Now in Buenos Aires

The Best of Buenos Aires

2011-09-03T12:21:00.001-03:00

Congress building

After 99 posts and three-plus years of chronicling our adventures from the Paris of the South, Now in Buenos Aires comes to a close. We leave with a tribute to our adopted city of selected photos we took from our first visit in June 2006 to our departure in August 2011.

The subjects range from the barrios around us to the art and architecture that pervade them to the public "discussions" of issues to the every day rituals of life. Please enjoy.

And please follow us to our new blog, Now Somewhere Else.

1. Favorite neighborhoods

Monuments in the cemetery

Linda at Palermo's Plaza Italia

Recoleta, the neighborhood in which we lived, derives its name from the famous cemetery in its midst, five blocks up the street from our apartment. MORE PHOTOS HERE.

Palermo, a sprawling series of urban villages, is well known for its parks. MORE HERE.

Puerto Madero, recently renovated, still retains the flavor of the old port despite the growing number of high rises. MORE.

Puente de la Mujer in Puerto Madero

Kurt at the entrance to Chinatown

Tango en San Telmo

Chinatown is technically a part of Belgrano, but the 4-square block neighborhood has its own distinctive flavor.

The Chinese supermarkets there stock an incredible variety of items, including home-made US-style oatmeal raisin cookies.

San Telmo, the oldest part of Buenos Aires, is famous for its Sunday antique and flea market. But the open-air tango performance was always our favorite feature.

Palacio de Aguas Corrientes

2. Art & Architecture
Incredible attention to detail for us defines the glory of Buenos Aires. One example: the Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, built and assembled in England and then taken apart, each piece numbered, and shipped to Buenos Aires for reassembling. MORE EXAMPLES HERE.

Sidewalk memorial to victims
of the Dirty War

3. Public Comment
Porteños are not reticent about making their opinions known. Graffiti is everywhere, protest marches are common, and memorials to famous citizens, fallen comrades, and inspirational heroes abound. MORE.

4. Daily Scenes
A few snapshots from la vida cotidiana below and HERE.

Chau chau besos.

Young bandonista in San Telmo

Chau Chau Besos

2011-08-26T21:47:00.003-03:00

Sunny, of Las Hormiguitas,
waves goodbye

High "V's" with Rocky from Los Pinos

This iconic porteño phrase, usually uttered so lightly, took on a new depth of sentimentality as our time in Buenos Aires - la Reina del Plata - came to a close.

Goodbye with kisses to our lovely apartment, our favorite shops and restaurants, our daily routines, our special occasions, and most of all to our friends.

We leave with lots of warm memories and their smiling faces captured here.

Our favorite neighbors from our small apartment building:
1. Lola and Tati, on the quinto piso, along with their pets Munia Muniaa (a Jack Russell Terrier) and Viktor Samuel (the resident ferret in hiding);
2. Tavo (short for Gustavo) on the tercer piso, right above us; and
3. Fatima, on the primer piso, right below.

ALSO
4. Linda with our good friend Eduardo in his wine store and . . .
5. Stella, his wife, with us.
6. Giselle, another worker ant from “our” laundry.
7. Erica, our waitress from Pan y Teatro.
8. Isabel, our favorite banker in the world, at dinner in our apartment.
9. Kurt with Eduardo B., who drove us many many times to and from the airport.
10 & 11 Gabe and his colleague Juan, from Bull’s Gym, affectionately referred to as Little Cats A & B.
12. Kurt with Maria Jose, our neighbor across the street, with Lolo, our pretend dog (her real dog).
13. Antonio and Irma from the produce stand four doors down the street from our apartment.
14. Leo, owner of the clothing store next to the wine shop on Arenales.
15. Kurt with Sissi, the apartment’s new owner, and her mother, who lives four blocks up Azcuenaga.

