Old Father Time does Culture !

Facing over 800 kms of cycling over the next couple of weeks it was certainly disconcerting to see the "man of iron" (read blu-tac) Kevin Henley hobbling like a one legged draught horse shortly into todays walk !

In Kev's defense he claimed to have walked 35kms the day before (actually 3kms) and was suffering belatedly from his AFL playing days (read Watsonia in the Diamond Valley league) !

We"d woken refreshed, polishing off an 18 course all you can eat breakfast, before heading out in humid drizzling conditions to the nearby bookstore El Ateneo Grand Splendid. Rarely do Bookstores feature on a must do tour list but this bookstore was rated by the Guardian in 2008 as being the 2nd best bookstore in the world !

The stunning architecturally designed 100 year old theatre was converted to a bookstore in 2008 and now serves as a major stopping point on the tourist circuit of Buenos Aires.

Following on from our unusual cultural experience we walked down to the upmarket central Buenos Aires district and the famed Plaza de Mayo and Presidential Palace Casa Rosada.

The square is one of the founding areas of Buenos Aires and has been the scene of the most momentous events in Argentinian History.

Here it was pretty easy to picture Juan Peron and his wife Eva and Peron addressing the throngs of adoring Peronists !

Sadly the square was also the site of a 1955 massacre when the Argentinian Air Force opened fire on a mass rally of Peronists killing 308 people in a failed Coup d'etat !

With Kev on the wane it was only the lure of a Hot Argenitian Cuppauchino that got him back to the hotel - amazingly without his usual famous utterance of "I"m too old for this shit Litchfield"!

We spent the rest of the day preparing for tomorrows onward journey to Chile with Kev braving the hotels restaurant for a follow up meal a $6 Rib Eye steak !!!