We happened upon a local parade — we think it was a religious or national holiday, but never did find out. Parents lined both sides of the street, sharing hot water from thermoses for their mate teas. Kids marched waving flags and school bands performed.

On the corner of Plaza de Armas, we had lunch at a restaurant called El Drugstore. This corner place was a welcome cheery respite from the weather funky and bright artwosk and hand-painted decor. Servinvg both tapas and full meals, the open kitchen has everything on display. I order an awesome four cheese gnocchi. The huge platter of food defeated us both! Our plan was to do more sightseeing after lunch, but the rain had other ideas. We wandered into another restaurant called Anjo Preto, ordered a bottle of red wine and talked about all we’d done on the trip.

Just as much as the historic buildings, the city is know for it’s vintage cars. Even without sun, they made for some cool photos.

And one final note to all the husbands-to-be out there… You may be really impressed by the awesomely versatile, water-resistant and lightweight North Face jacket your fiancé buys herself for the honeymoon. But going out and purchasing the exact same one only results in making you both look like complete tools. Not recommended.

When our Patagonia flight got cancelled unexpectedly, we were forced to scramble for some new plans. Our guidebook recommended a daytrip to Colonia, Uruguay. A short boat ride and another stamp in the passport sealed the deal for us.

Getting there from Buenos Aires couldn’t be easier. We took a ferry ride that was a little over an hour and pretty comfortable with airplane-like seats. There was a snack bar and a few TVs showing (what else) soccer. The boat dropped us right in the port of Colonia.

The Portuguese founded Colonia in 1680 to smuggle goods across the Río de la Plata into Buenos Aires. The Spanish captured it in 1762, and it went back and forth between Spain and Portugal several times. After some years of Brazilian control, Uruguay declared independence in 1825. It’s valuable location at a point on the river means it still survives as the oldest town in the country.

Colonia’s Barrio Histórico is the most famous area with many original buildings. The famous narrow, roughly cobbled Calle de los Suspiros, is lined with crumbling stucco colonial houses. The whole area is now a world heritage site. Several of th buildings in the historical area are now small museums. In the Plaza Mayor there was still fruit on the trees despite the cool weather. We spent a lot of time just wandering around the streets.

The unofficial ambassadors of Colonia are the not-so-stray dogs who wander around town. We got “adopted” by a few. Amigo Uno is above and Amigo Dos is below. These pretty sweet and very tame canines have their act down pat. A few sad puppy looks and I was at lunch stuffing my coat pockets with rolls to share with these guys later.

Our second Buenos Aires hotel was Art Hotel in Recoleta. It was the perfect location to see the sights in the neighborhood, while also getting to relax in style. Another small, boutique hotel, this place obviously centers around it’s name, art.

The hotel has 36 rooms, each individually decorated. Ours, with a small footprint, had soaring ceiling with a large white canopy draped over the bed. The lobby’s comfy couches and small computer nook are a great spot to plan the day’s activities.

The first floor lobby flows into the eponymous gallery space, which features changing exhibits.

It’s easy for this European-style hotel to feel charming. The location in an old townhouse means original details like plantation shutters, tiny elevator, iron handrails and twisting marble staircase abound. Contemporary updates like the skylight over the gallery — visible all the way from the top floor hallway — update the space and make it feel smart and modern.

Back down on the first floor, off the art gallery, is a bar/breakfast spot. The buffet-style breakfast each morning was delicious. Tim fell in love with the tiny hard-boiled quail eggs we had every day.

The reception staff holds your room key as you come and go, which makes it easy to ask for maps, directions and suggestions. The friendly “Buenos noches” every evening made us feel right at home.

Tim and I are usually pretty frugal travelers. But on our honeymoon, we were willing to grow the budget a bit. Great locations and awesome style made our choices of two Buenos Aires hotels an easy decision. In our first post today, I’ll focus on the Vain Hotel, a boutique hotel in Palermo.

I was smitten with the Vain Hotel (pronounced “bahn”, not “vain”) from the minute we stepped though the doors. It’s high ceilings, warm wood floors, white walls and clean lines make it clear the owners are design conscious. The modern, minimal decor is accentuated with pops of color and bit of classical style and furniture mixed in occasionally.

Our room on the top floor was small but comfortable. We had a small private balcony, which we hardly used because of the cool weather. But opening the curtains flooded the space with light and made the room feel bigger.

We definitely hit up the mini-bar for the small bottles of champagne when we arrived. The hotel also left a bottle of local red wine. Every morning there were fresh flowers in our room and a staff member stopped by every evening with mints and a printed weather card with the next day’s forecast.

The coolest feature of the room was the bathtub, which is actually out on the balcony, but fully enclosed in glass. While soaking in the tub you could look up at the trees and sky above. Loved it.

Also on the top floor is a cool communal lounge. Decked out with a computer (free internet), TV, interior design books, magazines, and a few travel guides, it was a great place to relax. You could used the phone in there to call down to the bar and have drinks or snacks brought up.

The small, but cozy spaces made us feel at home. In fact, I may have actually said to Tim while sitting in the lounge one afternoon, “Let’s imagine this is our house…”

Also off the lounge is a rooftop deck. Again, too cold while we were there, but it must be awesome in the summer.

The small bar is just off the main entrance and reception area. We were given tickets for free drinks at checkin and ate our included breakfast here every morning. The food was quite good, with choices like omelets, yogurt and fruit, or fresh muffins and croissants.

As a designer, I was really into the branding of the hotel. Their logo made it’s way onto everything, but without overdoing it. The Vain mark was embroidered on our sheets, on the soaps and shampoos, even the room numbers.

Tim found the hotel online and was impressed by all the positive reviews. We too found the friendly, English-speaking staff to be extremely helpful with restaurant recommendations and setting up airport transportation. The Palermo Viejo location was convenient for all we wanted to do.

Up next: Art Hotel

El Ateneo was one of those things we read about, but had no idea how cool it really was until we stepped inside. It’s a grand, old theatre turned bookstore. We’re both big readers and could happily spend hours browsing.

We headed straight up to the upper levels to look down on the whole space, taking in the views of the ceiling and the main floor from above. Despite containing only libros en espanol, we wandered around for quite a while admiring the books and the space.

And of course, fitting right in with the bookstore and Buenos Aires vibe, they had turned the stage into a cafe. We had coffee/tea and split a giant hunk of brownie with ice cream.

Nature Preserve

Another spot we checked out is one that typical tourists don’t always get to. A ten minute walk from the Puerto Madero area, the Reserva Ecológica de Buenos Aires is over 800 acres of protected open space in the Rio de la Plata riverbed, just outside the city. The long winding path is great for jogging or bike riding (rentals are available nearby) and lined on both sides with pampas grasses, left. Being just outside the fast pace of the city reminded me a bit of being in beautiful green spaces of Central Park and still being able to see the buildings of the Manhattan skyline.

San Telmo Flea Market

We also checked out the open-air flea market in the San Telmo neighborhood. It’s open every Sunday in Plaza Dorrego, with a range of antiques like silverware, clocks, jewelry and other knick knacks. We picked up a tiny silver pill box for me and a brass llama statue for my dad.

Argentina is of course famous for the tango, and there’s lots of pressure to go see a show while you’re there. We skipped them. It just seemed like it’d end up being expensive and inauthentic if we went someplace on a flier we’d been handed. If we knew some locals who could have taken us to the real deal, we’d probably have gone.

BsAs is possibly best known for it’s nightlife… world-class clubs full of stunning hotties partying till well past dawn. I’m sure it’s all spectacular. We never saw it. Personally, I think you should be able to find ways to have — ahem — hot honeymoon nights without a thumping bass and a wait at the door. But if you’re interested, check it out here.

La Boca is one of Buenos Aires’ most famous, and infamous, neighborhoods. We were warned — by blogs, guidebooks, and even our taxi driver, “muy peligroso” — that it could be a dodgy area for tourists. A working-class neighborhood, La Boca is equally known for its muggings and its world-famous soccer club, the Boca Juniors. As advised, we stuck close to the main drag of Camanito. We went into it knowing it was a tourist trap. Tango dancers on the street and tchotchkes bearing the Argentinian flag — it’s not even close to an authentic experience of the city, but over the top and fun anyway. I really wanted to go and shoot the brightly colored buildings, traditionally decorated with leftover paint from the boats that dock nearby. The sun came out half way through our visit and a few great shots made it all worthwhile. Just like Times Square, you know it’s corny, and yet you go anyway. See how happy cheesy can make us?