Last Morsels

2011-08-22T00:21:00.002-03:00

The fish platter is served

Four days before leaving Buenos Aires, we headed down to the Microcenter to pay Universal Cargo the moving charges (cash only and in US dollars). On the way, naturally, we stopped at Palacio Español, right off Avenida 9 de Julio. We started off with the complimentary glass of champagne, then enjoyed a half-bottle of white wine and an abundant platter of mixed grilled fish and grilled vegetables accurately suggested for sharing. Sabroso! But just being at the palacio is always a great experience.

Just the right mood at Pan y Teatro

The next evening we went further afield, to Boedo and a small unassuming restaurant where we celebrated those very important occasions. Pan y Teatro is a jewel of a place almost hidden away on the intersection of a quiet residential street and a dead-end lane. The restaurant features the wines and foods of Mendoza; their artichoke salads, eggplant parmesan, stuffed red peppers, homemade breads, everything is fresh and fantastic. For this special occasion, Kurt stuck to his favorite eggplant parmesan, while Linda had the cazuela de conejo (rabbit), paired with the sensational Tannat Malbec produced by Familia Perulán.

Tango musicians

We had thought of making Pan y Teatro the venue for our last evening in Buenos Aires, but decided to move it up in the calendar for two important reasons: (1) the supply of rabbit from Mendoza dwindles as the week goes on and (2) the tango trio performs only on Friday and Saturday nights. And they are not to be missed! The group is composed of a pianist, a singer, and a bandoneon player, shown left to right in the photo. At 88 years old, the bandonista is the oldest of the group and has been playing for more than 70 years, including with famed nuevo tango composer Astor Piazzolla in the 1940s. He told us he attributed his longevity and musical stamina to never having smoked and limiting his consumption of alcohol to wine only. Before we left, Linda purchased one of his model bandoneons that were displayed on the piano. A fitting recuerdo of a magical place.

Los Pinos

Los Pinos was the venue for our last dinner in Buenos Aires. Located three blocks up from our apartment, where Azcuenaga intersects with French, Los Pinos is a quintessential neighborhood cafe: porteño comfort food (pasta, milenesas, y bifes) and basic red wines (nothing fancy). It is one of the first places we ate at on our initial trip to BA in June 2006. In the years that followed, the waiters came to know our favorite dishes and how we liked our bifes cooked (jugoso, not al punto, as is more customary among the Argentines). Linda in particular will miss their espinaca al la crema. And the tall tales by "Rocky" of his romantic exploits.

The last meal in Argentina

It was cold and overcast on Monday, Aug. 15, our last day in BA. Definitely not ideal conditions for lunch at Croque Madame. So we opted instead for another Spanish restaurant, Oviedo, also a short walk away on Beruti and Ecuador. We shared a nice green salad with palmitos, veal with vegetables, and a delicious bottle of Tomero malbec, Argentina's signature wine. The proper way to bid farewell to our adopted city.

Packing Up & Winding Down

2011-08-14T16:25:00.001-03:00

Although we knew our apartment was precious, we had thought that it would take a few months to sell. Instead, we had a contract in only a few weeks. On our return from the scouting expedition in Panamá, we were immediately faced with the task of organizing "the stuff": what was staying in the apartment, what was being shipped back by Universal Cargo (who managed our shipment into Argentina), what was being schlepped by us onto the airplane, and what was being disposed of through sales, exchanges, and outright gifting. (Our best exchange was with our friend Eduardo the wine merchant, who traded us 6 bottles of the award-winning Temple Agrario 2007 Malbec Roble produced by the Bodega de la Facultad Ciencias Agrarias in Mendoza for a portable photo printer, paper, USB cord, and extra ink cartridges.)

Fortunately, each move we have undertaken since selling the "homestead" in Austin in 2005 has been easier than the one before. We've made a lot of progress in being able to detach emotion from physical possession. Memories are easy to cart; boxes of stuff aren't and their carting requires some expenditure of cash. This time we sold just about everything with the apartment but we still have photo albums, books, clothes, a few family antiques, etc., that added up to 64 boxes/items to be hauled north to Texas. Most of these items will stay there and we'll start from scratch again in Panamá.

Just a few items . . .

