Ignacio Nicolás Rodríguez

It’s not at all an altruistic measure since the main concern is that I’m moving to a smaller place, don’t have a lot of space and yet I’d like to be able to grab my books whenever I like. That’s where the library fits perfectly.

If I also get to share my books with whoever might want them or need them, then that’s a plus. Besides, they do a better work than I do keeping track of who they’ve been lent to.

On Sunday afternoons there’s Feria del Sol, gathering hand craft workers and their products. You will find mates, bombillas, rings, bracelets, and even “discos de arado” (a very fashionable iron cooking tool made up from a harvest machine disc).

A “patio cervecero” is an open space bar, best to visit from 7 pm and later, September to April. You may have a sandwich, a burger, a lomito (a meat sandwich), or nothing to eat; but when it comes to drink there’s little option: you have to order liso which is a glass of beer filled to the top (thus the name), served from a barrel and extremely cold.

Don López (now Bar López) is an outstanding example of that kind of bars, very comfortable and really convenient. It is, however, very important to find a seat at the patio (outside, open area), because in the inside they adhere to the very spread yet irrational use of turning on the television set and the music all at once.

Come drink some lisos and enjoy the sunset, the santafesinian way.

This is a very rich plaza: a spectacular monument in the centre, dedicated to our General José de San Martín; a statue in honour of the firemen (the central Firemen Squad is right accross 9 de Julio St.); a space for children to play that features an old firemen charriot; many shady spaces with comfortable banks, ideal for reading and relaxing.

Perhaps because of this richness is that you will find people of all ages just about any time. It is also a safe place day or night as the central police station is right accross Mendoza St.

Back in 1982 I was looking for some Institute where I could learn programming. I chose to learn the BASIC language at Círculo Informático which as far as I know doesn’t exist anymore. Another choice could have been Instituto Córdoba which has been teaching the LOGO programming language ever since then!

The best beach in Maceió is no doubt Jatiúca. You will find three five star hotels right on it: Matsubara, Jatiúca and Meliá. Of all three, Meliá is the option in the middle in what regards price, but the best by far in quality, that is, if you’d have a comfortable international hotel with easy access to the city, great cooking including breakfast, rather than a tropical, non-urban experience (which Jatiúca may offer for a bit of a higher price).

Myself, I like watching cities and learning how people like to live through their institutions, cinema, theatre, etcetera. So this was the perfect (dreamed of!) choice.

In order to keep the French style of its conception, this building features the proper curves on the roof to support important ammounts of snow. Problem is, in almost 450 years of recorded history, it has never ever snowed in Santa Fe.

78 kilometres (48 miles) from the current emplacement of the city, you will find this open museum on the spot where the city was originally founded (natives attacks and floods determined its relocation by 1660).

In this place, far from the more civilized Asunción, living was evidently a constant struggle. Even so (or maybe even because of that), some very important things happened here.
The first animal marking (yerra) in the continent happened here, where the idea was coined.
Much more importantly, the first revolt against colonialism took place in old Santa Fe on the night of Corpus Christi around 1580 and is known as “Revolución de los 7 Jefes” (the revolution of 7 chiefs) 5 of which were executed.

Three are the most outstanding places within this several square kilometres museum: the main museum building that features objects related to the site, maps and explanations; the cathedral place, that was found excavating and thus exposes the bodies of people that was originally burried under its pavement (a bit creepy); and the house of Vera Muxica, one of the most prominent on the sixteenth century Santa Fe, with an audio-guided reference to the ordinary life on that time.

The whole museum is ever expanding as more original buildings and objects are found, and it said to be a good candidate to receive UNESCO funds by next year, for its unique way of telling a story of a few people struggling against natural and colonial powers.

In 1660, the city political authority (Cabildo) decided that the Santafesinian had had enough of floods and native attacks, and that they would resettle the city on a place that would be better protected from such events.
The place they selected had everything they needed and it represented the possibility to start anew. In no more than 20 years the old city emplacement was abandoned.
This neighbourhood (Barrio Sur) was the exact place where the original city (which consisted of barely 20 hectares) was moved, around the main Plaza (now named “25 de Mayo”).

The best way to visit this place is walking; you may start by the Legislatura Provincial, then to the House of the Asamblea de Estudios Históricos, to the old House of Estanislao López (the local /caudillo/), to Plaza de Mayo where you can sit at a bar and drink a glass full of beer to the top (called /liso/) and appreciate the Gray House (a French style building where the provincial government sits), the Cathedral, the Jesuits’ Church and College and the Palace of Justice; you can easily reach from there the Historical Museum, the Museo Etnográfico and the Church and Convent of San Francisco (most charming building around) and spare the rest of the afternoon stretching and overlooking the lake Manuel Belgrano.

In all this trip you may get a grasp on how those people from the XVII century may have felt about this lovely land.

Do not trust taxi drivers! The dirtiest and most common trick they play on you is trying to charge the fare in USD or Euro. If not explicitly stated otherwise, all charges are in ARS (Argentinian Pesos). Don’t get fouled.