On Thursday, May 28th we began with class in the hotel and then we visited the Buenos Aires cathedral which was an amazing sight to see. When I first entered the cathedral I was impressed but it wasn’t until progressing a bit further that I realized just how big this cathedral was. It reminded me a lot of when I went to Spain and saw one of the biggest cathedrals in Europe. There are parts of the cathedral that one would think could only be found in Europe but are still implemented into the architecture. There is certainly a lot of European influence but it’s amazing how Argentina still how it’s own distinct elements in a place like this. We then went to the Museum of the Revolution which had a lot more kid-oriented things and kids than I had anticipated. The museum was impressive and offered a balcony view that let us see plaza de mayo from another perspective. This is a reoccurring theme for Buenos Aires as there are an unbelievable amount of different ways to look at any one point in the city. We continued to walk around and see different parts of the city and then proceeded to visit an almost ancient bookstore which felt like something one might find in Manhattan but retained it’s own elements and was an amazing thing to see. It was also amusing to see how the names of books and movies are changed when they’re translated to Spanish. The bookstore gave a familiar feeling that wasn’t too far off from something in the United States which was nice because it showed that although different cultures go about certain things with their own style, in the end there are striking similarities between how humans layout something such as a bookstore. After the bookstore we went to Cafe Tortoni. This was a nice change because many of the times we’ve gotten food we’ve had ice cream for dessert but this time I had the opportunity to try a cake-like dessert that had chocolate mousse and dulce de leche. After taking some time to eat and talk at the cafe, we walked for a while and saw the Congress Building. It was once again amazing to see how similar this building was to something of the same nature that would be found in the United States. By the end of the day I really felt that it was incredible how even though cultures can be very different, there are still underlying common factors about how people layout and create their society.  

Much like the city of Buenos Aires, today was filled with many different things. Instead of having class like usual, we woke up a bit earlier than usual and went to the national archives. It was interesting to see how they took care of all the documents and how things like humidity could cause problems. I liked having the opportunity to read older Spanish primary source documents because it allowed me to see and compare how Spanish was once written and how it is written now. I feel that going to the national archives was one of the best ways to see first hand how a language can develop. The national archives also made me think about how open Argentina is about showing many of these documents whereas in Italy, the Vatican secret archives cannot be accessed by the public. I felt that this was a very important thing for Argentina to do because history should be shared with the public and not hidden in any way. I found it interesting that there were many younger people working at the national archives and it made me wonder if this was some kind of internship for them or if they were pursuing working there as a career. After going to the national archives we went to lunch at La Parolaccia which was very good and did not take quite as long as some of our other meals. After walking for some time and seeing dancers in the street, we saw people walking to honor those who were lost during the last military dictatorship in Argentina from government-forced disappearances. It was unexpected and really an amazing thing to see even though there was not a lot of people involved in it. It’s the kind of thing that isn’t just the sightseeing you can do when you visit any country, but something that is specific to Argentina and particularly Buenos Aires. I realize more and more each day how big this city is and how much it has happening within it. Although it may be exhausting, it’s amazing how much we can accomplish and see everyday.