In the meantime, we've been jumping through all sorts of bureaucratic hoops that go with the process of moving internationally. Things like having a copy of our flight itinerary from Buenos Aires to the US "legalized" by a notary for submission to Argentine customs. Also our marriage certificate and the translation of it into Spanish. (More fun details in the list at left.)

Our "patrimonio personal" wrapped to go

The packing crew from Universal Cargo arrived Monday, Aug. 8, to pack up our stuff since custom regulations prohibited us from doing the packing ourselves. A few weeks previously, the UC contractor had stopped by to take photos of and information on certain art being shipped in order to secure the necessary export permits from the Cultural Ministry. Permits were needed for anything that might be considered "patrimonio nacíonal," including the painting Kurt's mom had copied of John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo. The boxes containing each permitted object were marked with a large photo of the relevant item.

Linda at the check-off

Javier, Gerardo, Kurt, Nestor, and driver

Unfortunately, we had failed to consider that a small oil done by favorite son Joey for a mother's day gift when he was about 8 also might qualify for national designation, as well as a sketch book of Kurt's from the 1970s. And then there was the issue of Linda's small collection of fossils from our old backyard in Austin. After several phone calls to the UC head office, the collective decision was for us to carry them all back on the plane. Thank goodness our frequent flyer status provides an ample baggage allowance.

The next day we scooted around the corner to our bank to close out our savings, checking, and credit card accounts. We started out in the upstairs office of the premier client section and then made our way downstairs and back up again as we progressed through the various items and actions required: multiple firmas y aclaraciónes del titular principal, the ritual of cutting the debit cards cut into two and then taping the pieces to an official form, etc. We had not considered the need to turn in all unused checks (and since we had never used any they were all there), but Linda quickly retrieved them from the apartment. These were then counted, their numbers posted on yet another official form, the actual checks officially mangled with one fell swoop of the official scissors, and the pieces formally affixed to the now quite impressive pile of account-closing papers. Unfortunately, no cameras are allowed in the bank. Pity.

The whole ceremony took almost two hours, with the last 20 minutes devoted to a simmering discussion between Linda and one Julieta Bonocore, the new premier account manager, about 34 pesos that was due us from the checking account. Other clients waiting to be attended were attracted to the debate, which boiled down to whether a credit of 165 pesos was adequate to compensate for an erroneous service charge of 199 pesos. Linda insisted that a mis-debit of 199 pesos required offset with a credit of 199 pesos. (Head-nodding in the crowd.) Perhaps the bank had overcredited the account before, thus justifying the lower amount, suggested the manager. (Head-shaking from the observers.) Perhaps you can show me where that presumed overcredit occurred in the history of this account that you have displayed on your computer screen, countered Linda. At this point, it was the principle of the thing, not the value. In the end, Linda got her pesos. An unfortunate goodbye to an institution where we had previously enjoyed excellent customer service.

Julian y Lore

Later that evening, we headed to one of our old-time favorite restaurants, Don Battaglia on Scalabrini Ortiz (esquina con Castillo), which offers a unique salad bar with everything from plain lettuce to tabouli and Ensalada Belén (an Armenian dish we first encountered here). Accompanying us were Lore, our Mexican "daughter" for whom we are "los padres gringos" and her novio Julian. The day ended on a happy note.

Panamá Bound

2011-07-19T17:46:00.002-03:00

"Alluring" view from our apartment-to-be

Our wonderful two weeks at Las Sirenas were bookended by stays in la cuidad de Panamá, first in Casco Viejo (the old sector) and last in Bella Vista, one of the central downtown neighborhoods. In both of our city sojourns, Kurt and Linda were fairly preoccupied with real estate excursions and decisions. On July 4, right before we left Panamá, we put down a deposit on an apartment, but not where we had originally envisioned buying our new home.

We had realized fairly quickly that Casco Viejo, despite its considerable charm (photos here), was not in our destiny, at least not in the foreseeable future. We enjoyed staying there, in a comfortable apartment with two bedrooms and very nice laundry facilities, and we certainly patronized as many of the area's outstanding restaurants as we could. But the absence of certain amenities - specifically a grocery store - was a hurdle we just could not get around given our vow to remain carless.

