In the lands of the coffee, from the book, Searching for treasures
Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sure enough, the streets that bordered the plaza were lined with colorful, sumptuous, imposing age-old manor houses. They had been built in another, now remote time, when life’s necessities were viewed with a widely different perception. They still proudly displayed the typical Paisa architecture, characterized by their broad facades.
These elegant frontispieces maintained a life of their own, through their emblematic bay windows and their large wooden doors painted in vivid, vibrant colors. Old statehouses from another epoch, framed and delimited by ample balconies, these last, cheerfully decorated with hanging flower pots, filled to the brim with brightly colored flowers. Most of the old buildings were gradually converted into sidewalk cafés or pubs, while some other turned into restaurants, all of them boasting the magnificent view of the park and catering to the local townsfolk.
There were a few of the buildings, that still carried several small shops of different venues. In front of all them, people gathered in small crowds. There you could find them, sitting at the outdoor tables set on the wide sidewalks. Beneath the large, shading parasols they enjoyed fine coffees and delicious aromatic fruity and herbal teas.
More importantly, sitting at those tables, they shared leisurely, carefree conversations, discussions that went by unrushed and without any haste at all, under those bright blue skies above. That was how daily life was savored, easy-going and blithe, during those relaxed and peaceful mornings filled with sun.
That mild-mannered, gentle life impacted the foreigner’s heart. Thus, in the lifestyle, he grasped the remnants of times before, sadly long-bygone forever in the modern world that he came from.