SUNDAY TRIP 1 (LUJÁN & BASILICA)

Our trip started very early on Sunday morning. Marlou and I were picked up by our friends Fabi and Lucas at 9.30 am. There was just enough time for a small breakfast and to quickly pack my bag.

Why do I always take so much stuff with me? 😆

We left Buenos Aires and drove about an hour west to the charming city of Luján, the most important place of pilgrimage in the country.

Many Argentine highways (autopistas) charge a toll fee. The price depends on the size of the vehicle. Payment can be made via an electronic card on the windshield or in cash. We paid in cash. The woman at the counter didn't look very friendly.

The city of Luján has just over 67,000 residents and is located in the flat pampa area on the Río Luján, which flows into the Río de la Plata at Tigre.

Like almost all tourists, we only came for the beautiful basilica of Luján. It was built between 1887 and 1930 and is the largest and most important building in the city.

In the middle of the huge forecourt is a monument dedicated to Manuel Belgrano, an Argentine lawyer, politician, and general. Among other things, he designed the Argentine flag.

A mass was just being held when we entered the basilica, which is even more beautiful inside.

Argentina has a lot of strays. I became particularly aware of this during our visit to the basilica, where many were sleeping on the cold floor, safe from the burning sun outside.

As far as I can tell, most of them are accepted and even fed from the local people. Some look like they actually have a home and a collar, others have wild fur and bad injuries. It always breaks my heart to see these poor little puppies. 😰

After we left the basilica, we walked to a nearby park. There wasn't much to see or do, so we went back to the car and drove to our next destination: the pulperia in San Antonio de Areco.

But I will tell you more about that in my next post, part 2 of our Sunday trip ...Read more