Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Monday 24th of June
07.46 We know with certainty that we are still in Buenos Aires and in the hotel Catalinas Suites. We know with reasonable certainty that we will travel by bus from here today. The question is why Google Assistance on Christer's phone also knows all this.
09.10 A day that starts with breakfast and coffee is a day that bodes well for the future. This is such a day. Out there, unfortunately, it is overcast and a mist but it is, after all, winter here.
09.42 What remains of the stay here in Buenos Aires is a little time on our own for packing, going down with our old elevator, checking out from the hotel and a walk to the bus station Retiro from which we are going to travel. The stay here in the city has felt right. Nothing has bothered us or been out of the ordinary.
10.23 A warming walk has eventually taken us to a large bus station, Retiro. It is located behind the railway station with the same name. During the walk here we also took a little closer look at the beautiful bell tower Torre Monumental. The tower was an English gift to the city in 1810 and was for a long time called Torre de los Ingleses (the English tower). However, after the Falklands war in 1982, it was renamed. We are now waiting to check in and then board the first bus trip here in Argentina.
10.44 No information regarding our bus has appeared on the screens here at the station. We have pre-purchased the ticket on the site Busbud.com and are going with the company Chevallier (https://www.nuevachevallier.com) and we have now walked out and wait where Chevallier buses park. It's all set. Now the bus can come.
10.54 Our bus was already in place. The luggage was left in exchange for stickers that were attached partly to the luggage, partly on our pre-purchased tickets. The tickets were torn and we went on board. We're upstairs. On the bus radio, cover versions in Spanish are played, ABBA´s Supertrooper and Van Halen´s Jump.
17.17 We have taken it easy in the room, updated ourselves on the internet and read some facts about Rosario, a city with about a million inhabitants. It is Argentina's third largest city. From the city comes an interesting mix of famous people. One of the most famous is undoubtedly the revolutionary Che Guevara who was active during the revolution in Cuba. Others are celebrities from the world of football, among them coaches César Luis Menotti (world champion coach 1978) and Marcelo Bielsa plus players Lionel Messi, Ángel Di Maria, Maxi Rodriguez and Mauro Icardi.
Tuesday 25th of June
Peter is ready to continue the trip.
Torre Monumental (Torre de los Ingleses).
Waiting at Retiro bus station.
Retiro has space for many buses.
Nahuel Hotel, our home in Rosario.
Christer is waiting for dinner at Pizza Piazza.
Fantastic high quality ingredients on the pizzas in Argentina.
The tower on the bus station Mariano Moreno lights up the evening darkness.
Not much space but still a nice room.
07.47 A good and cool sleep has been interrupted since we just woke up. The room is simple but comfortable after all. The day when we'll see, discover and tell you about Rosario is here. First, however, we need some kind of breakfast.
09.01 Now we will carry off to the room that receives visits by most guests at this time of day. So we're going to have breakfast. 09.32 We have got ourselves a real Argentine breakfast. It consisted of a large cup of strong coffee and two croissants each. In other words, there was not much nutrition. We probably need to have a second breakfast or coffee later when we left the hotel. Now we will soon embark in Che Guevara's, Lionel Messi's and the birth city of the Argentine flag. 10.12 OK Rosario, ready or not, here we come. We have now left the hotel and stepped out into the icy morning air. Now it really feels like it's winter. It firmly bites the skin. The fog from last night is gone. Now it is the sun and blue skies that apply. 10.25 Today we will walk many kilometres. We chose a hotel near bus station but it means that it is far to the centre and even further to the Paraná River which will be today's final destination. 11.03 The first stop on our walk is now done. It's time for breakfast II, or maybe eleven o´clock coffee at Starbucks Coffee on Bulevar Oroño.
We have started the long walk towards more central parts of the city.
Bulevar Oroño, Rosario.
Peter has started this day´s second breakfast.
Christer is watching people on the street from Starbucks.
A sunny winter day in Rosario.
Christer has reached Plaza San Martín.