And the prices for renovated/reconstructed apartments seemed a bit high, especially since most of the places we looked at lacked some basic elements of architectural/engineering/interior design QA/QC.

Example 1: Why is the washer/dryer unit in the middle of the kitchen and why is it white when the other appliances are stainless steel?
Example 2: Why are there 2 bathrooms on the ground floor but nowhere else in a 3-story apartment?
Example 3: Why are the doors and shutters in this apartment dark wood in the colonial style and the built-in closets and kitchen and bathroom cabinets blonde pine in the Scandinavian style?

We could go on. . . .

We also reviewed a couple of listings in the "Zone," the former U.S. managed territory, and while the views in some cases were great, accessibility to basic services was again an issue. Finally, we decided to look at some of the new high-rises which have changed the face of the city. On a nice, cooler overcast day we made a long walk from the Casco up the new Cinta Costera that runs along the Bay of Panamá, all the way to Punta Paitilla, through that neighborhood and then back towards the center of town and Bella Vista.

Sunrise downtown

Then we went to the beach for two weeks and thought about things. And while we doing that, we received a very good offer on our apartment in Buenos Aires, so things started to jell.

Nightime downtown

On our return to the city, we stayed downtown so we could get a better feel for that area. In between eating Lebanese and Greek food, we zoomed in on a building close to completion with a name we prefer to pronounce Argentine style: a-zhur-ee at the Park. (Where do they come up with these monikers?) It's right across Avenida Balboa and the Cinta Costera from the bay, overlooking a rare neighborhood park with a baseball diamond for Little Leaguers, a playground for little kids and a basketball court for big ones, plus lots of trees and grass for dog-walkers (a hobby we hope to resume in the near future).

Zooming in on the causeway and beyond

Our apartment is #33B . . . yep, on the 33rd floor (40 was just a bit too high), with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a laundry room, a small study, and a nice living/dining combo that spreads from the open kitchen to the 25 square-meter terraza that stretches the length of the apartment, offering great views of the Bay, the entrance to the Canal and the ships waiting there, Amador Causeway and the islands to which it leads, and Taboga Island in the distance.

Plus we get to share the amenities of the common areas: pool, gym, game room, raquetball court, social area, event hall, etc. And best of all, just 1 block away, an excellent grocery store complete with a nice wine cellar stocked with some fine Chilean and Argentine wines at prices well below those charged in Argentina (go figure). We're supposed to move in early 2012. Stay tuned.

Las Sirenas de Santa Clara

2011-07-10T16:28:00.005-03:00

Paradise in Santa Clara, Panamá

Our long-planned home-exchange for a house on the beach in Panamá was a complete bust. Our erstwhile "partners" neglected to inform us until the day before our arrival that the beach cottage they had promised us for two weeks was having an entire second floor added and was thus incapable of housing anyone. Oops.

Such discourtesy, however, turned out to be a fortunate turn of events for us; destiny then took us past Gorgona, the site of the debacle, about 20 miles further west along the Pacific Coast to Santa Clara and a paradise called Las Sirenas.

Las Sirenas is a two-level compound of casitas for beach vacations: five up on the top of the hill overlooking the Pacific and six more in duplex style on the beach.

Casita 3 on the right

We - Kurt, Linda, and favorite daughter Belén - spent most of those two weeks in June in Casita #3, a palace on the hill with two bedrooms and two baths and two hammocks hanging from the porch columns. And a private parilla in front of that and a large bohio some meters more toward the edge of the hill which is a great place to lie back and marvel at the stars on those perfect clear nights. Also good for lounging on those perfect cloudy nights. More photos of the complex and our casita here.

Belén & Sirenacat

Every casita in Las Sirenas is patronized by a group of some four to five resident cats, all related and all usually ready to eat, although some are friendlier than others. During our stay at Las Sirenas, Belén finished the final edits of her new book and wrote an article for Al Jazeera. Among other things.

