As today is epiphany, and we should officially all be taking down our Christmas decorations it seems like the ideal opportunity to wish everyone a belated seasons greetings!!
Christmas 2011 was for both of us a first Southern Hemisphere celebration. We knew things were going to be different this year but the 35°c heat really makes for a completely foreign environment! We did however go all Blue Peter and decorate our apartment as cheap as possible with just green and red paper, a pair of scissors and some glue!
In Latin America Christmas is largely commemorated on the 24th, with a family meal, fireworks and celebrations at midnight, and eating leftovers and opening presents on the 25th.
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| Centro Shopping Centre & Christmas Tree |
With a distinct lack of family on the continent, we dined at our apartment on the 24th with a couple of friends. In a not so traditional manner (but at least Spanish) we had a tapas feast washed down with a few jugs of sangria. From the apartment the noise to be heard out on the street was minimal until the clock struck 12 and the streets filled with people and the skies with fireworks. Note, all types of fireworks are easily available to everyone in Buenos Aires, so this time of year everyone fancies themselves as a pyrotechnic!
On Christmas day we had a lazy morning stocked high with crepes and champagne, before taking a stroll through the parks of Recoleta and Palermo. To our surprise there was a reasonable wealth of people to be seen, with joggers doing the rounds and locals (Porteños) lining the cafés that had chosen to open.
For lunch there was no roast turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets or brussel sprouts, but we did cook a sizeable meal for two, taking advantage of having our own kitchen! After lunch we both skyped home to wish the families a merry Christmas.
In the evening we headed over to our friends apartment in Palermo where we started our more traditional European celebrations with music and drinking with a few more friends. We saw the night out with good friends, a selection of drinks and plenty of laughs before stumbling our way back through the streets to our apartment in Recoleta.
New Years Eve is also a very family orientated celebration here, where a lot of people stay in for a meal before heading for the fireworks just before midnight or heading to a bar around 1am. We decided to walk down to the Puerto Madero, BAs waterfront neighbourhood to watch the fireworks. As we made our way down there at 11pm with our bottle of bubbly in hand the streets were deathly quiet in what was a surreal ghost town environment. However as we neared the waterfront we met more and more people heading in the same direction. The Puerto Madero runs along the old docks of the city, and is lined with classy restaurants and bars. Needless to say when we arrived there it was a world away from the quiet leafy streets of Buenos Aires as people lined the docks in anticipation of the celebrations. At midnight the fireworks began and the music starting to blast from each bar as the docks transformed into an outdoor dance floor. The fireworks continued intermittently for over an hour as we enjoyed the music, had a dance and a drink and took in the new year!
So a late Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all, we hope you all enjoyed the festive period!
A&G
The ceiling of the shopping centre looks pretty good!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the French crepe Jan?
ReplyDeleteI'm booking G to come and cook me one when you get back xx
ReplyDelete