Photographing Penguins in Antarctica

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 - A guided tour of historic southern Buenos Aires covered key cultural, architectural, and neighborhood highlights, including Café Tortoni, Belle Époque and early-20th-century landmarks, the National Congress area, San Telmos streets and market, the colorful immigrant heritage of La Boca, and the redeveloped Puerto Madero district, concluding with a tango dinner and performance at the Faena Hotel.

Today we (two colleagues from the photography workshop joined me) on a tour of Southern (historic) Buenos Aires. Our guide was Marina Fernandez from Tours by Locals.

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The sign for Cafe Tortoni, the oldest and most famous coffeehouse in Buenos Aires. It was founded in 1858 by a French immigrant. The café is a cultural icon, known for being a historic meeting place for famous artists, writers, and politicians.
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The interior of Cafe Tortoni features a classic European style with rich wood paneling, marble tables, and a collection of distinctive stained-glass lamps, some of which resemble Tiffany-style designs.
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A historic residential building in the San Telmo neighborhood. The architecture is characteristic of the city's Belle Époche period, featuring ornate details, wrought-iron balconies, and bay windows. Buenos Aires is renowned for its European-style architecture, often compared to Paris.
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Detail of the Belle Époche style buildings.
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Palacio Barolo, a landmark office building. The building's design was inspired by Dante's poem, The Divine Comedy, and is conceptually divided into sections representing Inferno, Purgatory, and Heaven.
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This dragon lamp is part of the "Hell" section, located on the first floor.
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Staircase in the Palacio Barolo.
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The interior dome of the Palacio Barolo stands 100 meters tall, with one meter for each canto of Dante's poem. At the time of its inauguration in 1923, it was the tallest building in South America.
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La Inmobiliaria building features eclectic architecture with some Art Nouveau elements.
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The building features a distinctive dome, characteristic of many historic buildings in the city's Monserrat neighborhood.
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Beautiful balconies of marble.
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Edificio La Inmobiliaria was designed in an eclectic style, featuring classical influences of Italian Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau architecture. Inaugurated in 1910 during the celebrations of the Centenary of the May Revolution, it was commissioned for the first general insurance company in Argentina, "La Inmobiliaria".
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Monumento de los Dos Congresos (Monument of the Two Congresses) located in Plaza del Congreso. The monument commemorates the Constitutional Assembly of 1813 and the Congress of Tucuman of 1816, which declared Argentina's independence from the Spanish Empire.
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A winged figure on the cupola of the Palace of the Argentine National Congress.
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The Instituto Biologico Argentino (Argentine Biological Institute) built in 1926.
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Palace of the Argentine National Congress the seat of the Argentine National Congress constructed between 1898 and 1906.
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Confiteria del Molino (The Mill Confectionery) building. It is an architectural landmark built in 1912. The building is an example of Art Nouveau style.
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The Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress security bars in nice light.
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Otto Wulff Building features two cupola towers and 680 figures on its facade, including condors, bears, penguins, and owls. The building was completed in 1914 in the German modernism or Jugendstil style.
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Architectural details of the Otto Wulff Building. The facade features eight 15-foot-tall Atlantes that appear to support the structure. The figures each represent a person involved in the construction, such as a stonemason or contractor.
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Facade of the Parroquia de San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo (Church of San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo). It is one of the oldest churches in Buenos Aires, with construction starting in 1734 by the Jesuits. A statue of San Pedro Telmo, the patron saint of sailors, is visible at the top of the facade. The text above the central window, "HAC EST DOMUS DOMINI," is Latin for "This is the house of the Lord."
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Parroquia de San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo features two imposing towers, divided into three sections. The lower sections are cubic and were built in 1734; the two upper sections, octagonal, date from 1852. They reach a height of 120 feet
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The buildings along the street are in various states of repair.
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Colorful courtyard in the Galeria Solar de French in San Telmo.
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Fun trying to get the sun in the picture.
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Midcentury modern furniture store in San Telmo.
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The cobblestone streets of a San Telmo neighborhood.
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We then headed to the historic San Telmo Market. The building features distinctive industrial architecture with a high arched, metal-framed ceiling and colorful glass skylights.
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Many places to eat in the market - of course BBQ meats in Argentina.
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Fresh produce along with fresh meat and seafood was available.
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There were also many small store kiosks - this one looks like a "camera" shop?
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We then drove to the La Boca neighborhood. Its location near the Port of Buenos Aires meant the neighborhood became a melting pot of different cultures during the 20th century, when millions of immigrants from Europe and Asia arrived to Argentina. In particular, many of its settlers originated from the Italian region of Liguria.
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These are medialunas, a type of Argentinian crescent roll. Unlike the flaky French croissant, medialunas are typically soft and fluffy, with a texture similar to a dinner roll. Made by adding butter directly into the dough rather than laminating it separately. Often brushed with a sweet glaze.
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The homes in La Boca are painted with bright colors.
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Local volunteer firefighters, who play a vital role in the community.
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The unique color scheme originated from early settlers using leftover marine paint to decorate their homes.
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Many tourists in La Boca due to the colorful buildings.
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The neighborhood became a cornerstone for port culture, being an important site during the early development of the tango.
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Colorful tiles on the street along with small art pieces.
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Pedestrian street in the neighborhood.
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The grill at Parrilla al Carbon Lo de Antonio (Antonio's Charcoal Grill).
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LA Boba known for its vibrant social life, distinct Spanish dialect (Rioplatense Spanish), and a strong sense of identity tied to the capital's history as a major port.
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The Boca Juniors ar the local football team, one of the two largest sports clubs in Argentina.
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Mural on a building.
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The little gang on the tour. Debrin Saaijenga, Marci Saaijenga, and Cal. Deb and Marci were with me on the photography workshop.
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We then headed to Puerto Madero a new modern area built where the second set of docks were constructed in 1897 but abandoned in 1926 when newer docks were constructed. The area stagnated and in the 1990s development began to revitalize the area.

We visited the Faena Hotel, which was over the top in its decor.
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The hotel has a shoe shop where Tango shoes are exclusively sold.
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By chance I had arranged for a Tango dinner and show at the same hotel - Rojo Tango.

As I was getting in the car for the show, the driver (who did not speak English) indicated I could not take my camera. I was very frustrated as I asked about the camera several months ago and received an "ok." When I arrived, I asked about the camera, and they said "yes" I could bring a camera. I got a car, thankfully, the driver spoke English, back to my hotel, retrieved the camera, and back to the tango hotel.

This is the result.
A short video of the dancers.
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A very nice dinner and show. The best part was that I could take my camera.
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