Struggling Against Familiarity

On the first visit, a new city in a new country is an exotic destination. Every sight, every sound, every smell is strange and entrancing. On the second and third visits, the excitement is more subdued but there's still a thrill in revisiting famous places and resampling favorite foods. By the sixth visit, it's like being home again and the main concerns center around the daily routine: do we get our groceries at Disco (closer but more expensive) or Carrefour (an extra block away)? Steak for lunch at La Cholita or steak for dinner at Restaurante Melo? One piece of toast or two for breakfast?

We walk down the same streets and see the same buildings. Buenos Aires is a big city, however: just yesterday we were re-familiarizing ourselves with the neighborhood, walking along a nearby street, and saw several shops and restaurants we had never noticed before. Ah, a new place for lunch, perhaps.

I have identified the problem, and it is not Buenos Aires. My brain, dulled by familiarity, has trouble seeing new things to photograph and to write about.

On our first trip, when all was new, one of my favorite (in)activities was to stand on the balcony, glass of malbec in hand, and watch the traffic roar by. On this, the sixth trip, I still stand on the balcony, relishing that glass of wine and the sounds of the city. Perhaps the familiar is not so dull after all.

I am starting to post a few snapshots of this trip.