11.14 A man was just here at our table and wanted to sell socks. Then we said thank you but no thanks so he showed that he had a tear on the right sleeve of the jacket. We kept saying no. Then the man gave up.
11.49 Starbucks has been left behind. We have strolled further and now found a free shadow bench on the square/park Plaza San Martín. The man who gave the square his name sits on horseback in the middle of everything. It's the Argentine hero, José de San Martín. He fought alongside Simón Bolívar to make South America free of Spanish colonialism. He is a national hero of Argentina, Chile and Peru. In the vicinity of us, people demonstrate against or maybe for something. A group of people with placards have gathered at Sede Rosario del Gobierno de Santa Fe. From there the province of Santa Fe is governed. 12.29 After a long walk past countless inters reels and streets, we have now set ourselves by a great monument to one that originated in the city. It's not over Che or Messi. It is the banner, the Argentine flag that is honoured with a monument. An eternal flame also burns here. It's for everyone who died for Argentina. The place we are at is called Monumento Histórico Nacional a la Bandera. A short distance away, we see the waters of the Paraná river. 12.42 It's nice to sit on the stairs here at the monument and let the beautiful sun warm us. Down at the monument, a man wanders around and tries to persuade people to be guided or go up the monument for the sake of sight. There has also been a group of young people gathered here, probably an a school on a field trip. 13.11 We are, once again, looking out over the banks of the river Paraná. It's the second longest river in South America. We first saw the river when we were in the country in 2010. Then we were in Posadas on the border with Paraguay. The sun glitters in the river water. Behind me Spanish is spoken and next to me there is a half fish.
Plaza San Martín, Rosario.
Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario.
The eternal flame burns for the heroes of Argentina.
A group of students and a view of Paraná river.
The monument to honour the birth of the argentina flag.
After ten years we can see the Paraná river again.
13.22 We left the river behind us and went to a bench in Parque Nacional a la Bandera. One or even several alarms sound. More beautiful and harmonious is the bird song we hear. Around us are playing and skipping dogs of different sizes and ages.
13.53 There is a branch of the Pizza Piazza restaurant (http://www.pizzapiazza.com.ar) here in the centre. Now we're at it too. This is where we will have lunch. The pizzas yesterday were amazing and in the absence of other given options we eat here. The address is Córdoba 901. 15.45 After another hearty meal with as good pizzas as yesterday's, we´re on our way home. We first walked on the shopping street Córdoba before we continued on more boring streets. It felt smoother to go home when we had the knowledge of how far it was. Now it's going to be nice to relax. It feels in our feet that we strolled around 10 kilometres today. 17.12 Calmly and quietly the time flows forward even this afternoon. I read a little in the novel The Silver Road by Stina Jackson. Using cigarettes is something that returns all the time in the book. It is so common in Swedish crime novels that we wonder if the tobacco industry are sponsors.
Christer and Rio Paraná.
Peter is writing in his journal in front of the brick buildings by the river.
A perfect tree to climb in.
We are visiting Pizza Piazza this day as well.
The long pedestrian shopping street Córdoba.
A large beer tonight.
20.06 The big question for now is where are we going to have dinner. Maybe we should have something. There are a number of restaurants here near bus station but we have already visited one of them (Pizza Piazza) and the others seem a bit simple and boring.
20.33 We have ordered a bottle with one litre of beer (Quilmes) or did we order two bottles? The restaurant we chose is close to the hotel and yesterday's dinner restaurant. It's called Parrilla Amberes. 21.12 In Argentina there is an interesting mix of peoples. The country has received people from Spain, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and many other countries. At the table behind us now sit four blonde men who look like they come from the Nordic countries or Germany. However, their Spanish is perfect so they are probably from around here. 22.15 Another day is coming to an end. Most days do. Tomorrow we'll wake up by ourselves without wake-up calls. It is close to the bus station, and no early departure from here. We can also skip the diminutive hotel breakfast we can also skip.
