| Heading
west from the Plaza de Mayo takes you along Avenida de Mayo, which
was the first avenue of high rise buildings in Buenos Aires, built in
1894. Take a look at Perú station, the second stop on Línea A of the subterráneo
(the subway), which has been refurbished with old advertisements and
fittings to reflect the history of the line and its wonderful old
carriages.
At no. 829 is Buenos Aires’s most famous confitería,
the Café Tortoni. You’ll find the 36 Billares, another
café, at no. 1265, but the real attraction here is the billiards salon
and games room where an almost exclusively male crowd whiles away the day
playing chess, dice, pool and truco, the complex Argentine
card game. Once the tallest building in Buenos Aires, the elaborate and
top-heavy Edificio Barolo in the 1300 block symbolizes the awkward,
grandiose and slightly faded elegance of this unique avenue. |
|