September 15, 2018

September 15, 2018

After breakfast we crossed Buenos Aires' wide July 9 Boulevard to Teatro Colon (Columbus Theater) to buy a ticket for the first English tour at 11AM. We are not Opera fans but this venue is supposed to be one of the best in the world. Our guide gave us an interesting account of its history, function, and social norms. It was built in the early 20th century at the height of Argentine wealth. The building is very ornate made largely from imported Italian marble of several colors with grand staircases.

Our group gathered in the Royal Box. The theater was being prepared for a production of Romeo and Juliet so the main hall was dark except for the stage. Clearly the acoustics are unrivaled as we could easily hear the worker’s comments. No wonder Teatro Colon is the pride of Buenos Aires.

Back at the hotel, we checked out of our room and explored the hotel’s main floor. The Cigar Bar is very cool and would make a great man-cave. Too bad we are leaving so soon. If I had to live in South America, Buenos Aires is my first choice. At 1PM we drove to the municipal airport for our two hour flight due west to Mendoza at the foothills of the Andes Mountains.

Mendoza is the heart of Argentine wine country and is a two-night diversion from our power touring. There are no pressing sites to see, just good wine to taste. We started right after check-in with a taste of a local red and a white.

On the way to our restaurant choice we window-shopped. Downtown Mendoza seems to be one big outdoor mall. Leather is the hot commodity. I bought three belts while Aimee got a purse. Eschewing beef, we had dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant with a nice bottle of Malbec.