El Gran Teatro Colon

Approaching the building on a warm spring night you may notice the incredible purple jacarandas watching over the hundreds of guests making their way to the main entrance. The majority, elegantly dressed in black, appear to be seasoned theater goers, but it wont take long to recognize the various languages in conversation: French, English, Portuguese. Because El Teatro Colon is not only a national cultural symbol, but a world renowned opera venue (Top five: Milan, Vienna, Dresden, Paris, Buenos Aires) visitors travel long distances to hear the impressive acoustics.

But Kristin and I weren't there for the opera. We instead elected a ballet by the name of Manon. Brought back to the Colon by popular demand after the 2010 season, we quickly understood why. Elegant costumes, grand scenes and very dramatic dancing made the tragic French love story an exciting way to spend a few hours. We opted to 'go all out' and buy the most expensive tickets: 200 pesos or about 50 USD. Being my first ballet as well as my first trip the theater in Argentina, I knew the price wouldn't even matter. And it didn't! We sat in the first level balconies with 4 other foreigners and after a little seat tweaking we all fit nice and snug, but with very good views. We were even able to snap a few decent no flash 'illegal' photos!

Between acts (there were three for a total of two picture breaks), we rushed out into the lobby to snap photos of ourselves in what we considered to be some of the most elegant spots. The grand staircase on the left being one such place. It was almost as if we were little girls again! After watching the ballerinas we wanted to float up and down the stairs, twirl in our pretty dresses and pose as though we were fancy ladies from an earlier time. Like the fairytale on stage, I felt like I was in one of my own. The overwhelming sense of luxury that was once displayed by the elite class during their most exclusive parties continues to echo in the halls. Ahhhhh... This is the life. xo

Urban Art

Since becoming a member of the Biking Buenos Aires team, I have heard many stories about the incredible tour we offer every Sunday afternoon. Not your conventional tourist day trip around the city, we have teamed upwith the local Graffiti Mundo offering bicycle tours to some of the best displays of urban art inBuenos Aires. Finally, this past Sunday I found the time to take the tour. One word: INCREÍBLE!!!!

The difference between your average 'tagging' or even graffiti in other cities is that in BA, unless someone calls the police with intentions of pressing charges for defacing, an artist working on the wall of a building is completely legal. There are absolutely no criminal charges for painting during broad daylight, unless someone complains. Not only does this allow artists time to complete their work, but this also prevents the incrimination of young kids attempting to make their mark on the street art community. They are given the freedom to develop as artists, which you see all throughout the tour. Many of the pieces are done by locals who began painting in their teens and have been supported by tolerant communities, blossoming into incredibly talented individuals.

We passed through neighborhoods that I had not yet had the chance to visit, nor would you see as a tourist. My favorite story is about a well known bus station surrounded by art. A local artisit approached the manager, asked to paint the blank walls and was turned down. His mother, infuriated by the disrespect shown for her teenage son's talent, returned to the station and demanded that he be given the chance to improve the image of the community and liven up the terribly barren 3 meter tall walls. She must have been convincing because they conceded. What you see now is a full city block of various styles, artists, and techniques.

Other fun facts: There exists no gang mentality incorporated with urban artists in Buenos Aires; There developed a unique technique of mixing tar with petrol to create a very cheap 'paint' during the economic crisis (Seen in the two bears outside the bus station); Many homeowners ask artists to paint the outside of their home either with requests as to the content or left to the artist's discretion; And the tour ends at a bar covered, floor to ceiling with overlapping pieces from various painters. Modern art comes in all shapes and sizes. Consider a graffiti tour during your visit! xo