Casa Rosada, Argentina

In Argentina, the Casa Rosada (the Rosy House) is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. However tempting it is to compare the Argentine Casa Rosada with the American Casa Blanca (White House), in fact the Argentine President lives at Quinta de Olivos, a suburb of Buenos Aires. 

Tango in Buenos Aires

Tango de Buenos Aires. Even the name sounds sexy.

This pose was probably shot in La Boca, the originally Italian section of Buenos Aires, which is filled with street after street of colorfully painted houses. These colorful houses are a vivid visual memory from my visit to Buenos Aires that has stayed with me for years. The image of these brightly colored streets comes to me when I wander around the often foggy, beige and grey Sunset District of San Francisco in which I live. It makes me think that my neighborhood could benefit from more colorful paint a la La Boca.

The Tango originated in Argentina, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. My friends, Gayle and Paul, learned and danced a very lively tango as the first dance on their wedding day. The dance has evolved into a variety of versions, but the one I find most surprising is the Finnish Tango, which flourished during the 1950s.

My mom went to Argentina in April, and while several postcards arrived on a relatively timely basis, this one must have been stuck in limbo somewhere because it just showed up about three weeks ago.

Bariloche, Argentina

I'll have to dig into my postcard archives to see if I can find a postcard I might have sent from Bariloche in 1978. At that time, I was traveling throughout South America.. We had traveled by boat/bus/boat/bus and boat from Chile into Argentina and were staying in the cheapest accommodations we could find. This postcard was sent recently from a fancy hotel there.