The plush Italianate Teatro Colón, at Cerrito 618, (54-11) 4378-7344 or
7305, www.teatrocolon.org.ar, has
been one of the world's great concert halls ever since it opened in 1908, and the winter
season already under way features an extensive program of both opera and orchestral works. The
Buenos Aires Philharmonic performs each Thursday, for example, with invited soloists like
the American violinist Joshua Bell (July 10 2003 at 8:30 p.m.), and the pianist Marta Argerich
will be making a rare hometown appearance on Sept. 4 2003 at a festival in her honor.
The Mozarteum Argentino, Rodríguez Peña 1882,
(54-11) 4811-3348, www.mozarteumargentino.org, is
also sponsoring a winter-long cycle of concerts to be held at the Colón, predominantly
featuring European artists. Highlights include the Mainz Bach Choir from Germany on
Aug. 20 and the Budapest Festival Orchestra on Sept. 12, both at 8:30 p.m. Tickets
go on sale at the Colón five days before each concert.
The Buenos Aires Museum
of Modern Latin American Art, known as Malba, opened in 2001 and has the largest collection
of its kind on the continent, worth seeing anytime. Until Aug. 18, it is also featuring the
first one-man show in Buenos Aires since 1986 by the highly regarded Argentine artist
Guillermo Kuitca. Closed Tuesdays, but open the rest of the week from noon to 8 p.m., Wednesdays
till 9; admission $1.33. At Avenida Figueroa
Alcorta 3415, (54-11) 4808-6598, www.malba.org.ar.
The
Fundación Proa, Avenida Pedro de Mendoza 1929 in the Boca neighborhood, where the tango was born, is
sponsoring "Abstract Argentine Art," a wide-ranging exhibition that has just returned from a tour
of Europe and will be on view through mid-July, featuring 29 artists. Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to
7 p.m.; admission $1; (54-11) 4303-0909.
It is possible to enjoy futbol (soccer) games in Estadio Monumental, home of River Plate team, or at La Bombonera, home of Boca Juniors.
Argentina has won the cup twice, so a high level of play can be expected. The price of
tickets has yet to be determined, but the Argentine Soccer Association at (54-11) 4372-7900 will
eventually have that information.
Sightseeing
Buenos Aires is a city of parks - framed by museums, restaurants
and grandiose monuments - that are ideal for strolling or picnicking. Parque 3 de Febrero is
part of a complex that begins in Palermo and runs northward to the city limits, but the initial
section contains not only the city zoo and a planetarium but also some of the most interesting
places to stop and relax: an Andalusian patio, a Danish rose garden, and a Japanese pavilion
and lake.
Most visitors go to the downtown Calle Florida pedestrian mall for its shopping,
notably for its boutiques selling leather goods and furs, but the milelong promenade is also a must for anyone
interested in architecture. An itinerary that ends in leafy Plaza San Martín, named in honor of Argentina's
national hero, passes banks, department stores and clubs built
during the early years of the 20th century, when Argentina was prosperous and the byword in construction was opulence.
A favorite residential area for the elite in the
city's early years, San Telmo is a colorful, semi-bohemian area dotted with cafes, antiques
shops, cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. The best time to visit is Sunday, when
a flea market fills the Plaza Dorrego, heart of the neighborhood, and performers, including
tango dancers, take to the streets.
The mystique of Eva
Perón persists, more than 50 years after her death. The Peronist faithful still flock to her grave
in La Recoleta Cemetery, and as of last year there is a new place of pilgrimage: the Evita Museum,
Lafinur 2988, (54-11) 4807-0306, www.evitaperon.org, which
tells the story of her life and death and features memorabilia from her careers as actress and
political idol. Open 2 to 7:30 p.m. except Monday; admission $1.65.
One of the city's best
kept secrets is the grandly named Museo Municipal de Arte Hispanoamericano, in an all-white
churchlike neo-Colonial mansion at Suipacha 1322, (54-11) 4327-0272, a neighborhood of art
galleries and antiques stores. The principal focus is the colonial art of the Andes,
including an impressive collection of silver, but there is also a spacious, quiet courtyard that
is an ideal refuge from the bustle of downtown. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 2 to 7 p.m., with
tango lessons offered Monday and Thursday at noon for $3.50 a month. Admission is 35 cents.
WEATHER CONDITIONS:
The weather downtown Buenos Aires:
The weather at Ezeiza International Airport:
