Not all who travel solo are lonely
Buenos Aires recs!
Hello!!
My apologies for the delay, the flight back from Argentina was a bit intense, and I got some last-minute assignments as I was getting off the plane, so I’ve been scrambling a bit. How’s everyone been?! This trip was partly solo and partly a group trip as I joined a wine + culture tour run by my friend Leslie (more on that below). I was simply going to dive into sharing highlights and recs, but I have to first share some reactionary thoughts about solo travel. Thank you for listening!
The other week, I saw an Instagram post from a travel mag with a caption along the lines of “New ways to combat loneliness on solo travel” with tips for meetups and such. Seemingly harmless, it still annoyed me, despite its good intentions to encourage people to travel solo. I love traveling alone and don’t feel lonely, so it felt like it was perpetuating a myth about solo travelers or at least only telling one side of it.
Granted, when I heard of people traveling solo whilst in my early 20s, I thought it sounded so strange, ‘Why would they want to do that?! How sad for them to have no one to travel with.’ But then I was forced to travel around the world alone for four years as a hotel/restaurant inspector, and I got very used to it (read: I didn’t have a choice). It also made me get over that fearful hump of dining alone, which I don’t know if I would have otherwise.
In the beginning, I used to feel incredibly self conscious when seated at a fine dining restaurant with a two or three-hour meal ahead of me, feeling like everyone was watching my every move, wondering, ‘Why is she alone? Does she have no friends?’ I became hyperaware of my every movement, making me even more awkward and clumsy as I dropped things, fumbled with my menu and once even choked on my tasting sip of wine (so embarrassing. The sommelier politely turned his head away until the fit passed). I was convinced everyone was staring at me. But, other than when I drew attention to myself by dropping things and choking, no one cared.
The only thing I think when I see someone dining alone with a glass of wine and a book is, “Good for them.”
I have to admit though that it hasn’t always been wonderful. One time, at a particularly intimate and romantic restaurant, which was already challenging as a solo diner because of the setting, I also forgot something to read as I was late and rushing. I had a very, very long dinner ahead of me. I’m talking five courses with an amuse bouche and a palate cleanser. Not only was I bored, desperately texting my friends for distraction, but I felt extremely out of place as almost everyone there was celebrating a 50th/60th birthday or big wedding anniversary. It was not somewhere you casually show up to for a solo meal.
Near the end of the dinner, a tipsy/drunk woman sitting next to me leaned over and said, “I admire you. I wouldn’t have the guts to be here alone.” It took almost everything I had not to say, “OMG this is so painful, please help me,” but, because I was there for work, I muttered something about my sister canceling and not wanting to miss out on the chance to eat at this destination restaurant. (Sorry, Ash!)
Aside from that and some creepy men, I’ve had a lot of really wonderful experiences as it opens you up to meeting new people. Even on this trip, on my first night in Buenos Aires, I was seated at a table next to another solo diner, and, after some chatting we ended up pushing our tables together and sharing a lot of food. Oddly enough, he is American and has been on a similar life trajectory as mine for that past couple of years: he also tried to move to Miami in the winter of 2022, and, when the housing market went a bit nutty, he decided to move to Colombia where he has been since, working remotely and traveling. He was a great dinner companion and fun to talk to, but a small part of me was also sad I couldn’t keep reading my book.
I think there’s something so wonderful about spending time with yourself, not only in the flexibility and freedom that it allows you but also in the ability to immerse yourself wherever you are as you can’t escape into companionship or conversation. Of course, there are cons, like not being able to order more food at the table, safety concerns and sometimes it would be nice to share that time with someone so you can talk about it later and say, “remember when… ?” but, on the whole, I think if you’re comfortable in your own company, then it’s a great thing to do. (I also lean more toward the introverted side of things so that could be a reason why I love traveling alone.)
This long-winded response to the Instagram post is mostly to say that if you have never considered a solo trip, I highly advise it. There might be moments of loneliness, but that can also happen at home, and traveling might just push you out of your comfort zone a little by encouraging you to do something you wouldn’t do otherwise. Before you book a trip, maybe start with something small like a solo drink or snack at a bar counter with a book (just make sure it has good lighting otherwise that can put a damper on things). Then you can ease your way into more time-intensive things when it feels right. Or maybe you hate this idea and will never try it, which also works well, too! You do you.
(I should mention that it’s not that I don’t enjoy traveling with people I care about, I do, but I also cherish the alone time wandering around a new city and sometimes the airport too, which might just be me).