Wednesday 26th of June
08.21 It will soon be time to say goodbye to both Nahuel Hotel and Rosario. We will most likely ignore the hotel's breakfast this morning. Instead, we aim for breakfast when we get to bus station. We need more nutrition for the upcoming bus trip than some croissants and a cup of coffee. The room has been decent however a small room. The price was nothing to complain about, however. You get what you pay for.
09.55 There will be a breakfast at El Pajaro, a café here at bus station. At least here we get some real sandwiches for the coffee. There will be many hours by bus today so we want to start with a decent meal. 10.21 People of different ages and gender are waiting for buses. Are they going with one, are they waiting for someone who comes by bus or do they have nothing else to do? Dogs lie and rest on the sunny spots. 10.53 We are at the gate where the bus from the company General Urquiza (https://generalurquiza.com.ar) shall depart 10.55. There's no such bus here yet. Something positive is that other passengers also seem to be waiting. 11.15 The bus turned up and we went out to it. The baggage was marked and loaded. We got stickers on our tickets. This is to confirm the ownership of the baggage. At the time of boarding, part of the ticket with one of the stickers is torn away. A co-passenger thought it looked cool with the shorts and sandals I wear. After all, it is the whole +12°C today.
Peter is having breakfast at El Pajaro.
There is a coffee machine in the bus.
Many hours on the bus through a flat landscape.
12.31 Some passengers have got off in Cañada de Gómez. The journey here has gone through a completely flat agricultural landscape. The trip takes a little extra long as the bus runs through various small communities to give the residents this extra service.
12.53 Terminal Armstrong can be read on the building next to the bus. We are in the small town of Armstrong who got its name after the British Thomas Armstrong who was here and developed the Argentine railway network. There was a short stop here. Other stops await shortly. 13.40 A little while ago a motorcyclist swung infront of the bus. The driver had to brake to avoid getting a new radiator ornament. Now we're in Marcos Juárez. I look at the range in the mini bar on board. 14.01 There was a visit to the bar. A warming and invigorating beverage has been enjoyed. 166 kilometres have been travelled since we left Rosario. A good flavour of coffee fills my mouth. 14.34 There was trouble at the stop at the bus terminal in Bell Ville. A dog preferred to lie where the bus was going to stop. There will be a short break even here. 15.44 A new stop, even closer to our final destination, has now been made in Villa Maria. I'm getting the urge to arrive.
Arco de Córdoba.
We are very close to this journey´s final stop.
Lots of bus companies gather at Córdoba bus terminal.
17.31 Today's bus trip has come to an end. It is time to get off the bus. It's time to show the stickers on the tickets so that we can regain our luggage. We have arrived in Córdoba, Argentina's second largest city. We have previously visited Córdoba in Spain. Now we will experience Córdoba in Argentina.
18.37 We are in a new city and in a new hotel, Casa Urbana hotel (http://www.casaurbanahotel.com) and in a new room, number 27. It's good to finally be here. Again, we are just a stone's throw from the bus terminal. It's practical. 19.58 Outside, darkness and temperature have fallen. It was cold when we arrived and even colder now. Inside the room, hunger has risen. In order to get things right later, we need to go outside, at least for a while. 20.18 We had found a possible meat restaurant near the hotel but we chose to ignore it because they had a complicated concept where we had to weigh the food. Now we are looking for other options in the immediate area. 20.50 After a moment of searching and walking streets up and street down, we finally decided for the Campestre-Sabores Criollos restaurant. Certainly there were other options in the neighbourhood but they felt mostly hip and trendy and had different focus than a wide menu. 22.17 We are pleased. Christer's pizza was huge, both in size and quality. However, I am not fully satisfied. There was no coffee to order after the meal. 23.49 A new night and a new sleep stand ready to meet. Tomorrow there will be a day here in Córdoba.
Our room in Casa Urbana Hotel.
Time to leave the room and look for dinner.
Christer is waiting for the food at the restaurant Campestre.
You can see 13 photos from June 24 in this photoalbum.
You can see 58 photos from June 25 in this photoalbum.
You can see 11 photos from June 26 in this photoalbum.