SaltShaker

 These days Palermo Viejo has the same thrumming energy as Silver Lake in Los Angeles or the Mitte in Berlin, and it’s the place where in-the-know travelers and hip locals alike go for their shopping (one section is known as Palermo SoHo) and night-life fix. It’s also home to the city’s liveliest dining scene, but […]

 Map out your future - but do it in pencil. The road ahead is as long as you make it. Make it worth the trip.”
- Jon Bon Jovi, Rock singer, Actor
Buenos Aires - Sunday was a good day to get out of the house for awhile. Henry was off to La Plata to watch a […]

 The qualities of man comes Thus, not only he is able to survive in any kind of situation but he also maintains his poise in such trying times.”
- the Sam Veda (a Hindu scripture, not a person)
Buenos Aires - I know I have trouble having someone else in “my kitchen” - even though it’s “our […]

 Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades.”
- Anonymous
Buenos Aires - I am once again guilty of only semi-following instructions. It started with a surprise encounter in a restaurant. Last week I was with some friends from Uruguay who were in visiting for a couple of days and they wanted good pasta. I’d suggested we meet […]

 It was the greatest night of my life. I’d been invited to the Captain’s Table. I’d only been with the company fourteen years. Six officers and me! They called me “Arnold.” We had gazpacho soup for starters. I didn’t know gazpacho soup was meant to be served cold. I called over the chef and I […]

 There are souls which fall from heaven like flowers, but ere they bloom are crushed under the foul tread of some brutal hoof.”
- Jean-Paul Richter, German novelist
Buenos Aires - Okay, nearly every local blogger has already posted about the jacarandas being in bloom. They really do add an amazing touch to the city. Numerous folk […]

 We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Buenos Aires - I received an e-mail a few days ago from a local friend suggesting I check out an Armenian tenedor libre that he’d wandered across out in Villa Crespo. First, knowing how he tends to stay local to Recoleta […]

 If Estonia is closer to Finland and Lithuania is closer to Poland, Latvia must be closer to the rest of the world. Latvia, with its world-class capital of Riga and three major ports, is ideally suited to become a regional and international center for trade, commerce, finance and tourism. This has always been Latvia’s historical […]