Home & Away with Robert Walshe
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Holiday Hotspot – Buenos Aires - Argentina
A dizzying mix of Europe and Latin America, colonial and contemporary, laidback and fast-paced, Buenos Aires has a buzz all its own. Weekenders come to the restored Puerto Madero to stroll across the Santiago Calatrava–designed Puente de la Mujer Bridge and dine at upscale restaurants. Nearby the avant garde Hotel Madero run by Sofitel and designed by Philippe Starck is the place to be seen! Expect a great mix of attentive service with cutting edge design.
■ Buenos Aires Tango
Rooms feature flat-screen satellite TVs and scenic port city views, while other hotel amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and gym. It’s convenient location, just 20 minutes from the Jorge Newbery Domestic Airport and 40 minutes from Ezeiza International Airport, make it a traveler favourite. www.hotelmadero.com Buenos Aires is a city where attention to detail counts. You’ll notice it while watching beautiful people strutting through Recoleta and along the streets of neo-classical architecture in the downtown area. Algodon Mansion is a great example of this detail.
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Inside the landmark building, expect discreet luxury rather than glitz. A simple door to the outside world leads into a restored mansion with 10 luxury suites, 24-hour butler service and a menu that goes beyond all expectations. The focus is on Argentine French fusion cuisine with all wines including their own Malbec from their own wine estate in Mendoza.Algodon is the first and only Relais & Châteaux hotel & restaurant in Buenos Aires, www.relaischateaux. com. Closed-door restaurants are also popular with menus changing weekly or even daily depending on the whims of the chef. Leading the way is “I-Latina” which sources fresh flavours and aromas of the Colombian Caribbean for its five-course degustation menu nightly. Located in a beautiful old mansion with art deco stained glass in Almagro this family run affair focus on seasonal ingredients perfectly pairing flavourful dishes with first-class Argentinean wine. The result is something more intimate and social than a regular eatery. www.ilatinabuenosaires. com Argentina’s capital is synonymous with tango with
various options in San Telmo. If you want to see a glamorous show with good food head for La Ventana www.laventanaweb.com A great way to get acquainted with this magnetic city is to take a bus or walking tour highlighting the major neighbourhoods and attractions. Among the points of interest you must see are Main Square Plaza de Mayo surrounded by the Casa ■ Hotel Madero Bu Rosada (Presidenenos Aires tial Headquarters Office), the Cabildo modern (Colonial Town Hall) and the art. Air France operate a Cathedral. On the Avenida 9 daily service from Paris to de Julio, near the Obelisco, is Buenos Aires via Dublin with the enormous Teatro Colón, numerous airlines providing one of the world’s grandest onward connections to Salta opera houses. Built in the era www.airfrance.ie Nuevo of Puccini, between 1890 and Mundo an Irish based travel 1908, it occupies an entire agent specialising in South city block. Museo Nacional America provide a personal De Bellas Artes, the National service and organise every Fine Arts Museum, is perhaps element of your trip including the premier institution of its all internal flights. The experitype in South America. The ence includes private airport palace has a noteworthy glass transfers in each destination, cupola that softly lights the airport assistance and guides vast lobby and expect regu- who can accompany you to lar temporary exhibitions of your check-in to ensure you national and international
get on board your flight with the minimum of hassle. Having travelled all over the world for more than 20 years, I must say this was the best organised trip I have been on and I felt spoilt! www. nuevomundo.ie Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com