Today we went to the La Boca area of BA. This is the area that was famous for a high concentration of Italian immigrants. With little money and a need for quick shelter, many homes were constructed with corrugated metal as exterior walls. To cheer up the buildings, the homes were painted bright (I mean, REALLY BRIGHT) colors. The area now is mainly a tourist attraction (too kitschy for my taste) but itś a well-known place and I knew the students would like it.
In the afternoon we went to the march of the Mothers of the Disappeared at 3:30 p.m. in Plaza de Mayo. Itś a very moving experience, as the mothers of some of those 30-50,000 people who ¨disappeared¨ in the 1970s according to the government march around the Plaza. Itś a difficult part of Argentine history, when the government turned on many of itś own citizens.
After the march, I took the students to Cafe Tortoni, THE classic cafe in Buenos Aires. Itś a fun place that harkens back to the days when Buenos Aires was at the forefront of literature and politics.
Jim
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We hope all of you are enjoying this BA trip and that your conversations about Argentine history and culture prove exciting. With myself being of Italian descent, and taking my family to many cities to visit Italian neighborhoods I would like to see some photos posted of La Boca! Have fun! Frank Principe
ReplyDeleteLa Boca (literally meaning "the mouth") is known for its large influx of Italian immigrants. Since so many came in such a short period of time - and were quite poor - quickly made but cheaply constructed housing was built. Walls were often made with nothing more than sheets of metal. To cheer up such difficult surroundings, the people started painting their buildings bright, vibrant colors. Many of the buildings are gone, but some remain, with their bright colors. La Boca is now very touristy, and the neighborhood around La Boca is quite poor (we took taxis to and from, which I recommend).
ReplyDeleteJim