Kurt with new hat from El Valle

Kurt and Linda were left to their own devices: besides the usual beach/sea activities, they made several visits to El Valle de Antón, a little mountain village about a 40-minute drive from Santa Clara. The town has a very pleasant central mercado with artesanias and fresh produce, where Kurt acquired his authentic Panamanian hat and where we had a chance to hear Marcelo playing his home-made violin.

Jesús Segundo

Marcelo & violin

El Valle also is the starting point for several hiking tours into the mountains.

One morning we ventured along the trail leading past the Piedra Pintada, the most important of whose pictographs were interpreted for us by Jesús Segundo, who miraculously appeared as soon as we stopped in front of the stone. His pointing palo was waiting for us all. After paying Jesús Segundo the modest $1 fee he required, we followed the trail on up the mountainside past several waterfalls and pools set within a lush tropical background (photos here).

Then we made our way carefully back down for lunch at a nice cafe just across the main street from the public library. As we did on all our other visits to the cafe, we watched the stready stream of bikes going up and down the street, most with one rider on the seat and another on the frame. When it rained, which was fairly common, most people steered with one hand while holding an umbrella with the other.

Don Tenorio

Our last day in Santa Clara featured a tour of nearby Farallón, a small beach village bombed by the U.S. in December 1989 as part of the invasion of Panamá. Don Tenorio, who has worked at Las Sirenas for the last 38 years and who survived the raid, showed us what remained of the beach house owned by Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, target of the invasion but absent during that bombing run.

Ready for the grill

Don T. also lead us to the local fish market, where we paid $22 USD for eight lobster tails and eight jumbo shrimp that Kurt grilled for the farewell feast that evening. Photos of the excursion here.

Early the next morning, before heading back to the city of Panamá, we walked down our beach to watch the fishing nets being pulled in from the shore. Photos here. We left as the sea gulls and pelicans did battle for the spoils. Impressive, as is obvious from the photo below that Kurt took at great peril to himself and Linda's camera.

Feeding frenzy

If you're thinking of a Las Sirenas vacation - and who wouldn't be? - go soon. The complex has been sold to developers and the destruction unfortunately will start in 2013.

Click here for more photos of beautiful Playa Santa Clara and one of its sirenas.

Adventures in Colombia

2011-06-04T10:31:00.000-03:00

¡Las chicas en Colombia!

In mid-April, Linda met up with Belén for 3 weeks of travel through Colombia. From Bucaramanga to San Gil to Barichara in the north central highlands of Santander, then further north to the Caribbean coast, to Cartagena and Taganga, we traveled up and down and through lots of mountains, some of them verdant, others more like deserts. We traveled via plane, bus, minivan, taxi, boat, and three-wheeled mototaxi (see photo to right), and on foot. We:

saw all sorts of animals, birds and other flying things, reptiles, fish, and many canine Bounder look-alikes, all of them muy simpáticos;
communed with nature in various forms, starting at San Gil's gorgeous Parque El Gallineral along the banks of the Rio Fonce (photos here);
ate lots of good food, including vast helpings of arepas, patacones, and arroz con coco as well as fruits with names for which there is no English translation, various forms of beef, and lots of seafood;
learned that neither hot water nor a bathroom ceiling are necessary for showering in a warm climate; and

made the most amazing friends.

Here are some of our tales.

En route to Barichara

A few days into our trip, we decided to hike from San Gil to Barichara, appropriately called the "pueblo mas lindo del pais." (More photos of the forced march here; ) The countryside was gorgeous, changing from one microclimate to another over a distance of about 20 kilometers.

Cesare & Sonia in their open-air kitchen

Hours and hours later, we were getting pretty gorgeous ourselves, despite repeated applications of sunscreen.We were still 2 kms outside of Barichara, with plenty of sunshine left, when Belén suggested "autostop." No sooner had we stuck out our thumbs than a Jeep Cherokee screeched to a stop, and we were waved in the back seat. