Buenos Aires

Despite being in South America, this city has a very European feel. The people, the architecture, the general atmosphere.... you definitely could be forgiven if you thought that you were in Spain. Buenos Aires is also one of the very few cities in Latin America with a reliable metro system. Pickpockets operating on it are all part of the service of course, although the best ones are like Argentina's most talented young footballers - they up sticks and move to Europe where they can make more money.
Argentina is still suffering from the economic crisis that affected it a few years ago. The effect of said crisis can still be seen in some shops - you can buy a shirt.... and pay in instalments (no... really). Also you can find many agencies in the high street, whose services consist of finding you an Italian or Spanish ancestor, thereby making you eligible for an EU passport. That is if you can stand the trauma of being officially (partly) Spanish for the rest of your life.

Things to see, people to do:
Plaza de Mayo:
in this nice square you can find the Casa Rosada (Pink House), which is the Presidential Palace, although the President does not actually live here. It's quite a remarkable building with the famous balconies where Evita Peron made her appearances whilst her husband Juan used to bore the tits of out their compatriots with his speeches. Some people say that the building's distinctive pink colour comes from a mixture of bovine blood and grease, which was used at the time to make the building waterproof. Why they didn't serve it to local drunkards instead (mixed with their doner kebabs) on a Friday night like they do over here is beyond me. This square was also made famous by those Argentine women who continue their fight on behalf of their children – los Desparecidos – who disappeared during the years of the Generals' dictatorship.

La Recoleta: it's a rather elegant suburb, just north of the central area of BA. Large avenues, nice boutiques and restaurants, cafes, nightclubs etc... can all be found in this area. Incidentally there is also a cemetery, which happens to be the final resting place of Evita Peron of all people. Ok, a cemetery may not be everyone's idea of a tourist attraction but .... different strokes for different folks, innit.

Calle Florida: pedestrianised street, right in the centre of BA. If you're into shopping, that's your natural destination, particularly for clothing.

Football: no offence to all the other football fans but Boca Juniors and River Plate are the biggest clubs in the capital. Their grounds have seen better days but a visit to them (possibly on match day) is a must. The atmosphere is one of the best that you'll ever experience at a football match. The Boca ground (La Bombonera) is situated in a rather rundown area in the south part of the city, whilst El Monumental (home of River Plate) is located in a residential, middle class suburb north of the city.

Filling your gullet:
Puerto Madero:
it is a rather new spot in BA. In the years gone by, this area consisted of a few abandoned docks and derelict warehouses. Then in the 90s they were redeveloped and made into offices, bars, restaurants and apartments. In other words, it's a poor man's Canary Wharf.... but very, very nice indeed.
There are lots of excellent restaurants. At the time of our visit, you could have a two-course meal (including wine) for less than ten squid. Bargain. And the main course used to consist of probably the best steak that you can have on this planet.

Empanadas:
'Empanada' literally means 'breaded', as in breaded chicken or vegetables. Effectively it's a semi-circular pastry, stuffed with a filling of choice, which could be cheese, vegetable or different types of meat. Empanadas are a snack that can be found in dedicated shops (Empanaderias) or on road stalls. Very yummy indeed.