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Argentina Legalizes Gay Marriage, Becomes Next Destination Wedding Hotspot

Today, Argentina legalized same-sex marriage, making it the first South American country (and a very Catholic one, at that) to do so. Aside from this being excellent for locals who are ready to take their relationship to the final step, we immediately thought: destination weddings!

For gay couples in America, the typical idea was to run for the border to Canada, have a destination wedding there where it is legal, and head back down into the States as a married pair. And then more US states came over to the rainbow side by also legalizing same-sex marriage, and—ignoring the California crisis—some of the world's biggest powers, too.

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Tags: Scandalous Travel / Buenos Aires / Argentina Travel / Political Travel / → All Tags

Where The New Luv Guv Should Have Gone in Buenos Aires

What a day yesterday was for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who after having been "missing" for five days, turned up deplaning after a flight back from Buenos Aires in Argentina and not the Appalachian Mountains, as his staff was lead to believe. Within hours of being caught on arrival, the Governor admitted to carrying on an affair while away in Argentina and resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

So aside from knocking boots with a hottie South American woman, what was the Governor up to in Buenos Aires? Five days can't all be spent in bed, and so we've compiled our guide to enjoying Buenos Aires in Sanford style:

Stay: Hotel 1555 Malabia House
As BA's first design Bed & Breakfast, the focus is on intimate interiors, garden spaces, and the historic neighborhood. This are, the Palermo district, is also where Sanford's mistress' apartment is located, so you're just around the corner from the luv guv's little love nest.

Nightly rates here average $170 for a room with private balcony; it's perfect for tawdry kisses and nighttime whisperings like "My heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul." We're sure Sanford would have felt right at home chillin the balcony as if he were back on a porch in South Carolina.

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Tags: Little Italy / Restaurants / Food Travel / → All Tags

Little Italy, Southern Hemisphere Style

Hey, Little Italys aren't just for the states.

More than 1/3 of Argentina's population is of Italian descent, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that one of the continent's oldest Italian nabes is found in Buenos Aires.

The main draw of "La Boca" is the scenery, particularly the brightly-painted houses along Caminito, the main street that's packed with artists, tango dancers and all kinds of hawkers every evening. The strip elicits the same complaints as Manhattan's Little Italy—too noisy, full of chintzy souvenirs and too many tourists—but a little further into La Boca, there are some genuine Italian-Argentinean haunts to be found.

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This Weekend in the World: Anzac Day and Book Fairs Galore

· Buenos Aires: Beginning this weekend in the La Rural exhibition complex, the Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires brings over 1 million people together for the Spanish-speaking world's largest literature festival and book fair. Whether you're in the market to beef up your home library, tracking down signatures of your favorite authors or taking in a free lecture, the Feria is fun for all. Fluency in Spanish is of course highly recommended, but then we're sure they'll have language instruction for sale as well. Check out the full schedule for the fair, which runs until May 11, at its website.

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Tags: Steakhouses / Restaurants / Buenos Aires Tours / → All Tags

Where to Beef in Buenos Aires: Soberbia 22

Dining options abound in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, but most restaurants are good old-fashioned parrillas, or grills, where you’ll find menus featuring steak, steak, and more steak. Folks in Buenos Aires really love meat. Soberbia 22 is no exception, but a few things set it apart from the...herd.

First, it's not too difficult to get a reservation, or even just walk in and get a table, unlike some of the better known steakhouses in the city, like Cabaña Las Lilas in Puerto Madero, or La Cabrera in Palermo Viejo.

You won’t have to contend with a pack of tourists, either, since Soberbia 22 is more of a neighborhood place popular with the residents of leafy Palermo Hollywood, with the low prices to match. That’s right, you can get a whole steak dinner, including a glass of wine, salad, appetizer and dessert for under $20 by our last check.

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Americans Abroad Travel: Election Day in Argentina

Jaunted editor Paul Brady has been hiding out in Buenos Aires and won't be back to vote in the US on November 4. Instead of just mailing in an absentee ballot, he went to the embassy for today's Voting Party...

This city is all about standing around waiting for stuff. There are lines at the bakery, lines outside the bank to use the ATM, lines at the post office, lines like you could never imagine at bus stops. So I shouldn't have been surprised when I showed up for today's democracy fest at the US embassy and there was a queue of Americans stretching way down Avenida Colombia.

