Our travels often present a journey of navigation—not just through new cities, but also through unexpected situations. Our trip to Buenos Aires was a vibrant exploration of culture, cuisine, and the art of adapting, from seamless transit to navigating local challenges.
Thursday: A Smooth Start to South America
The initial leg of our journey was thankfully easy. We experienced the comfort of the Flagship Lounge, a nice treat before our flight. While we were upgraded to LGA, the upgrade did not extend to our flight to EZE.
Friday: Arrival and San Telmo Flavors
We landed in Buenos Aires on time, and our path through passport control was notably easy. A taxi brought us to our hotel, where we enjoyed coffee at the hotel restaurant while awaiting our room. After checking in, a shower and nap provided a refreshing break. We then ventured out for lunch, initially finding CSL La Cantina closed. This led us to discover Mercado de San Telmo, a lively market. Inside, we had lunch at Hierro Parrilla. We returned to the hotel to rest, and despite a cold, I managed to sleep through the night.
Saturday: Recoleta Elegance and Literary Gems
Saturday began with a late start. After breakfast at the hotel, we spent some time reading outside. Our exploration led us to the Recoleta area. Lunch was at the Park Hyatt, featuring sweetbreads, pumpkin soup, a generous meat for two, and a delightful chocolate orange dessert, accompanied by a Sophenia Synthesis 2020 wine.
Following lunch, we returned to the hotel to rest before heading out again. Our next stop was the impressive El Ateneo bookstore, a truly grand space. We continued with a walk through the Recoleta. Dinner was at Roux, where we sampled lamb ravioli, and goatling sweetbreads and egg yolk raviolo, paired with a Lorenzo “Lo Sagrado” Cabernet Franc 2018. The meal was unfortunately cut short as I wasn’t feeling well, and both of us were quite full from lunch. We walked a bit before returning to the hotel.
Sunday: Financial Frustrations and Culinary Triumphs
Sunday started with an easy morning and breakfast. The day’s main challenge involved attempting to get money through Western Union, which proved to be a total bust and quite frustrating, leaving both of us rather cranky. We eventually capitulated in Palermo and found solace in excellent coffee at Lattente, which helped us refresh. We took a taxi back to the hotel.
The evening brought an exquisite dinner at Chila. The menu featured thoughtfully crafted dishes such as grilled leeks with a milk meringue and hazelnuts, roasted carrots with pomegranate sauce, prawns with carrots in dashi, and a unique duck “sequence” (liver, breast, thigh, neck, Pablo fried drumstick). A Saltimbanco Pinot Noir 2016 accompanied our meal. We walked back to the hotel and settled in for the night.
Monday: Resolving Issues and Savoring Basque Flavors
Monday began early. After breakfast at the hotel, another attempt at Western Union yielded no cash. However, a breakthrough occurred when I was able to use chat support to successfully cancel the transfers. This resolved a significant point of frustration.
Wine from Alex was delivered, a pleasant addition to our day. Lunch was at Sagardi (Basque), where we enjoyed morcilla, baby squid, salted cod omelette, and cider house style salted cod, along with glasses of Torrontes.
After lunch, we checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to EZE airport. We arrived well before we could check our luggage, but eventually managed to do so and gained access to the Admirals Club for the next five hours, which allowed for ample reading and snacking. We finally boarded around midnight, settling into our seats without major issues, though Virginia had to dispose of her mug of tea. We had used points for business class on the return flight, and it proved worthwhile, offering early boarding and lie-flat seats. We had a decent late dinner before settling down for the flight.
Tuesday: A Comfortable Return
We woke up two hours before landing in DFW. The breakfast served was disappointing, and we did not finish it. However, we moved through passport control and picked up our luggage with minimal delay. We then rechecked our luggage for the flight to Chicago and once again accessed the Flagship Lounge. This lounge offered better food and coffee, and Virginia was able to take a much-appreciated shower.
Our trip to Buenos Aires presented a mix of culinary delights and a few travel challenges, ultimately providing a rich and memorable experience of Argentinian culture and hospitality.
Note: generated by Google Gemini from Chris’ notes
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