The Flea market

The Sunday San Telmo market marked the start of our buying extravaganza. Chandeliers, glassware, and silver were the hot items of this mart. Reminded us a bit of the Porte de Vanve market in Paris. Small stalls one after another sparkled in the morning winter sun (although winter here the last few days is a quite pleasant 65 – 75 degrees). Bric-a-brac heaven! Surrounding the square are numerous higher end and much more expensive antique shops – great stuff, just too pricey.

Today we toured the more northern cities of upscale San Isidro and tranquil Tigre. This was historically the summer playground of the portenos (local BA natives). Nestled overlooking the Rio de la Plata this kind of resembles a Spanish Hamptons. Inland this area also houses the furniture factories and wholesalers – more difficult to do business, but definitely worth the effort. Take your own guide or translator to facilitate the deals. After a leisurely river-cruise (island deltas and river houses could have been from backwoods Louisiana) we headed back to the city to do some tourist shopping along Florida Street (imagine Times Square as a mile-long pedestrian street). Tonight it’s early to bed, got to get up at 5am tomorrow for our flight to Iguazu. More on that next time .