Luján de Cuyo, Argentina

Last night I was thinking about today and plans. I was reflecting on my wine tasting experience and how it wasn’t quite how I had imagined my experience in Mendoza would be. I had looked forward to this destination from the start, so I resolved that I would try an find a day tour even if it broke the budget. I woke up about 8am and messaged a bike tour I had read about last night. Martin’s bike tours could fit me on the full day tour if I could get to the starting point. It felt like fate so I dressed and ate quickly before getting a taxi to Luján de cuyo. I made it, 20minutes late but it wasn’t a issue. Martin was leading the tour and I was joined by 2 friendly Americans. With the sun shining as we set off on our bikes, I was already feeling great about my impulsive decision. Our first winery was actually one I visited on Tuesday, Weinart, but I had a completely different experience. This time we tried 4 wines, all different from the first visit. Apparently the winemaker tastes a few each day and only a little, so once open they are left for the visitors to sample as part of tastings. It is pot luck as to what you try. They were all tasty but I preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon. The final taste came from a fifth bottle that the lady pulled from underneath the bar, now I don’t know if it was that pot luck helping, she liked us or I am now viewed as a regular but she poured us a taste of the Malbec 1977. The first production, one of the 300 remaining, such an honour. It tasted great, a little strange to someone who is used to newer wines but I was buzzing from the experience. Our next vineyard was about 6km away, and cycling was a little harder! Scenery was fabulous though, with vines on one side and mountains behind. This was a smaller producer, Carmelo Patti, who believes in ageing more in the bottle than the cask and did a lot of the bottle finishing process by hand. We tasted a Malbec 2013, which has won numerous commendations and they have sold out of the production (it was my favourite). Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and then a blend called Gran assemblage 2008 which is 47%cab sav, 25% malbec, 19% merlot & 9% cab franc. I have also noted that their Cabernet franc 2013 has just won a top award so will be looking out for that on my travels. I really loved all their wines and felt it was a shame I couldn’t buy any but they have given me a UK importers details for when I am home and have some money. We continued on our journey to our final winery and lunch stop, Nieto Senetiner. I hadn’t realised a top lunch was included, and our mini empanadas followed by Asado Lomo (steak fillet) was out of this world. Oh yes, unlimited wine as well. We had a white semillion with the empanadas followed by a Malbec and then a Bonarda. I had never heard of this heavier wine but it was delicious. Our dessert of plums stewed in…..yes, Malbec! was accompanied by a port type Malbec called Last Harvest as it is made with mature fruit. This is going on the list as well of ones to find when I get home. We then had the tasting….it is all a little blurry now, we had a C******nay 2015, a Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 & a Malbec 2013 and all I can say is they were nice but I preferred the lunch choices I’ve mentioned. We are all a little wobbly as we cycle back towards the bike shop. Our last stop is at a family store who make chutneys,jams, liquors and after a few samples we finished the day on a shot of absinthe!!! We all got back safely and Martin kindly dropped me back at the house. It was a truly memorable day that epitomised everything I hoped to experience in Mendoza.

Mendoza, Argentina

Today is a bit of a lazy start as I get chatting to Javier over breakfast. He is suggesting a trip to the Andes on Thursday or Friday would be good. It sounds like a worthwhile trip, as I am not taking the route on the bus like most do to Santiago. As for today though, I am going to explore more of the city. I genuinely have lost my sense of direction, it seems to be taking me 4 or 5 attempts to find places which is frustrating given the simple grid system the city is structured in. I eventually manage to walk through each of the 4 Plazas that surround Plaza Independencia – Espana, Chile, Italia and of course San Martin which is unfortunately under construction hoarding. San Martin used Mendoza as his strategic base for his Andes Army which after winning Argentina its independence went on to march over the Andes to support Chille in their victory. The flag of the army is kept in Mendoza but for some reason the memorial is closed despite the sign stating it should be open. I walk to the information office in a nearby building that has a roof terrace where to can see panoramic views of the city and the Andes, great view. Definitely decide to do the trip into the Andes as the mountains look amazing. I continue to Bernard O Higgins park and around a few architectural sites, including the home of San Martin. I feel I have walked my feet off today, mainly going the wrong way but I manage to get back to the house with a few groceries for dinner. I spent a nice evening with two Israeli girls watching old Friends episodes, still make me laugh.

Luján de Cuyo, Argentina

I woke late this morning to rain and hailstones outside. Javier was in the kitchen and keen to help me figure out what I could do during my stay. With this weather I figured wine tasting would be perfect and booked on a late afternoon tour. I used the time before to orient myself with the city despite a grey and drizzly sky. The city was completely rebuilt post an earthquake in 1927 and has largely low rise structures either side of wide roads. It is a really green and has a large Plaza Independencia in the heart of the city. Tour picked up at 2.30pm and drove a little way out to Lujàn de Cuyo. First stop was Weinert winery and as I was one of only three English speakers (a South African couple) we got our own tour guide. We learnt about how both red and white grapes are crushed and then fermented in large concrete vats before being aged in oak barrels. They have a amazing old cellar that dates back to 1890. The time in the cask varies by grape variety and also how long they expect the wine to be stored in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for longer than Malbec. Weinert are particularly proud of their first production, a 1977 Malbec with only 300 still stored in the private cellar. The 1994 Malbec was also a good year for them and it is still in the barrels improving. We tasted a Carrascal Malbec 2012 and a 2007 Merlot. Both were good, not anything outstanding and surprisingly I preferred the Merlot, which is unlike me! The next stop was Pasrai, who make olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, raisins and skin care. I hadn’t appreciated how much more farming industry there was here. Whilst they make 70% of the country’s wine they also produce lots of soft fruit. It is all pretty tasty and I buy some tomato paste and chocolate covered raisins. Our final stop is Don Arturo winery, which is a much smaller family run operation. The machinery is smaller and there are more manual processes so the whole lifecycle from harvest to saleable bottle will take around a year rather than a potential 4 months by a larger operation. Here we tried a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec, before then trying their premium Malbec Roble which I obviously preferred. By now it is dark but as we head back to the city we stop at the church of Santa Marie who the farmers worship and thank for their crops. The church also has part of the original building within it that survived the earthquake. The South African couple, Tessa and Rod invite me to join them for dinner so I get off with them at their hotel and we enjoy a lovely Italian restaurant. They wouldn’t let me pay, saying they had both travelled and wanted to treat me which I thought was really lovely of them. It is late by the time I get home and with the boozy afternoon I sleep well.

Mendoza, Argentina

After the excitement of yesterday, I woke up feeling a little less in love with BA. I had a random FaceTime call from Amber and her school friend that made me laugh. Turns out she called a bunch of Louise’s friends including her boss. I had negotiated a late checkout at the hotel so I caught up on some Spanish and changed my passwords on my key apps. After checkout I decided to head towards Santa Fae to see if it was worth buying a new SIM card. It was only 30pesos so for less than £2 I figured it would be useful the guy even loaded it for me so there was no hassle. I walked towards Recoleta where I heard my favourite empanadas from La Cocina calling my name, once I had demolished two it seemed rude not to follow with my favourite ice cream. At Rapa Nui I tried a few flavours but the best was one called Marquis which was a caramel/brownie dense chocolate one. It was amazing! Once back at the hotel I grabbed my bags and got a taxi to the airport. On check in I had 17.5kg, and after all my stressing the attendant didn’t even flinch just put the ticket on it and sent it on its way. Meanwhile I am lugging all my shoes and heavy stuff in my carry on round the airport. The flight is progressively getting more and more delayed, with me now hoping it just leaves regardless of time. I get talking to a German guy called Roman who suggests exiting the airport to get some food. This turns out to be a great idea due to the continuing delay until we finally leave 3 hours late. Well, I did book with the budget airline. I arrive late to my hostel but get a really warm welcome from Javier. My room is huge, there are only 5 in the whole place and it is well laid out. We do all share one bathroom though which could be interesting. I pretty much just crash out as soon as my head hits the pillow, definitely been a long day.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Today felt a bit like a **** sandwich, you know where there is good either side of a bad bit. It started well, packed up the flat into the case again which takes as long as you allow it! I tried to be ruthless as the airline limit tomorrow is 15kg and I arrived with 20kg. I am not sure I have cleared 5kg, so I think wearing heavy clothes will be needed. I tidy up the apartment and leave the keys, shutting the door for the last time. Definitely ready to travel again but have enjoyed my life in Buenos Aires. I wheel my case for about 15minutes and check into Epicorecoleta hotel. Nice hotel and my room has a bath, such a treat I shall look forward to a good soak later. This afternoon I am meeting Sarah and Inka to look round San Telmo and El Zanjons, which is a old house. Quickest route is via the subte line to Independencia, this is where Justin and I stayed so it is nice to be back in the old neighbourhood. Now for the bad part, I exit the tube and I am on the wrong side of 9 de Julio so I check my phone and wait to cross the street. Whilst I can remember it clearly it was probably pretty fast, a person on a motorbike sped past, snatching the phone as he went. I managed to shout but then watched him go in disbelief, you just don’t expect it and I was really angry, gutted all at the same time. It’s hard to know what to do after it happens, I figured the Police would just log it and I couldn’t magic it back. I went on to meet the girls, ranting to myself all the way. I wasn’t hurt, all the info would be on the iCloud and as long as the phone locked it would be pretty useless to them. Sarah and Inka were lovely, but I figured it shouldn’t stop our day and we entered El Zanjons. El Zanjons is a really unusual house. The street it’s on was once a small river—the zanjón, or gorge, of the property’s name—where the first, unsuccessful attempt to found Buenos Aires took place in 1536. When the property’s current owner decided to develop what was then a run-down conventillo, he began to discover all sorts of things beneath it: pottery and cutlery, the foundations of past constructions, and a 500-foot network of tunnels that has taken over 20 years to excavate. These were once used to channel water, but like the street itself, they were sealed after San Telmo’s yellow-fever outbreaks. The original affluent owner who built this house in 1830 constructed it over the river like his neighbours so the river became enclosed creating the tunnels. The owner sold it only 20 years later as they became afraid of the yellow fever and moved to Recoleta. It was interesting to see the restored house and explore the tunnels beneath the streets of San Telmo. We wandered through the market as we left, pausing to feast on choripan and visit the Illuminated block which is another old building in the area. It was dark by the time I caught the Subte home but lovely to see some of the historic buildings lit up at night. Ended the day with that lovely soak in the bath I had promised myself!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I had pre booked a ticket to go inside the Casa Rosada. This is the pink coloured building where the President of Argentina has his government. This building has seen many famous speeches from its balcony, to the crowds in the Plaza de Mayo. I was keen to get inside and have a look. The building was apparently a fort that then had the palace next to it, until they decided to bring it together. It was also by the river when the fort was built, now the river is a good 2km away. We had a good tour, seeing several plush rooms and also more simple ones that are offices. There is even a elevator for the single floor which features a comfy velvet seat in case the ride is too strenuous. We even got to stand on one of the balconies to see what addressing the masses would feel like! The tour was about an hour and after, I popped into the museum Casa Rosada. The museum wasn’t very interesting but for one piece. They have the first mural painted in Argentina. A mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros. He was a Mexican communist in the 1930s who was exiled and then started annoying the Argentinian Politicians. The house he stayed in belonged to a wealthy man who asked him to paint a non political mural in his basement in lieu of rent. The resulting mural has since been cut out of the basement and is now housed in this museum. It is meant to be viewed laying on the floor, where you view a s celebration of woman. It is as if you are in a tunnel with women of different ages swimming past or standing on the tunnel. Really great work, very interesting. This evening I caught up with a German friend from school, Inka. We found a great little steak place in Palermo and enjoyed an evening of griddled cheese, steak and of course Malbec!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Today is the last day of Spanish classes and I have mixed feelings. I am grateful to be taking a break from the challenge of learning a language but really like my classmates and tutor. There are 3 of us leaving this week, so class will be very different next week. It’s a good time to leave as if I stayed much longer I think I would struggle to leave the comfort and familiarity of Buenos Aires. We complete class with the usual vigour and maté drinking practice. We said our goodbyes, big hugs particularly to Julian, he has been a fun teacher. I even got another certificate! Rachel and I head to lunch and then to the Japanese gardens for a stroll this afternoon. I wasn’t that impressed with them, they were nicely landscaped and well maintained but I was expecting an oasis of tranquility which they weren’t. I had arranged to meet Jay and Pierre-Henri for drinks this evening, by way of a end of school celebration. We hang out in Palermo near the Plaza Serrano at the Valk tap rooms. They do a plethora of craft beers, and I particularly enjoyed a few Honey beers.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Time to see the show that broke my budget! I catch a bus down to Luna park and head into the arena. I have a standing ticket, and the performance is supposed to interact with the crowd. I am not sure what to expect but hopefully it is worth it! The show is based around the music of a Argentinian band, Soda Stereo. Basically, the concept of the show is a science fiction story where there is a planet, which is basically Soda, where things are inspired by the songs and how people who live on that planet are inspired by the lyrics. This is all woven around some world class acts and performance art. The show is fantastic and it showcases the brave and the strange acts. From the traditional acrobatics, a lady spinning on a rope by her hair, a song performed underwater in a tank all the way to skipping tricks. It grabbed and held my attention throughout. I think what elevated it for me was the music, and the fact that the crowd knew the words. They were real fans, so lots of singing and jumping about to the high energy ones. I just went along with whatever they were doing but enjoyed the music too. Hugely fantastic evening! I am now addicted to the song ‘De Música Ligera’ and a couple of others. Bit about the band: (who in Argentina sold out a stadium faster than Robbie Williams) Soda Stereo is an argentinian rock band that was formed in Buenos Aires in 1982 by Gustavo Cerati (voice and guitar), Hector “Zeta” Bosio (bass) and Charly Alberti (drums). Pioneer of the “rock in spanish” movement in the 80´s, it is considered the most influential and significant band in Latin America, with audience attendance and album selling records throughout it´s career. Soda was known for it´s innovative nature and for risk taking at all times, maintaining massive popularity along the way. They broke up in 1997 and ten years later they reunited for a successful tour with more than one million tickets sold.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The guys at school have decided that practicing having maté is the only way for us to acquire a taste for it, so they are preparing and passing it round each lesson. It is rude to decline, and you should not say thank you until you have had enough. As you are passed the cup and bombesha, you suck until there is no liquid left and then pass back to the server. I can deal with drinking it now, but not loving it yet! It is a drizzly day in BA, and as I work out my plans for my last few days it seems a good day to head to the fine arts museum. I have low expectations since visiting the one in Santiago, but it is free and gets good reviews. Rachel from school is keen to come as well, so after class we head up towards the museum. We have lunch near where I live and enjoy a tasty spinach & cheese warm tart with mint lemonade. A short stroll along Av. Libertardor and we can enter the grand (slightly pink) museum. I actually really enjoyed the visit, spending nearly 2 hours here. There are a good range of European classics, section of modern art but also some classic Latin American artists whose names I have become more familiar with. It was well worth the visit and the rain has stopped by the time we leave.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I have been meaning to go to the Konex cultural centre and see the show La bomba de tiempo for a few weeks. It is on every Monday and feels like something that is on every tourist list. La bomba de tiempo is a group who play drums and percussion, about 10 in total. There are a few from Spanish school heading down tonight and also Wilfred as it is his last night before flying home. The night starts at 8pm and the performance is very varied and high energy. The crowd enjoy dancing around the outdoor stage and everyone seems to have a good evening!