Chronicle of an Urban Trek: Walking through four neighborhoods. 7.22 km. 1h 45min.

 

I begin this urban hike at the intersection of Riobamba and Avenida Corrientes, with a clear goal: to cross the city toward Plaza Italia, letting the landscape dictate its own story. Crossing Avenida Callao, I enter the streets of San Nicolás. On the shutter of a kiosk, I pause before a handmade “No Parking” sign. It’s not just any warning: the image of a flowered pirate guards the spot, crowned by a sentence from William Shakespeare that resonates in the concrete: “In our mad attempts, we forsake what we are for what we hope to be.”

I move forward and architecture takes center stage. I stop to contemplate the melancholic curve of Pasaje Enrique Santos Discépolo, that corner that seems to hide the echo of an old tango.

Between Balvanera and Recoleta. I cross into Balvanera, zigzagging through Lavalle, Tucumán, and San Luis streets. On a wall, a flowered mural by GCBA from 2021 survives halfway. The message #CiudadVerde fades, reminding us that the city is kept clean by all of us, even if time is relentless with paint. On Tucumán street at 2100, my gaze rises to an old façade. An ornamental shield—perhaps a forgotten coat of arms—shows the figure of a bird with spread feathers perched on a branch, from which five flowers hang. No plaques explain it; it’s a masonry mystery that only the attentive walker can catch.

Already on the edges of Recoleta, I encounter an explosion of collective identity: the mural “Transcendence of peoples united toward a common hope.” Created by the group La Tríada and neighbors of the Del Valle parish, the piece is a visual testament from 2013 that blends religiosity, the fervor of murga, and the elegance of tango.

The threshold of Palermo. The path leads me to Plazoleta Antonio Zinny. There, a bronze plaque pays homage to the educator and historiographer (1821–1890). It’s a brief oasis of silence before continuing the march. Nearby, the memory of a blue beetle painted on the wall evokes urban art that is no longer there, but that marked the pulse of these streets between 2015 and 2022.

Finally, crossing Mario Bravo, the atmosphere changes. I have entered Palermo. The sun strikes differently on the sidewalks and the urban trek reaches its final stage. What for many is a simple route, for the urban hiker is a living reading of the capital: a puzzle of Shakespeare, pirates, mysterious shields, and neighborhood faith.

The walk becomes urban hiking, a journey that links neighborhoods and layers of history. San Nicolás, Balvanera, Recoleta, Palermo: each stretch offers a sign, a mural, a plaque, an improvised sign.

 

Link to the shared route on Wikiloc: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/caminata-por-san-nicolas-balvanera-recoleta-y-palermo-en-caba-223554873

 Spanish version / Versión en español: https://reuniendoletras.blogspot.com/2021/08/cronica-de-un-urban-trek-caminando.html