Friday, March 19, 2010

Our new digs in Montserrat, Buenos Aires

New friends Tony and Umberto bought this 100 year old apartment a few years ago, and have been fixing it up ever since.  They just finished the remodeling and were kind enough to rent it to us for the six months they will spend in their other home in Costa Rica.   Pretty fancy for us Oregon bohemians, but we are adjusting....



I think Dave's almost finished sculpture finally has the right setting.  He has been hauling this piece around for more years than I have known him.  He has strapped it on the back of motorcycles... and when he decided to bring it down here, I thought for sure the airlines or customs would not allow it.   He wrapped it up with his golf clubs in white plastic and tied the whole thing with lots of rope.   It really did look just like an Egyptian mummy... it was the talk of every airport we lugged it through. and even brought smiles to the customs agents.  

Dave is in heaven with this fancy kitchen....

Here's the evening view down to our street.  this particular building, probably 30 years older than where we live, has these strange, not gargoyle, things sitting on the balcony rails.  better picture of those guys later.  but, the rain that falls on the balconies runs down to the street through little critters that seem to be beagle puppies.  i'm just going to have to get closer.  when the doors, windows are open, it seems that the ceilings are 18 - 20 feet tall.  yes, i'd live there, but, we do have 1500 feet to wander around in here, and, did you look at the photo of the kitchen?  nuff sed

 
  and the apartment across from us

There are six apartments in the building, and everyone has use of the roof top terrace...Here is a shot from the terrace looking down on the places in the interior of the block next to ours....Montserrat is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, and over the years, people have added on apartments in what used to be their interior courtyards, making interesting hodgepodges of dwellings...

and a bigger view from the roof...



And here's your food shot of the week...our favorite new neighborhood restaurant..."Prosciutto," on the corner of Salta and Venezuela...great Italian food, and as the name implies, famous for their many varieties of Prosciutto..you can see them all hanging over the bar...


And last of all, your art for the week...a painting I just finished that I have been working on, off and on, for over a year....based on photos of friends...note that it is painted on a fine reed window shade so it can be rolled up...in the tradition of Japanese scrolls....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi there!
You´ve done a great apt remmodelation!
Pali, I already visited Argentina and I can recommend the Buenos Aires apartments I´ve been to. It´s really nice and affordable.
Bye!