As this was a work junket, our group stayed at the Hilton which was in the newly refurbished Puerto Madero barrio (neighborhood). The hotel was walking distance to several great restaurants, the ferry to Uruguay, and it seemed like everything was a cheap $15-$20 peso cab ride away.

If you find yourself in the area, don't miss Cabana Las Lilas. I'm embarrassed to admit that we ate there twice on our four night trip but the service was superb as was the meal, which began with a "table cover" of tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, and never ending bread and ended with limoncello and grapa. And of course there was the ever present gargantuan cut of beef in between - my favorite was the skewered tenderloin. It was definitely on the pricier side (for Buenos Aires) but YUM.

We'd heard a great deal about leather goods in Argentina, and decided that we wanted to procure some custom leather coats. After some quick research on the internet we found Uru Recoleta, conveniently located across the street from the Recoleta Cemetery. It was a bit overwhelming when we walked in, but the helpful saleswomen (hint: they all wear the same color shirt) guided us through making our selection. The combinations are nearly infinite (I say nearly because they did NOT have animal print fabric for lining). After trying on WAY TOO MANY, I ordered a knee-length somewhat fitted black leather coat with slash pockets and a light pink lining (the style was a combination of about 4 coats that I liked). It was ready the next day and fits perfectly (they will even deliver to your hotel if you like).

As photo enthusiasts, we can easily spend hours fascinated with a bustling market, interesting architecture, or face it, something shiny, and this might explain why we spent more time then most at the Recoleta Cemetery.

We also visited La Boca, which is part of the standard tourist itinerary and except for the colorful buildings can be skipped in my opinion.

Lastly we went to San Telmo on Sunday for the flea market in Plaza Dorego. In addition the the main square which housed typical antique flea market stalls, the side streets were filled with tango dancers, musicians, and antique stores and art galleries. A few blocks off the plaza (on the corner of Peru and Carlos Calvo) we had a yummy ravioli lunch at Bar El Federal.