At least those of us waiting to get in could enjoy the tunes from the jazz combo that Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne hired to play in the courtyard while we made small talk about our hometowns, our impressions of Argentina and why in God's name this was taking so long.

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Tags: Best-Restaurants-in-Palermo-Buenos-Aires / Restaurants / → All Tags

The Best Dining in Palermo: The Remington

This week, we're highlighting the best restaurants in the Palermo 'hood of Buenos Aires.

We've walked past The Remington a bunch of times over the past couple weeks, and today was the first time we've seen more than two tables occupied. But we can't figure out why it isn't bustling. The food is great--and cheap--and the service is just as smooth as you'd expect from any of the places in Palermo. True, there's no "cocktail list," but there is a full bar.

The folks over at Argentina restaurant guide Guía Oleo can't seem to figure it out either: Only one of eight amateur critics there give it a bad review. Yet the place stays quiet, even at 11 pm, prime restaurant hour in BA.

So despite our don't-go-to-empty-restaurants policy, we ducked in for a prix fixe lunch one day--and it was terrific.

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The Best Dining in Palermo: Bar Uriarte

This week, we're highlighting the best restaurants in the Palermo 'hood of Buenos Aires.

Sucre is debatably the most sizzling restaurant in BA, but since it's not in Palermo, it can't make our map. Luckily, the owners of the super-trendy spot have opened Bar Uriarte, a few blocks over from Mott.

Like its neighbor, Bar Uriarte is just as much about a chichi scene as it is the food. But here, too, that's not to say the grub isn't up to snuff.

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The Best Dining in Palermo: Olsen

This week, we're highlighting the best restaurants in the Palermo 'hood of Buenos Aires.

Today's pick gets so much hype, it almost seems unnecessary to include it. But if it's a list of great Palermo restaurants we intend to make, Olsen has to be on it.

The too-cool-for-school Scandinavian spot has been seen in just about every glossy magazine and design book, thanks to its exquisite decor and foxy waitstaff decked out in Penguin polos. Having an almost endless list of vodkas can't hurt either.

Dinner is a mix of Northern European (think smoked salmon) and Argentine (think pork shoulder), while lunch starts at noon and offers a short menu from which you mix and match an entree and two sides.

We'd recommend reservations for the insanely popular Sunday brunch service, but other times you can probably walk in. Oh, and they have WiFi, so you won't miss a moment of what's hot on the architecture blogs!

Related Stories:
· Palermo's Best Restaurants coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bars+Tone]

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The Best Dining in Palermo: Mott

This week, we're highlighting the best restaurants in the Palermo 'hood of Buenos Aires.

While cozy Standard is nestled on a quiet street corner of Palermo Hollywood, Mott is in the thick of the flashiest part of the nabe. That explains the massive bar and towering liquor shelves--and the outrageously long cocktail list.

But chef María Lancio's "market cuisine" also deserves some attention--and we've got lots of love for female chefs!

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The Best Dining in Palermo: Standard

This week, we're highlighting the best restaurants in the Palermo 'hood of Buenos Aires.

It was about two seconds after we saw Standard listed in our Wallpaper guide to Buenos Aires that we knew it was worth checking out.

With hand-lathed wooden fixtures, white granite floors and cool black-leather-upholstered bar stools, the food could've been sub-par and we still wouldn't have been upset. But what comes out of the kitchen might be the best thing about Standard, our new favorite spot in BA.

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Tags: Medical Tourism / Medical Travel / → All Tags

Medical Travel: Shrinks Galore in Argentina

We know that medical tourism is a growing field: After all, we've contemplated a trip to Hungary to get our teeth fixed or a stay in the Netherlands to cure our nail-biting habit. But our next booking is taking us to Buenos Aires, and here's why.

We've just discovered that Argentina's capital is the "psychoanalysis capital of the world," and a two-hour therapy session will set you back only around $18. They've got more qualified psychologists than anywhere and if you head to the district of Palermo, you'll discover there's a good reason why it's nicknamed "Villa Freud."

Locals suggest that it's the country's long history of instability--war, dictatorship and economic collapse are just a few of the problems--that's made them a nation full of shrinks. We're just happy to have an exotic destination lined up for our next mental breakdown.

Related Stories:
· Get Your Head Tested in Buenos Aires [UK Times]
· Hungary For Some New Teeth [Jaunted]
· Cure Your Nail Biting Habit [Jaunted]

[Photo: Esparta]