By Michael Luongo
Argentina Travel Expert, about.com
[post_ads_2]It’s always great when things get fixed, especially when you love them so much. Here on About.com Argentina Travel, I love celebrating when things are working right in Buenos Aires, a city that to be honest, sometimes does not have its act together. I do say though, I say that with love.
If you have looked at ads about
Buenos Aires, brochures, or the websites of countless companies selling
trips to Argentina, you have seen this exciting icon. It is as famous
and associated with Buenos Aires as the Casa Rosada, the Obelisco,
Avenida de Mayo, and Teatro Colon.
What is it? It’s the giant
metallic floral sculpture called Floralis Generica, a 2002 sculpture by
the Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano, within the Plaza Naciones
Unidas, or United Nations Plaza off Avenida Figueroa Alcorte between
Quiroga and Bibiloni.
It has long been broken, with its petals no longer able to open and close.
But the city just fixed this.
The Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, had this to say about it on his Facebook page where he often posts things about what is going on in his city:
“¡HOY VUELVE A ABRIRSE LA FLOR DE LA CIUDAD![post_ads_2]
Despues de meses de trabajo, hoy vuelven a funcionar los petalos de la famosa Floralis Generica.
Para
celebrarlo, cuando caiga el sol y la Flor empiece a cerrarse (alrededor
de las 18), habra un espectaculo visual de luces y un recital en vivo
de Baglietto y Vitale.”
Essentially, he is shouting triumphantly
about the return of the “Flower of the City.” He talks about how months
of work went into fixing this fantastic “visual spectacle of lights”
Really, the flower is something to see, and it is one of the highlights of Buenos Aires’ park system.
We
have already gone into detail about fabulous green spaces in Buenos
Aires, and the below recaps some of that, including the park where the
flower sits, along with others throughout the Argentine capital.
Truly,
all of this makes Buenos Aires one of the most exciting cities in the
world to see, from real flowers, to giant metal ones that look like
something from outer space.
Palermo Park System (which includes Floralis Generica) from the article on Green Space in Buenos Aires
[post_ads]All
along Avenida Libertador, you will find what is in my opinion one of
the most beautiful linear parks in the world. It’s filled with
magnolias, pines, palms, and willows and families picnicking, along with
locals playing soccer, or just enjoying being outdoors. It’s all the
work of French architect Charles Thays. Start at Plaza Italia and the
Jardin Botanico or Botanical Gardens. Adjacent to that is the Zoological
Gardens, with its abandoned cats that locals tend to. Flora from
throughout South America and the rest of the world are in the garden.
There
are many divisions to this complex park system. Parque Tres de Febrero
is a 1,000-acre splendor of trees, lakes, and trails, and there is an
adjacent Rose Garden off Avenida Sarmiento. In summer, you can also rent
paddleboats, and an even more beautiful marriage of nature and water is
at the Japanese Garden where children can feed the fish and watch the
ducks. Wonderful small bridges also make it ideal for photos ops with
the family. One of the most famous things in any park in Buenos Aires is
the Floralis Generica, a 2002 sculpture by the Argentine architect
Eduardo Catalano, within the Plaza Naciones Unidas, or United Nations
Plaza off Avenida Figueroa Alcorte between Quiroga and Bibiloni. It’s
that shiny metal flower that opens and closes, near the University of
Buenos Aires Law School building.
Don’t miss our other great articles here on About.com Argentina Travel. Take a look at our article on hotels in Buenos Aires, and compare prices, neighborhoods and styles. Here is a guest article by Irvina Lew looking at Mendoza and exciting things to do in this wonderful world wine capital. This is one of my favorite articles, looking at things to consider that are great about Buenos Aires that you might not know,
from how walkable the city is to the amount of great nightlife, to all
the free museums all over the Argentine capital. One of our newest
articles also looks at Visit.org and their new offerings on interesting things to do in Argentina, and other parts of South America.
