Matías made me a list of the seven things I have to do while in Buenos Aires, including his favorite Brunch places and special sights you would not necessarily find in a guide book.

So we’re working on that list, and we went for a Saturday morning brunch in fabuleux Café Le Blé. It reminded me a bit of Brussels’ Pain Quotidien, the coffee being served in large french bowls, the communal tables…

The breakfast was amazing. Croissants, scrambled eggs, granola and yogurt, pancakes and syrup, fresh lemonade…. We were stuffed after half of it and needed a walk!

 

Matías walked me through a park to an organic market, with fresh organic food, vegetables and herbs, fresh juices and cakes, ayuverdic oils… you name it. One lady was cooking her veggie stew in this zero-emissions oven, the pot placed at the center of these mirrors…

On we went to the Mercado das Pulgas, a flea market installed in a big warehouse in the Colegiales barrio, with lots of furniture to buy, decorative materials, etc. We were early I guess, so it was not that busy, and strolled through the corridors.

 

Matías introduced me to Tony Valiente, a merchant, artist, collector, who you just have to see to believe it.

His shop is filled to capacity with everything mankind has ever produced. You could say most of it is junk, trash, piled up high for whatever purpose, it’s like walking into a messie’s home.

However, at the second look, you see he has produced all kind of weird things with tall that stuff. He seems to go through different phases…

 

There’s a collection of weird decorated shoes, covered with different things, from metal buttons to pens… there’s a number of the weirdest helmets, something out of the Mad Max movies, with different themes and materials, there’s hand bags, clothing accessories, pictures…

A hugs iconic Christ ‘picture’ hovers over it all… Picture is not an adequate expression, it’s more an installation of things glued together, becoming the image of Jesus speeding his arms.

It’s best to let him introduce himself: