The Parks of Palermo: El Rosedal

During my recent jaunt to Buenos Aires, I had a chance to spend a delightful Sunday afternoon at El Rosedal (the Rose Garden), one of the beautiful parks in the barrio of Palermo. El Rosedal forms part of the 62-acre Parque Tres de Febrero, an oasis of green and relative calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Though winter is nearly upon us here in the southern hemisphere, there were still many lovely roses in bloom as well as a few butterflies flitting about. The holiday weekend preceding El Día de la Patria combined with unseasonably warm temperatures brought many families out to enjoy a bit of sunshine and fresh air.

As I sat beneath an expansive pergola enjoying the picnic lunch I'd brought with me, couples floated past in colorful paddleboats on the artificial lake known as the Lago de Palermo. Children attempted to scale a massive gomero (rubber tree), as their parents looked on from a few feet away, cameras poised to catch just the right moment. An old man who ambled by with a cane paused to cup a frilly musk rose in his hand and inhale the heady aroma.

The park's atmosphere was vibrant and alive, and I was glad I made time for a visit. After all, we should all stop and smell the roses once in a while.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from El Rosedal:

[A hungry butterfly snacking on some salvia nectar]

[Deep pink roses in full bloom]

[An autumn afternoon in Buenos Aires]

[One of the many benches where you can sit and take it all in]

[The beauty of the rose unfolds.]

If you'd like to see more photos of Buenos Aires' best-loved rose garden, click here to view my entire set on Flickr.