26 October 2008

To the Andes

Earlier this spring (i.e., the end of September for those of us in the southern hemisphere), we headed out to explore more of the Argentine interior. It was Kurt's first-ever spring birthday, and we decided to celebrate in San Martin de los Andes.

The town is located on the banks of Lago Lacar, one of several mountain lakes protected within Lanin National Park. We did some sight-seeing around the region, including on Lakes Huechulafquen and Epulafquen, where the water is so clean and clear that you can't help but try a taste. Snow-capped mountains, rushing waterfalls, recent (500 years ago) lava flows, old growth forests, and lots more. 

Kurt had the most fun, though, grilling at Cabanas Arco Iris, the cozy complex where we stayed. Our building in Buenos Aires has no such facilities, so Kurt made up for lost time in San Martin. Arco Iris backs up to a fast-flowing mountain arroyo; what a pleasure to sit outside and listen to the music of the rushing waters while savoring a nice wine and anticipating some great Argentine beef. 

We'll be heading back to San Martin in the summer (i.e., end of December) with son Joey and daughter Belen. In the meantime, we've got photos to relive the expedition.

22 October 2008

Recent Events

Sunday the 19th was Mother's Day here in Argentina. All the flower vendors on Santa Fe (the big avenue a half block from our apartment) had their stalls open for the occasion. Linda celebrated by cooking the indigenous mountain potatoes she'd discovered at the grocery. The tag explained these "papas andinas," orginally cultivated by the Incas, were still grown at altitudes in excess of 2,000 meters. This particular batch was from Jujuy. Linda cooked them with sliced white onion and then added butter, blue cheese, and tarragon. We found them quite tasty, with a flavor between white potatoes and acorn squash.

Not so enjoyable is the continuing unfolding of financial disaster around the world. As recent retirees, we're quite anxious. We wonder how much of our savings will remain, whether the 401k will ever recover, what's next in the global rout. The Argentines are much more sanguine about developments, even though President Cristina Fernandez (no relation) plans to renationalize employee pension funds, a decision that's exacerbating market instability here. People we talk to say they've been through financial meltdown (in 2001), and things will return to normal. Maybe so . . . or maybe we should consider cultivating indigenous potatoes.

16 October 2008

About that European Vacation . . .

In late July we headed off for a wonderful 6-week excursion of Europe via train, from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Adriatic and Mediterranean in the south to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.  (It's taken almost as long for Linda to sort through the photos, figure out Picassa, and upload the best of the tour!) Following are our itinerary, some notes on the trip, and a visual summary.

July 30-August 11: Sweden 
Sight-seeing in Stockholm, where Linda's sister Judy, brother-in-law Claes, and nephew Edward live, boat excursion through the archipelago, trip to the country house in Ekeby. Plus, we get a chance to visit with Swedish friends Peter and Dragana, who returned to Stockholm from Austin earlier in the year. Other highlights of the visit: great meals, compliments of Chef Claes; mushroom hunting in Ekeby with supersleuth Judy; and the grand show at Europe Pride 2008, organized and directed by Edward.

August 11: Copenhagen
From Stockholm we train south in the first leg of our Eurail adventure. On the suggestion of our friendly reservation agent in Sweden, we've built in a 7-hour layover in Copenhagen that allows us to explore a small part of Denmark's capital.
From there, we take the night train to Munich, Germany, sharing a sleeping compartment of 6 "couchettes" with an Italian set designer and her Swedish daughter and a Palestinian man. Lots of talk about food from around the world and about politics. Universal thumbs down for Bush.

August 12: Verona
A quick connection in Munich in the morning, and less than 6 hours later we're in Verona, Italy, where another 7-hour layover gives us the opportunity to check out the ancient town that served as a setting for several Shakespearian plays. We see the house of Juliet and find our way back through the maze of narrow medieval streets to the train station. From there, we catch the night train -- this time with our own private sleeping compartment -- to Brindisi, in the very southern tip of Italy.

August 13-27: Puglia
We stay practically on the Mediterranean in Campomarino with the Mazzas (mother Adriana, Grandmother Nona, and sons Nico, Roberto, and Gianluca), second family for our daughter Belen. She and son Joey join us for 2 weeks of sunshine, swimming, cheap wine and fantastic food, and good times with the Mazzas and their aunts, uncles, and cousins. We visit Oria, where Frederick the Great built a fortress during the Crusades; Manduria, where convenient pump tanks offer your choice of Primitivo or Negro Amaro; and Marrugio, for pizza and open-air Tarantella concert.

Starting on the final leg of our trip, we're put on the train in Brindisi by Gianluca and Belen and then met at Rome's Termini station by Roberto. A great conclusion to the Italian tour, capped off by the private sleeper to Bern, Switzerland. There, a short 2-hour layover in the early morning is just enough time to get a feel for this city. Then we're off on the high-speed train to Paris, ooh-ing and aah-ing at the countryside and towns.

August 28-September 4: Paris
We stay at a comfy apartment in the 3rd Arrondissement, within walking distance of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, and hundreds of eating establishments. We take a boat tour on the Seine and a one-day excursion by train to St. Malo on the Normandy coast (definitely a place to come back to.) 

What a great trip!

14 October 2008

Two Votes for the World

Kurt just got back from dropping off our early absentee ballots at the U.S. Embassy for shipment via diplomatic pouch. (We can vote only for presidential and congressional races since we live abroad, hence the Xs through the state and local contests.) Although we've grown increasingly cynical about the democratic process, we decided to vote for those who can't. Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes in a book entitled Contra Bush suggests that all peoples of the world should be allowed to vote for the U.S. President since his power, used wisely or not, touches everyone. The universal fallout from the financial Chernobyl ignited in the U.S. certainly makes a compelling argument to support this idea. 

10 October 2008

If It's Spring, It's Time to Nest

The new furniture we ordered here in Buenos Aires finally arrived and the apartment is looking more and more like a home than a work in progress. The mattress is now up off the floor (for which we give thanks) and storage units (bookcase, buffet, bedside table) are filled. The dining table required special handling, a need that only became apparent after the delivery crew had twice lugged it up the stairs, trying two different orientations without success. Elevators in these old building are generally too small for large items; sometimes other eccentricities also prevent delivery. In our case, the stairwell curve to the landing on the third floor (where we live) is 5 centimeters narrower than on the previous floors. That's all it takes.

Fortunately, there's always air delivery. A special crew was dispatched to haul the piece in through the balcony off the dining room. Piece of cake, they said, before heading off for the next job: an air delivery up to the 31st floor of a downtown highrise. 

The balcony, having served a functional purpose, has been returned to its decorative uses. Just today we made urban gardens of it and its companion off the living room, each with four hanging planters filled with flowers. "Alegria" is their name in Spanish (or Castellano, as the Argentines say) - "joy" in English. A nice name.