La Recoleta Cemetary

Recoleta is one of BsAs’ toniest neighborhoods, and also home to the famous Recoleta cemetery. It’s the final resting place for some of Argentina’s most respected, wealthy and famous deceased.

Wandering through the rows of mausoleums reminded me a bit of being in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

The mausoleums range from meticulously maintained to total disrepair. The details of each tomb are incredibly personal, decorated with elaborate statues, engraved dedications and even family photos.

It can be a bit of a maze to navigate, but we purchased a map from an English-speaking tour guide at the front gates.

Of course, Recoleta’s most famous resident is the beloved Eva Perón. The local stray cats know exactly where the crowds gather, too.

Puerto Madero
Once the main port serving BsAs, Puerto Madero underwent a massive renovation in the ‘90s and is now a booming waterfront district. New restaurants, shops and high-end apartment building have sprung up in recent years. One of the highlights is the pedestrian bridge, Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge), built by architect Santiago Calatrava. It’s a great spot for strolling and stopping for drinks at an open-air restaurant. It’s also the place I shot one of our favorite photos of the trip.

Pizza and pasta are huge in Buenos Aires because there are so many Italian restaurants, thanks to generations of immigrants from Italy. This is great if you’re a veggie like me. Also great if you just love pizza. We discovered our favorite was the Neopolitan with mozzarella cheese, tomato slices and green olives.

For a more upscale Italian, we had dinner at Bella Italia Restaurant also in Palermo. This place is full of rustic charm with exposed brick and wood beams. We started with a bottle of Malbec recommended by our waiter and a cheese plate full of local delicacies. I had amazing spinach ravoili — light, fluffy little pillows of deliciousness. Tim ordered squid ink risotto, which he thought was fantastic, despite it’s somewhat off-putting black color.

This place stand out in our mind for two reasons. First, we always talk about the “crazy bread sculpture” that came to our table with the cheese. It makes every other bread basket pale in comparison. Second, when the hostess came and asked how our meal was, I mentioned that we were honeymooning. She quickly disappeared and suddenly the restaurant owner was at our table, gushing about how happy they were to have us, how wonderful New York City was, and how proud she is of the restaurant she runs with her brother. She was warm and welcoming and offered us glasses of their homemade limoncello to celebrate our trip.

Another great meal was a lunch we had in Puerto Madero at Sushi Club, which we later learned is one of several locations. This spot overlooks the port and was full of well-dressed professionals on their lunch breaks. We sat outside on the covered patio with heaters taking away the chill in the air. I ordered a few vegetarian rolls, which were pretty standard. But Tim’s 15-piece order of salmon and whitefish was great, and super-fresh. Lunch on a honeymoon often calls for a bottle of wine, so we ordered up a bottle of Bodegas Lurton Pinot Gris, from Mendoza. Then we polished off the meal by ordering two delicious desserts — a warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato and a cheesecake with fresh berries. Overall the food was great, but the location was even better.

We had some really amazing dining experiences in Buenos Aires, at some really top-notch restaurants. And yet our fondest memory is the empanadas. Available all over the city, they’re a quick, delicious and cheap snack or meal. Somehow, we were too busy stuffing our faces with our favorite queso y cebolla and roquefort varieties to actually snap a photo. We did wash them down every time with big glasses of Quilmes — sort of the Bud of Argentina — which Tim describes as “a crisp, refreshing beer.”

Our first — and possibly best — meal of the trip was at La Cabrera in Palermo. They’ve got two locations about a block apart, which tells you something about their popularity. We picked this place after reading about it in our Rough Guide book and arrived at the norte location on the early side — about 9:30 pm — so we got seated right away. As a typical parrilla, steak is the reason everyone goes here.

We immediately ordered a bottle of red wine and settled down at the cozy, candle-lit table. Even with my limited Spanish, I was able to convey to the waiter that I was vegetarian and ordered fusilli con garlic which seemed to be actually doughy, tender, fresh cavatelli with fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and basil. It was a huge portion and absolutely fantastic.

Tim’s not a big red meat eater, but I’m pretty sure when he bit into his bife de chorizo, (medio portion) his eyes rolled back into his head. The huge Argentinean steak was the size of his head, and came with sides like as hard-boiled quail eggs, mushrooms and roasted garlic. He also got half a dozen tapas sides served in ramekins (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, herbed potato puree, grilled eggplant, risotto) which were phenomenal — I helped out on those. The service was attentive but laid back.

