Mafalda, the beloved Argentine cartoon character with a quirky sense of humor and grand curiosity for the world, sits on a bench in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of San Telmo, waiting for you to visit. Joaquín Salvador Lavado, or “Quino”, began his career from an early age, and in 1964 the cartoonist drew Mafalda, the Argentine girl known worldwide for her questions about the world. Through Mafalda’s inquisitions and perceptions, Quino expressed his ideas about age, alluding to Argentine reality. Despite having been written only up until 1970, a large part of the current strips still remain relevant to culture nowadays. Today, she is considered a cultural heritage symbol of Buenos Aires. [caption id="attachment_6131" align="alignnone" width="640"]Mafalda graces the Peru subte station. Mafalda graces the Peru subte station. source[/caption]  

The admiration for the character is so great that a 80cm grinning statue of the girl sitting on a bench was installed in August 2009, near the house where the artist lived. People around the world stand in line to take a picture next to her, and the artwork, by Pablo Irrgang, is located in the heart of San Telmo. This bohemian neighborhood and alternative scene of Buenos Aires is also birthplace of tango and where you can find a plethora of the best tango show houses such as the Querandi Tango, Tango Ventana and El Viejo Almacen.

[caption id="attachment_6133" align="alignnone" width="640"]Mafalda statue in San Telmo neighborhood Mafalda statue in San Telmo neighborhood / source[/caption]

It was in San Telmo where Quino lived in the 1960s and was where she was born. The statue of Mafalda is on the corner of Defensa and Chile, and her house is close to Chile 371. Besides the statue, there are two murals with strips of Mafalda in the historic Plaza de Mayo, as well as stamped throughout the Peru subte station. If you’re not currently in Buenos Aires, she even has a devoted fan base on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, following the hashtag #FRASESMAFALDA. Be sure to pay her a visit when you are travelling here!