Today we set off to explore another Buenos Aires barrio, La Boca. Many of La Boca’s early settlers were from Genoa and the European feel is still there today, but in a very playful, colorful, and vibrant way. If you know your Spanish, you know that “la boca” literally means “the mouth.” This neighborhood sits at the mouth of the Riachuelo river (though the river itself was too smelly to approach too closely). While colorful and lively by day, it is said to be a barrio to steer clear of at night. It is one of Buenos Aires’ more impoverished areas, which was evident as we walked from the Subte (subway) station into the area some 10-15 blocks away. It is a bit touristy, too, with staged tango shows being held here and there are various parillas (said /par-ree’-jzhas/ as the double-l in Buenos Aires, not the rest of Argentina mind you, is pronounced with a /jzha/ sound instead of the /ya/ sound) … or restaurant grills. Some of the restaurant buskers were a bit aggressive trying to get us to sit down and dine, but it all contributed the experience in the area.

So, here are some photos from La Boca …

On the outskirts of La Boca sits La Bombonera, home to the Boca Juniors soccer team.

As we approached La Boca, architecture became a bit more colorful.

Even the grocery markets were colorful.

Street vendors were present, alongside a makeshift concrete soccer field.

Playing soccer in La Boca

Shoes decorate the power lines here.

Lifesize, or bigger than life, representations of people atop buildings are seen throughout La Boca.

Certainly a colorful barrio.

Some of the most colorful buildings are on a street called Palos.

Plenty of vendors and dining options on Palos.

Wax Museum ... tells you a little bit about the touristy nature of the area.

Cobblestone streets

Vibrant colors on pretty worn-out buildings

Colors, light, shadows, and texture ... a feast for the eyes in La Boca.

A representation of Eva Peron overlooking La Boca from a balcony

Tango in the streets

Clint adds to the vibrant color here ... no?

We had a great time exploring the area. We also found a great deal on a leather laptop bag for Ryan. We left the area just in time, though. On our way out there seemed to be some large fire that started and streets were being closed off to traffic as emergency vehicles raced to the scene. We were ready to go back to our neighborhood of Palermo.

When we reached Palermo, we stopped by our corner bakery for some treats. If you remember my mention earlier in our stay about alfajores, the cookies with dulce de leche in the center, you’ll remember that they were about the size of a half dollar. We found some alfajores today, though, that were enormous … about 3-4 inches across … and covered in chocolate and nuts. We haven’t tried them yet, though.

Enormous alfajores.

We did get a little lemon meringue pie, which was very lemony and delicious.

Mini lemon pie

And while we’re talking about eating, we can tell you about our great dinner tonight, too. We were not in the mood for beef tonight. Italian sounded good and this city has a very strong Italian influence. Just a couple blocks from our apartment is Plaza Italia, for example, and the neighborhood just beyond is quite  high-end and home to some Italian restaurants. TripAdvisor.com paid off for us with a recommendation for Bella Italia, one of the best meals we’ve had in Buenos Aires. The food and atmosphere were terrific and it made for a romantic Buenos Aires Friday night. Afterwards, we strolled the neighborhood on what is a very pleasant evening here.

Tomorrow? We plan to explore the Recoleta district a bit more, try some hamburgesas (here comes the beef again), and potentially take advantage of a special night when all the museums in the city will be open at no charge. We’ll see if we have enough energy to do all of that. This is vacation, after all.