Yes, THAT Cemetery

I am not a big fan of cemeteries. My dad died when I was 12 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Toledo. That was my first real exposure to cemeteries, which freaked me out at the time and for a long time after.

As an adult, I learned to enjoy walking around the lovely Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus (looking for James Thurber's grave with "the last flower" on the headstone) as well as windswept cemeteries on Nantucket, which feel haunted by drowned sailors and whalers. 

Even though I have had zero interest in touring Pere Lachaise when in Paris, I felt somewhat compelled to visit the grand necropolis of Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. I did not rush there. We had been in the city for a couple of months before I ventured there on a beautiful spring morning. I went alone because Boy has been full of questions about death, skeletons, and ghosts lately. I know it is natural for children to be interested in death, but I am not always ready to give the answers.


I found the Recoleta Cemetery creepy yet serenely peaceful. Hearing mourning doves seemed appropriate, and I heard no city sounds at all (once I left the crowds behind who were wandering around looking for Eva Perón's grave). Feral cats sleeping in the sun added to the tranquil nature of the setting.

I enjoyed it so much that I ended up going three more times during our five months in the city. 

see the caskets???

Even if death or the celebrity of death makes you uncomfortable, one cannot help but marvel at the gorgeous, eclectic monuments and the overall scale (14 acres) of the place.

Although most of the facades and graves are well cared for, many are not. It is common to find dilapidated family crypts with broken glass and trash inside. Wooden caskets are completely visible as are family photos, dead or plastic flowers, and dirty lace coverlets over the caskets. 

Some masoleums have numerous tiny caskets stacked on top of one another -- not sure if they held babies or cremated remains. In the ones you can see inside, there are also narrow steps going down with five or so caskets stacked on top of each other.

Here are some beautiful things in the cemetery that resonated with me:

resting putto

a bronze relief honoring a doctor

a life-size sculpture honoring a woman who founded a school

larger than life, this is mounted against black granite

                               

                              art deco beauty and simplicity -- I love the typography

a sculpture honoring a blind woman with her dog: she was killed in an accident on her honeymoon

                        

                      one of the very few reminders of death in the Recoleta Cemetery

Hot Dining Trend: Puerta-Cerrada Restaurants

Husband wonders where the restaurant is located.

Puerta-cerrada (closed-door) restaurants are hot in Buenos Aires. I had read about the trend in Time Out and the New York Times as well as on a few blogs, so we were eager to try it. 

This dining experience was started by a few chefs who opened their homes and serve their specialties, their whims, what is fresh, what they can get their hands on, and/or what is coming up in their own gardens. 

Part of the fun is that you don't know if there will be two or 20 people dining with you. You also are not told the exact location until you make the reservation.


Comparable to speakeasies in the 1920s, we questioned the tax, health codes, and legality of the whole situation.

These dinners are cash only. We went with friends from the U.S., and had memorable, relaxed evenings. We also met some interesting foodie expats and travelers from around the world. Although we have had a lot of great meals in Buenos Aires, Husband and I were sorry to not try a few more puerta-cerrada restaurants. We highly recommend it.

I did not take pictures of the food some reason but here is what we enjoyed.

Cocina Sunae was by far the best Asian food that we had in Buenos Aires in five months. (We found Asian food in general to be bland and overpriced. Sushi in BsAs is particularly bad, with cream cheese used on most rolls -- yuck.)

• Primer paso: wontons with beef and pork, served with a Thai sweet chili sauce
• Segundo paso: Goi Con: fresh Vietnamese hand rolls with pork, shrimp, vermicelli rice noodles, mint, cilantro, and peanut sauce
• Tercer paso/Plato principal: Gaeng Gong: shrimp stewed with red curry and coconut milk, bamboo shoots, and cherry tomatoes, served with steamed rice
• Cuarto paso: fried banana roll served with homemade green tea ice cream

Cost was $95 AR per person, plus wine.

Casa Felix:

• Custom cocktail: Brazilian mojito with piperita mint
• Amuse bouche: nasturtium leaf with almond frittata
• Botana: chipa, paico criolla with sweet lime, fennel, and pea puree
• Appetizer: winter locro, suico pesto, grilled oyster mushroom
• Intermezzo: mandarin and kumquat granita
• Plato principal: pecan and quinoa encrusted sandperch; vegetable asado; Tempranillo, pine mushroom and strawberry reduction
• Postre: moist chocolate cake with aguaribay spiced pears

Cost was $150 AR per person, plus another $50 AR per person for the wine pairing.