Now, onto Argentina! I ended up there fairly last minute considering the length of the flight, even though it’s been on my mind since the summer. I had resigned myself to not going for timing reasons with my Menorca lease starting when my friend Leslie who runs La Dolce Vigna tours had a cancellation on a February trip, and it felt impossible to turn down. I had already booked my LA to London flight en route to Menorca, so logistically, it did not make a lot of sense nor did it make me feel proud of my carbon footprint, but I am so glad I went.
I kind of wish I had booked a couple of months in Buenos Aires, using it as a base to travel to Patagonia, Chile and Uruguay, as I could easily see myself falling into the rhythm of daily life in the area, especially as there were so many nice markets and butcher shops that it would have been fun to cook. Maybe next year.
Mendoza completely surprised me. I didn’t know what to expect so it definitely exceeded expectations, but it was beautiful, albeit very hot, and I learned a lot about wine and the various regions. The food was really good—so many wineries had thoughtful restaurants with elaborate and enviable vegetable gardens and were just so stunning. And yes, while there was a lot of meat and food as Argentines are much like Persians in that they want you to feel welcomed, which translates into presenting you with a lot of food, there was also a lot of vibrant, sweet tomatoes and juicy peaches as it was summer season there.
One day went to the Andes for a day hike—it was very hot and I got very sunburned—and it was incredible to be out there with only cows and wild horses grazing and condors flying overhead. The water coming down from the mountain was so cold, clean and clear that I literally cupped it in my hands and drank from it—something I’ve never done before. As our guide explained when she told us it was safe to drink from, if the horses drink it, then you know it’s clean, trusting in the intuitive knowing of animals. (It’s been over a week, and I feel good so far!) It was also very helpful to douse ourselves in as it was so hot. But mostly I just showed up and went where I was told, which was nice for a change to have to do zero research. Leslie has great taste, so I was in good hands and both ate and drank exceptionally well.
Rather than calling the below info a “guide”, I like to think of it more as the list I would send if you texted me, “Hey! I’m going to Buenos Aires, any favorite spots?” Plus a few tips that I learned.
Selfishly, it helps me to organize my recommendations and thoughts as this newsletter is what I will forward to anyone who asks in the future, thus saving me time. I hope it’s helpful for you, your friends and family, if you happen to be going to this wonderful country or please share if you have other recommendations as I know I have not hit everything in this short visit (there’s also a lot of history that has influenced the cuisine and regions, which I’m not getting into but that was also very interesting to learn about). It’s also not an all-encompassing list about Argentina as I’ve only been lucky enough to visit Buenos Aires and Mendoza, nor is it a full list of everything that’s possible to do in these places, just where I went. Okay, enough disclaimers! (Yes, I am scared about getting yelled at by the internet.)
At the end of the list, there’s also some other book + travel recommendations plus two new NYT recipes (gift links), if you want to give them a try!
Here’s where I ate + stayed in Palermo, during the six days I was there. While I did some exploring, a lot of the time between meals was spent in cafes working, which I love doing in different cities, so I didn’t really go farther than a one-hour walking distance from where I was staying. There are some beautiful parks in the city, which I highly recommend visiting. Lots of running paths, too, and one park has a huge path around it, if you’re a runner.
Restaurants
There were also so many more cute wine bars, coffee shops and cafes, I wish I had had time to visit them all. Next time!
El Preferido Palermo: This came recommended by two friends, and it was lovely. There’s usually a long wait for inside (because of air conditioning), even if you go early by Argentine standards of 7:30/8 pm like I did, there was an hour and a half wait. The Neapolitan Milanese, tomato carpaccio, morcilla sausage and baked rice were all delicious. The baked fish was good, but I wouldn’t say you need to get it unless you wanted something super light and needed a break from meat.
La Alacena: A wonderful Italian restaurant I went to for lunch, the meat carpaccio with zucchini was fantastic.
La Carniceria: More modern steakhouse for Parilla. Cute place and good music.
Siamo nel Forno: Neapolitan pizza with outdoor seating. Very good, simple but nice.
Las Flores: A beautiful cafe with great pastries, breakfast, lunch and courtyard area. I only went for breakfast, lunch and coffee to go but I think they have dinner, too.
Oli: A cute and buzzy cafe for breakfast and lunch with outdoor seating.
Salavaje Bakery: I went for breakfast, super cute and tiny with good coffee/bread, and they also do wine in the evenings.
El limon: Cocktail bar
Tres monos: Cocktail bar (Thank you Aaron for the rec!)
