The Paris of South America
The usual way to flatter Buenos Aires is by saying that it feels a lot like Europe. People often call it the Paris of South America. The architecture and public spaces certainly have a European echo. Like Paris, Buenos Aires is its country’s political, commercial, and cultural center, they both have style, history, distinctive neighborhoods and, in my opinion, they are cities that reveal their secrets slowly. I’ve had a flirtation with going to Buenos Aires for years; now that the relationship is consummated I can say that I understand the comparison. However, if Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America, it’s the “use-any-fork-you-like” version of it. It’s a much more relaxed city, which makes for an atmosphere more characteristic of Latin America than Europe. Argentina answers France’s formal elegance with passion, and its romance with sex appeal. You can ditch the tie in Buenos Aires because dinner is at 10:30pm, and who knows how late you’ll be out. On the surface, the comparison to Paris holds up – and certainly nobody in Argentina objects to it – but the city’s heart is South American all the way. I had some of my most satisfying days of this entire trip exploring the streets of Buenos Aires. So much so that I’m certain that I’ll go back for more one day.