Greetings from Buenos Aires

Happy New Year!

Happy Hannuka and Merry Christmas

It’s the time of year to both look-back and look forward.

So, a recap, this year we spent 3 months living in Barcelona, one month exploring Croatia in a campervan, and enjoying an adventure.  Two weeks in Krakow dancing at two very different Tango festivals.  After two weeks in Helsinki, we explored this northernmost city in late September when it was so cold here.  We even decided to go further north to Rovaniemi on the Artic Circle to see the Northern Lights, we were fortunate and did see them if only a fleeting view. Next off, a week in France for tango camp with Liz and Yannick Vanhove. Then, a couple of weeks of dancing tango in Porto and Lisboa, returning to Delray Beach in mid-October, where we lived until early December.  We did something wonderful and crazy as we went to Venice to dance tango when the temperature was barely in the 50s. After almost 2 weeks there, we returned to Buenos Aires, where the weather is currently a comfortable 75 degrees.

I am not sure how many miles we flew or airports we waited in, but we had some wonderful experiences. Taking the local bus from Rovinj, Croatia to Pula, Croatia, to visit one of the oldest intact coliseums. Taking the train from Estacion de Francia in Barcelona to Stiges, a well-known beautiful beach community about an hour south of Barcelona.  We flew to Rome for a tango encuentro when the city was its hottest in mid-July.  Too many people in Rome I would like to return, just not in summer.

And now, I am back in one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s so nice to be in a place I do call home.

We have connected with some old friends, but as this is the holiday season, most folks are preoccupied with family, especially here in Argentina.

Lots of tango at the milongas that we prefer, but there is so much tango in so many  places in this city. It is wonderful.

We currently have a good friend visiting from the States. This is her second trip here, and she is loving her time here. Dancing and shopping and dancing and shopping. As she is a successful independent woman, her tango action plan was to take private classes from a great teacher. Go out dancing nightly with a taxi dancer. [For those of you who don’t know, a taxi dancer is an excellent dancer who is hired to dance exclusively with a person for the time period that is negotiated and at a fixed price in US dollars]  All this ensures that she will have an excellent time dancing for two hours with an excellent dancer at a milonga. AHH, for many, this is tango heaven.

And she will continue doing this for another week.  She is doing this now, as her hometown milongas are not filled with taxi dancers or even many wonderful leeds. Unfortunately, this is true for many places in the world, too.

So as we prepare to go to  New Year’s Eve milonga at the Abasto Hotel this evening. I reflect on the times here in Buenos Aires.

Yes, there are many changes, especially in the exchange rate here as Dolar Blue and the official currency exchange rate only differ by 100 pesos.

Yes, it is more expensive to eat out at restaurants with prices bordering what you pay for dinner in the US.

But yes, it is Buenos Aires the capital of tango. The corazón of tango.

This city is home to many beautiful tango orchestras and home to many beautiful milongas. Home to many beautiful cafes. Home to many wonderful people as well. It’s the people who make the city marvelous.

For me, Buenos Aires is a sort  of a home. It is the home of my heart.

My wish for you is happiness in your heart and calm in your soul. Finding comfort in friends and family.

Abrazo y besitos,

Thank you for taking the time to read me.