Friday, January  - 20
We made it . . . with seconds to spare.  Got into  BA at 10 this morning and to the hotel at noon.  This was earlier than planned but . . . .   When we checked in Denver yesterday we learned that our Toronto flight would be 1 1/2 hours  late which meant a big risk that we would miss our flight out of Toronto.  Air Canada rebooked us on Continental  flights that gave us 40 minutes to make the connection to the BA flight.  The Continental flight showed a 10 minute late departure and then sat on the tarmac for another 20 minutes - this after we had to fight to find space for our carry-ons.   We thought we would have to spend the night in Houston.   But after we landed in Houston we were able to walk as fast as possible to the  BA gate and get on the plane right at 9 when it was scheduled to depart.  From there everything was smooth; this was a 2 hour shorter trip than we would have had from Toronto and we are not totally wiped out.

Friday afternoon: Our first excurstion as flâneurs in Buenos Aires.  It's hot here, probably in the 90s.  We had lunch at Oro y Candido, a cafe about a block from the hotel.  Laura and I then walked up to the Botanical Garden, about 10 blocks from the hotel, not counting the part, where confused by the position of the sun in the sky in the southern hemisphere,  we walked in the wrong direction.  An old urban neighborhood, but a mix of the old and the new; old stucco houses fronting the street, tall wooden doors, polished or painted; new brick, steel and glass apartments; the streeds shaded, many by thick old plane trees; small shops of various kinds; the smell of fresh peaches.

Friday evening: Dinner at Don Julio in an old building, a few blocks from the hotel.  I had sorrentinos, but of course steak is the big deal here.  The Argentineans eat late.  The normal time for supper is 9:30.    is going to be the hardest thing to get used to.We ate early - at 8:30.  Of course beef is the big menu item here, but I had sorrentios.  There is a strong Italian influence; there are more people of Italian descent here than Spanish.  "Ciao"is the operative word for good-bye.  I haven't heard äudios" used even once.