December '09 in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a social city with more coffee shops than in the U.S. At any time of the day and late into the night these shops seem to do a brisk business as the locals visit and nibble on pastries called 'facturas.' Bakeries are common as well. The custom is to eat facturas at breakfast or during a mid-afternoon break with coffee or tea. Some shops, like the one in these photos, make their own facturas, sandwiches and pastries as well as coffee. This particular shop is very large has been open off and on for over 100 years in the same location. The entire basement is dedicated to baking and food preparation and runs three shifts daily.You can see some Christmas decorations in the cafe above. Although here the Holiday is not nearly as commerialized as in the U.S.you do see stores selling lots of decorations, and artificial trees. Apparently, fir trees and wreaths from Maine don't make it this far south!

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And just when you were forgetting about life in the states a Starbucks shop comes into view














There is no shortage of shopping. There are several impressive malls here in the center of the old city that have been creatively assembled around, between and inside the original old buildings.

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