San Telmo #4: browsing bric-a-brac

I've probably reminisced enough about San Telmo. I've told you about the lively weekend Feria de San Telmo that takes over Plaza Dorrego and floods Defensa street with a sea of people, and the marvelous Mercado de San Telmo where you must go and eat. But I want to tell you two more things. Apart from the delicious fresh food and colourful eateries, the mercado is home to compelling stalls crammed with bric-a-brac and tango memorabilia and cluttered shops trading in antiques and collectibles, vintage clothes and accessories, and all sorts of other fascinating curios. A 1940s Argentine movie poster, an original Carlos Gardel record, or a cobalt blue seltzer bottle, perhaps? As engaging as the shopping is - and you can while away hours here - you mustn't forget to look up at the skylights and admire the wrought-iron detail. The wonderful building, dating back to 1897, was designed by Juan Antonio Buschiazzo, an Italian-born architect who also created the ornate Recoletta Cemetery. What is it about that combination of atmospheric shopping and old architecture that is so appealing when we we travel?