Argentina - Gardens and Grapes Tour – 2013

October 6 BUENOS AIRES Buenos Aires green – Northern area of the city

After breakfast we shall drive to the district of Palermo with its beautiful parks, the City Zoo, Argentine Horse Track and National Polo Fields. Palermo is beautiful for its artificial lakes, and gardens.

Then a visit to the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires, located close to Palermo Park and the city Zoo. It contains 8000 varieties of flowers and trees from different parts of the world. It was created by Charles Thays in 1898, with the purpose of offering a “leisure and educational space”, where the three styles of landscape design are represented - symmetric, mixed and picturesque - recreating the Roman, French

and Oriental gardens. There is a big portion of the Garden dedicated to Argentine flora and systematic areas where the flora is classified in a taxonomic way. World-renowned landscape architect Carlos Thays, disciple of the famous French landscape architect Edouard Andre, designed this city. Thays was born in France in 1849 and served as Director of Parks and Walkways for the city of Buenos Aires in 1891. He fell in love with the young country and stayed for the rest of his life (he died in 1934). You will see evidence of his bold design of open space all through the city.

After we drive to the elegant district of Recoleta and enjoy a guided tour to La Recoleta, one of the city's most glamorous spots. Some people say this area is “a urban piece extracted from Paris”. Recoleta is home to BA’s wealthy residents. Fin de Sičcle palaces and villas were built in this area. Many of the buildings are now considered national monuments, grand ‘Belle Epoche’ buildings, wide avenues, beautiful monuments and parks The Recoleta Cultural Center, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Palais de Glace shelter a very important part of Buenos Aires cultural activities. The Recoleta Cemetery, was founded in 1822 and it is the oldest one in Buenos Aires. Originally, the cemetery lands belonged to the church and convent of the Franciscan monks, the Recoletos. The cemetery occupies six hectares and is one of the most prominent worldwide. It has sculptures and vaults made by famous national and foreign artists. Many Argentina’s national heroes, presidents, well-known writers, scientists and artists are buried here including Evita Peron.

Recoleta visit will include it`s parks, Floralis Generica at United Nations Park, Libertador and Figueroa Alcorta Avenues ,Fedderativa Brazil Park, Plaza Vicente Lopez y Planes and Plaza Francia. – where an enormous rubber tree stands with its huge tentacle-like lower branches casting shade over La Biela's popular terrace. Known as the Gran Gomero, it was planted in 1878 and is 50 meters wide.

Tonight, our Welcome dinner at Puerto Madero area, one of the largest projects ever undertaken in Buenos Aires. The former docks of the port have been very attractively recycled and converted into luminous offices, lofts and commercial sites.