Obrador Florida + Finde: Both for gelato/ice cream.
Casa Munay: I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for hippie-style vegetarian restaurants. This is not going to blow your mind, but it was a nice place for a rice bowl with vegetables.
Other Stores/Things to do
Flore: Cute little store to buy nice yogurt and also “wellness” things. Very pretty and well-curated, likely where I would spend a lot of my money for no good reason.
Cualquier Verdura: a wonderful little market with organic vegetables and products (on the same street as Las Flores).
Musee Nacional de Bellas Artes: A free museum near the park that has some lovely Rodin pieces as well as others. It was not very crowded and nice to just walk in and out of a museum without having to wait in line or pay.
Mercado de las Pulgas: Maybe it’s vintage, maybe it’s just a lot of stuff to sort through, but there was a ton of furniture, old typewriters and little knickknacks.
Papelera Contemporanea: A really cute paper store with great cards and wrapping paper and a whole lot of other stuff that I wish I could have brought back with me.
Emilia Zeta: Handmade local pottery store that has lots of cute bowls, pitchers and other things to buy. They also make the penguin-shaped pitchers that are commonly found in Argentina. They might be a really touristy thing to buy, but I bought two and think they are super cute. They were originally used for wine or sangria from what I heard, but I will use one to hold my wooden spoons and spatulas in Menorca.
Where I Stayed
The first leg I stayed at CasaSur Palermo, which was a cute, simple boutique hotel with really lovely staff. There are a couple of others in the city. I really wanted to stay at Jardin Escondido, but it was booked. And then I stayed at an Airbnb the second leg as I knew which area I wanted to stay in, and it was much less expensive. I will say Feb was very hot and humid with intense mosquitos that would bite me while I walking, so I think March might be a better time of year.
Overall Travel Tips
The international airport is EZE which is 45 minutes to an hour away, depending on where you are staying. If you’re flying locally, then AEP is on the water’s edge, so about 15 to 20 minutes from Palermo and super convenient and quick. There are Ubers and also Cabify as well as taxis but not all take credit cards. Cash is a tricky thing, and this might all change by the time you get there, so I would likely ask your hotel or Airbnb host what’s best. Most places take card and, when I was there, it was close to the “blue” rate, which is less than the official rate. Cash is really needed for taxis, market/farmers market stalls and restaurant tips as 10% is a thoughtful addition, but also not required. But most places take credit card. Overall, it’s better to take out cash in the US and then exchange it with someone recommended by your hotel/airport vs. an official place, but I think it’s technically illegal to recommend that, so I’m not recommending it… ATMs there will let you take out a small amount and charge a high fee, so it doesn’t really make sense to do that. But, with their new President, things are changing so best to do a bit of research before going.
Recommendations
ESims: I recently discovered the genius of these as my Verizon plan charges me $10 a day in most countries, which really adds up. I use AirHub for Europe and Airalo for Argentina, both are great. Though sometimes I’ve had a couple oddities with the AirHub esim not connecting to the carrier, but their customer service chat is super fast and they’ve just sent me a brand new one and then I’ve had no issues.
Yoga Travel Mat: I’ve had my Manduka travel mat for over 10 years. It’s really thin, foldable but has great grip. Sometimes I get lazy and don’t bring it, using a large towel on the floor, but it isn’t the same, especially if you don’t have a rug. I like being able to throw down a mat anywhere to practice, whether my own or doing online classes from Kula Yoga Project.
Recent Books: The Japanese Lover–loved! I started and finished it on the plane ride back as I couldn’t put it down (it was also a long flight). Motorcycle Diaries and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow I also read recently. Really enjoyed them both even though they are very different. The first was wonderful to read while traveling as it captures the spirit of adventure, even though our travel circumstances were very different. The latter was centered around gaming, which other than a lot of Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt when I was little, I don’t have a lot of knowledge about, but I still found it really interesting.
Recipes: Two new ones on NYT Cooking—hope you enjoy!
Have a great weekend! xx
Hi Jasmin - I just finished reading your cookbook "Keeping it Simple" and I liked it so much I looked around for some more info on you and came across your blog. Now I know why I felt good vibes from your book. . . I'm also a world nomad! Currently living in Chile, so I was very interested in your thoughts on Mendoza and BA, but in the middle of the piece, it takes a jump and gives tips on Palermo! Maybe now that your new cookbook is out (already bought it) you have time to find your actual Argentina tips and insert them here :-)