The City

More so than any other South American nation, the Argentines have a stronger relation to their countryside than to their cities, which they regard primarily as means to an end. The majority of Argentine cities are therefore functional regional capitals albeit infused with local pride. The exception is Buenos Aires, one of the greatest capitals.

Buenos Aires is the only truly cosmopolitan city in South America and the only European city south of the equator. It represents a harmonic convergence of the combined talents of the British, French, Spanish and Italians minus the ancestral quarrels. It is filled with belle époque architecture, majestic avenidas, high-rise blocks, parks, cafes, streets of luxurious boutiques, and well-groomed herds of Argentines who love nothing better than to show off themselves and their city. A curious feature of urban life is the hours people keep. Argentines appear not to sleep. No one eats before 11pm, and people rarely go out before midnight.