone puts their rubbish in... We were told it was to stop dogs going through the rubbish but maybe it is just to display to your neighbours the quality of your junk!

And I promise that this will be my last undirected translation smirk.