We ate slowly, enjoying the food and checking out each other’s new wedding rings in the candle light. Perhaps the waiter saw us looking all googly-eyed, because when he brought the dessert menu, he also gave us two glassed of champagne and indicated they were on the house. We sipped our drinks and decided we were too stuffed for dessert. He brought the bill. And two more glasses of champagne.

We’re not sure if he could tell we were honeymooners, or just knew we were American and was hoping for a good tip. Either way, we tipsily left him a nice chunk of change and walked back to hotel at midnight, having forgotten all the stress of the day, and already smitten with Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is often described as “the Paris of South America.” Of course you can’t apply that the whole city, but there are definitely areas with a neoclassical feel. It makes sense when you learn that Italian, French and Spanish expats have hugely influenced the place. In fact at the same time Tim’s Sicilian grandma came to the US, her cousins headed to Argentina. I loved wandering around and snapping architectural shots like the one above. But the charm of the city goes beyond the design of buildings. With it’s café culture, dog walkers and late-night dinners, it’s hard not to fall for BsAs.

One of the newest trendy areas in BsAs is Palermo, which is further broken down into smaller neighborhoods. We stayed in Palermo Soho, a neighborhood that ten years ago was full of warehouses and run-down stucco homes. Like any growing city, it’s now the place to be, having transformed into a hotspot with boutiques full of pottery, jewelry, clothes, art and cool sneakers. Wandering the tree-lined streets, full of hip bars and great restaurants, in the crisp fall air — and posing in doorways — was romantic and relaxing. More on our stay here in a future post.

The people of Buenos Aires are passionate about their food, whether it’s pizza from the shop on the corner or a grass-fed beef from the Pampas. And the cafes are an extension of the belief in making dining a full, laid-back experience. Every main street has at least one, if not six cafes, with indoor and outdoor seating. They serve up not just coffee, but also sandwiches, salads, empanadas and of course, desserts. We visited a bunch and loved to just sit and people-watch.

Another thing Buenos Aires is crazy for is its dogs. But busy professional apartment dwellers would feel bad keeping their perros cooped up all day. Hence the large numbers of dog walkers you’ll see with up to a dozen leashes in hand. I couldn’t get enough of these roaming packs.

When we entered Jardin Botanica, just a short walk from our first hotel, we saw chubby cat sunning itself. Looking to my left, I said, “Hey look Tim, another one.” Then slowly I looked around and realized there must have been over a dozen just off the path from where we stood. Turns out a large population of semi-feral gatos — they’re well-fed by neighbors and receive free veterinary care — has made this gorgeous 15 acre historic botanical garden their home. If you’re a feline lover, like my Mr. Catts, this is a must-see.

And it was in Jardin Botanica that Tim decided on his retirement plans…

When my husband Tim and I first began to talk about our honeymoon, we rattled off places we’d always wanted to see. South America was immediately at the top of the list. We agreed it should be a place neither of us had visited before. And we wanted something beyond fruity drinks on a beach in the Caribbean. After considering South Africa, Tokyo and Scandinavia, we looped back around and settled on South America.

An afternoon at Barnes & Noble led us to decide on Argentina and Chile for two weeks. We’d considered Brazil and Peru as well. We don’t tend to be nervous travelers, but had heard some sketchy stories about Rio from other seasoned travelers. We decided to skip those places for our honeymoon, but would absolutely love to get back below the equator to see them sometime soon.

Anyone we talked to who’d been to Buenos Aires had been charmed by its European feel and affordability. Going to Chile in June meant snowboarding while our friends at home in NYC were sweating, which seemed cool. We had our heart set on going to see Patagonia as well. But because we were traveling in the off-season, our flight south got canceled at the last minute. We were forced to console ourselves with more amazing wine, cool boutique hotels, friendly locals, even friendlier dogs, and just generally enjoying getting to be “casado” for the first time ever.

Not even a thunderstorm related delay on the runway at JFK (which turned an 11 hour trip into a 14 hour one) could dampen our spirits for this trip. Romantic? Absolutely. Good weather? Check. Great photo ops? See above.