Weekend at the Bo-Bo in BA

This is more of a newsy post than anything else for the benefit of at least the two readers of our blog that we know we have. You know who you are.

Tanya and I took a direct 14-hour evening flight from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires on the 20th, arriving in BA at 8am on Saturday the 21st. For three nights we're staying at the Bo-Bo Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood. The name, Bo-Bo, stands for Bohemian/Bourgeoise which apparently characterized its customers; those who want to get away from the usual and appreciate the avant garde, while maintaining their bourgeoise attitudes of hard work and drive for success. I don't get it completely but  that's what the owners are striving for. Anyway, it's a nice little boutique hotel in a fun neighborhood.

After checking in and taking a short nap and shower, we headed out to explore the neighborhood and do a little shopping for essentials: water, wine, sunscreen. Walked through BA's botanical garden, past the zoo and then later had dinner at Don Julio, a steak restaurant in the neighborhood whose hype exceeds its reality. A bit overpriced, over-touristed and really nothing terribly special except for the sweetbreads I ordered which I hadn't had since I was a kid.

After a good night's sleep we're looking forward to more exploring and checking out some of the places where the Bo-Bo's may not necessarily be found.

Flying to South America Tonight

We're about to board Lufthansa in a few hours for a 14-hour flight to Buenos Aires. Seventy-seven degree weather, spring breezes and the smell of Argentine beef grilling over the coals is calling to us. We have been so fortunate to avoid the bitter cold of the northeastern US so we really can't complain about this German winter. But, it will be so nice to feel the warmth. Keep checking in periodically to enjoy it with us.

Tübingen

This past week, while Tanya was working, I visited the beautiful university town of Tübingen, about 35 km south of Stuttgart. The place is absolutely delightful. They say that one of every three residents here is a university student and that's easy to believe. There's also a well-restored Schloss, dating from 1050 that now houses university offices.

Porsche Lust

Tanya and I have been in the Stuttgart area this week and while she has been on work assignments I have been playing tourist. Two days ago, I crossed an item off my bucket list, a visit to the Porsche Museum. This temple to automotive engineering and excellence is located at, appropriately enough, Porscheplatz 1 and is adjacent to their manufacturing and design complex just outside Stuttgart. Here is a sample of my experience:

The Museum

The First Volkswagen

The "one of a kind" police Porsche

Winter is Almost Over

It seemed like January would never end but we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Germany is lovely any time of year, and we certainly haven't seen the types of winter storms that North America has been having, but.....Tanya and I are definitely looking forward to spring and the adventures to come this year. The sun is starting to shine and this weekend we're off for a mini-adventure to Baden-Wurttemberg. Tanya has a work assignment for a week in Stuttgart, leaving me to explore the area in depth. High on my list for next week is a visit to the Porsche Museum and probably a return visit to the Mercedes Museum.

After our week in Stuttgart, it's back to Wiesbaden for a few days and then flying to Buenos Aires on the 20th, enjoying the summer sun and Argentine beef before boarding a ship on the 24th. Our three week voyage will take us to Montevideo, Uruguay and then up the Brazilian coastline, making stops in Rio, Recife and other coastal cities. The highlight will be a week sailing over 1,000 miles up the Amazon River. Our anticipation level is running pretty high right now as you can imagine.