Skies just skies....

In Patagonia skies manifest themselves in a lot of fascinating ways. Evening, early morning or daytime, be prepared for some fantastic shows.

Clouds like rays coming from behind the mountains.

Or piles of cotton wool hanging above the landscape.

Turning more and more golden and orange as the sun sets very slowly.

Now this looks like an airplane to me..... it was flying over the Beagle Channel.

Something falling out of the sky? 

The unobstructed views are awe inspiring.

Sunset....

 ...... or sunrise; the skies are magnificent.

 The morning sun reflecting on the mountains.

But the most fantastic show I ever saw, was a long time ago in Puerto Natales. One evening the clouds looked as if they were on fire. Imagine people being inside their homes and missing this....

  

Prepare for landing...... (Buenos Aires)

We are "preparing for landing" in Buenos Aires at the Aeroparque International Jorge Newbery. Coming from the east and over the River Plate (not silver at all, more brown and muddy) we head straight for La Boca. You can recognise La Boca from the air by the iron bridges near the harbour.  To the right of the bridges is the Stadium "La Bomboneira" of the "Boca Juniors". La Boca is known for the bright colored houses where you can spend the day sitting on a terrace while watching tango. 

As we proceed we pass Puerto Madero, the converted old docks. Now it is a very "upmarket" place. Extremely modern sky scrapers posh restaurants and shops, beautiful opportunities to make pictures..... a yuppie paradise.

We even see the Puente de la  Mujer in full glory.

Here the Puerto in full length.

 Next there is this large park. Buenos Aires looks so nice and green from this angle. The main railway station, the Estacion Retiro, is in the middle of the picture. In the middle (left) is theTorre Monumental (the former Torre de los Ingleses). More in the front is the main busstation.

On the upper left side of the park is the last part of the Av. Florida, a famous long shopping street, taht begins on the Av. de Mayo.

We are almost at the airport....  The railway tracks form the boundary between the favella (the slums) and the rest of the city. The highway cuts right through everything.

A last look at the town....

And we are happy to be on the ground again. We flew with this beautifully colored airplane of GOL. Don't forget to take some paper napkins or such to clean the windows before take off.... your pictures will be a lot better.

More about Retiro

More about Torre Monumental

This is where the fox lives....

The fox knows we are watching, but he doesn't care because he is safe. This is the National Park Los Alerces (south of Bariloche in the province of Chubut - Patagonia). Endlessly beautiful. All you can wish for from nature is here. Nature like an enormous piece of art. Structures, surfaces and (reflecting) light are without equal. What more to say......

I would have liked to stay much longer. The fox just wants to play, while the summer lasts; snapping at flies. Performing for us in the sunlight until he sees something else more interesting.... 

Sleeping like an elephant seal

The Peninsula Valdes is a peninsula near the Argentinian town of Puerto Madryn. The peninsula is almost an island. Just a very small isthmus connects it to the mainland. Peninsula Valdes is dry and almost barren, the domain of more than 80.000 sheep. It is the coast that is extremely beautiful and interesting. Not only because of the animals like elephant seals, penguins, sea lions and many different birds are to be seen there. But also because of it's coastal formations as such. At the Punta Delgada beach you just sit and look (to hot to move anyway). Quiet not to disturb the sleeping sea elephants... Although you hear them grunting and farting all the time. 

Rocky "pots" with seawater

An overview of the coast at Punta Delgada

Divers rock formations

The elephant seals sleep in the (hot) sun. Not much else to do now. Must be nice though to be partly in the water.  

Now and then (but not to often) moving to do a bit of neighborly barking....

We were not allowed anymore to walk freely on the beach, as we were 9 years ago. Then I saw a male elephant seal ferreting about in the dry sand.... He was BIG. So I can imagine that besides the aspect of nature conservation, there might also be an aspect of safety in keeping the tourists at a distance.

More about Peninsula Valdes

The Wikipedia about Valdes

The Sunday Market at San Telmo

San Telmo and Sunday are linked by the words tango and market. Every Sunday there is a large market at the San Telmo Square in Buenos Aires. The square where you can learn to dance the tango in the evenings. At the market there is a lot of Brique-a-braque. People enjoy themselves walking along the stalls, looking and listening. This time there was an elderly couple dancing tango for the public. So, people over 60, tango is a way of life for you too!

You can spend some nice moments looking at the second hand goodies that are for sale.

For many years the bottles steal the show. 

And what to think of using your old jeans for slippers.

Anything for your dinner parties.....

Of course the Mate "cups". No real Argentinian goes without them. Mind you, don't forget to carry the thermos with warm water.

Or a fancy glass for the fantastic wines they grow here.

Hats to keep the sun from your head or hide the thinning hair. What is a man (or a lady) without a hat?

Anything you might need urgently one day....  like figurines of dogs, a soft green night gown, vases, candle sticks, cups, plates....  

These trendy bags made from old records. Who did think of this! Close to your favorite music from Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Piazzolla or Gardel all day long.

Personally I cannot get enough of these beautiful bottles. Especially the blue ones. But then what are the blue ones without the green ones or the lightly colored ones.... Why did I never buy one? I must get back soon. Maybe even better to print the picture and hang it on the wall.