Try-out: Hotel with a view....

It always feels great to look over a city from a high building. In Buenos Aires we had a hotel in the old part of town on “Moreno”; between the Plaza de Mayo and San Telmo. The view from our room was interesting, but the view from the roof terrace was wonderful.

Looking in the direction of the Plaza de Mayo there is the church from the “Convento San Francisco”. Two elegant towers at both sides of the entrance, a large cupola in the middle.

Next to the cupola you see the little Big Ben. It chimes exactly like its Big Brother in London.

Like on many old buildings in Buenos Aires little trees grow on the walls. The neigbourhood of the hotel is old and sometimes falling apart. The first impression is "where are we now"? Looking back it was an ideal place. Quite "bohemien". And there is much evidence that things get better.

Next door to us are some very freshly painted white ladies sitting on the edge of the façade of the Ethnographic museum. One is almost sliding down and her sister is looking in a mirror. Sure, they are not afraid of heights. This museum is being restored.

But take a look at this rooftop. The grasses grow wild. The rests of a greenhouse, the remnants of a beautiful dream… This must have been a small paradise in a rich past.

Inside the bloc, on top of the tangle of buildings, al kinds of different roof terraces. It must be nice to make a BBQ at the end of a busy day on this cozy roof terrace. Although you must have your back to the watertanks, the peeling walls, the fire stairs, the happy colored washing of the neighbors…. Just keep looking at your own plants and everything will be fine.