There are some random thoughts that have been rolling around in my head this week.

Language:

I keep speaking Italian when I mean to speak Spanish. I guess it’s good that Italian is starting to roll off my tongue after studying it for so long, but it’s confusing for the Argentine taxi driver or the waiter who’s expecting to hear Spanish.

A lot of people in Argentina, particularly the younger generation, speak English, so it’s easy to get around.

I also see some signage in Portuguese, and I’ve heard it every once in a while because Brazil is next door. It’s fun to hear the language since it’s part of my history, it’s like a familiar poem.

Money and Prices:

Argentina has been plagued with inflation. A year ago, it cost 1,000 pesos to buy one US dollar. Today, it costs 1,450 pesos. As a result, I thought a strong dollar would mean that prices would seem cheap here. But they generally are not. A box of DeCecco pasta costs $8, but in Atlanta it’s $3. Restaurant prices are generally the same as the US. Exceptions are wine, coffee, and pastries. And eggs are cheap for some reason.

Like other non-US countries, the money is beautiful. Due to the inflation, coins are no longer in use, only bills.

Traffic:

A note on traffic. Most streets and avenues in the city are one-way, even the wide avenues with multiple lanes. And when the small neighborhood streets come to an intersection, there usually are no stop signs. Drivers just figure it out. It’s kind of brilliant. And there’s no constant honking of car horns. It all seems very civilized.

Restaurants:

Most of the restaurants have sidewalk seating which makes sense since the weather is pretty nice year-round. Many have expanded into the street, taking over parking space with covered seating areas.

Architecture:

Most apartment buildings, at least in our neighborhood, have an in-person security guard or a virtual guard on a video screen. In our building, we have an in-person guy during regular work hours and then a rotation of virtual staff on nights and weekends. It’s an interesting concept.

I had heard that Buenos Aires was the “Paris of South America” so I expected to see more 19th century buildings. But I think most of the older buildings have been replaced with more modern buildings. It’s still common to see older ornate buildings, but they are usually sandwiched between newer buildings.

And here are some examples of the 19th century buildings that we’ve seen:

And some architectural details:

And an evening view: