Feliz Navidad 2010

BA's obelisk as Christmas tree

All is calm, all is quiet . . . finally! Last week was hectic in Buenos Aires, as inhabitants wrapped up business and school activities and prepared to head to the beach or the mountains for summer vacations. Traffic is now down to a minimum; the constant horn-honking piles of cars, trucks, and motorcycles backed up for blocks is gone and in its place is heavenly peace and quiet. "Muy tranqui," as the porteños say.

Much of the activity in the streets seems to have revolved around the wine business. Wine deliveries to the wine stores, wine purchases at the wine stores, wine deliveries from the wine stores. We experienced this first hand at our favorite wine store right around the corner from our apartment: la Cava de Vittorio Enoteca, where Kurt had been helping our friend Eduardo Molteno cope with the holiday rush. Lots of physical as well as mental exercise: running up and down the stairs to fill orders, packing up gift boxes and bags, making deliveries both in our neighborhood and further afield (in rush hour traffic and worse), and assisting English-speaking tourists with their wine selections. And all this in record heat of 33 to 34 degrees celsius. 

On the terrace for the fireworks:
Stella, Curt, Linda, Kurt, Caron
(photo by Eduardo!)

Eduardo and his wife Stella joined us for Christmas Eve dinner at the rental apartment, along with our good-natured guests Curtis and Caron Seebaldt, the latter a classmate of Kurt's from Balboa High in the Panama Canal Zone back in the days.

We grilled a few kilos of great steaks and sausages and Eduardo served up some of his excellent wares, including one of our favorites, the delicious tannat-malbec spumante from Familia Perulan, a small bodega from Mendoza. Feliz fiesta indeed!