Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 135

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Galería El S olar de French Built in the early 20th centur y in a S panish colonial
style, this is wher e Argentine patriot D omingo French lived. Today it's a galler y, with
antiques shops and photography stor es depicting the S an Telmo of y esteryear. Calle
Defensa 1066, at Carlos Calvo. No phone. Metro: Constitución.
Pallarols Located in S an Telmo, Pallarols sells an ex quisite collection of Argentine
silver and other antiques. You can watch as they make items to special order. Calle Defensa
1039, at Carlos Calvo. & 11/4300-6555. www.pallarols.com.ar. Metro: Constitución.
Art Galleries
Cándido Silva Filled with antiques and religious objects, this store is a stand-
out in the Galería El Solar de French. Objects come in a range of materials—from wood,
to marble, to silver. Many items are centuries-old antiques. Others are tasteful and exqui-
site reproductions, including a wide selection of canv ases painted by indigenous people
from thr oughout S outh America: R enaissance por traiture comes together with F rida
Kahlo's magical realism, in representations of saints, angels, Christ, and numerous rendi-
tions on the Virgin Mary. Rural silver and gaucho items ar e also par t of the items on
display. Don't worry about fitting it all on the plane—they ship ar ound the world. Calle
Defensa 1066 (at Humberto I, in Galería El Solar de French). & 11/4361-5053 or 11/15-5733-0696
(cell). www.candidosilva.com.ar. Metro: Independencia.
Galería Ruth Benzacar This avant-garde gallery, in a hidden underground space at
the start of Calle Florida, next to Plaza San Martín, hosts art exhibits of local and national
interest. Among the best-kno wn Argentines who hav e appeared here are Alfredo Prior,
Miguel Angel Ríos, Daniel García, Graciela Hasper, and Pablo Siguier. Calle Florida 1000
(at Alvear). & 11/4313-8480. www.ruthbenzacar.com. Metro: San Martín.
Bookstores & Stationery
Argentines love to r ead, and y ou shouldn't be surprised if y ou find y ourself in literar y
discussions even with your taxi drivers. Bookstores abound all over the city, with a con-
centration of stor es along Avenida Santa Fe, Calle F lorida, and on A venida Corrientes,
west of N ueve de J ulio. Many are chains with branches thr oughout the city. Unlike in
North America and the U nited Kingdom, online bookselling has not made serious
inroads on independent and used bookstor es, so y ou'll be able to enjo y old-fashioned
browsing and discovery.
Asunto Impreso Its location in the Centro Cultural Recoleta is one indication
that this is a bookstor e of distinction, and its tag line, “bookstor e for the imagination,”
is another. You'll find very high quality educational and art books here, many of specific
interest to the tourist looking to go a little deeper into the history and culture of Buenos
Aires. Junín 1930, in C entro Cultural Recoleta. & 11/4805-5585. www.asuntoimpreso.com. No
metro access.
El Ateneo (Grand Splendid) Moments This is one of B uenos Air es's most
magnificent bookstores, for the selection, but most cer tainly for the location. I t's built
into a former turn-of-the-last-centur y theater and pr eserves the ornamentation, stage,
and even the theater bo xes which ser ve as r eading cubbyholes. Open Monday through
Saturday from 10am to 10pm, and Sunday from 10am to 9pm. Av. Santa Fe 1860, at Cal-
lao. & 11/4813-6052. www.elateneo.com. Metro: Callao.
Librerías Turísticas Every and any kind of tourism book on Argentina and other
parts of the world can be found in this store. The company is itself a publisher and seller
of books. Open Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm, Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

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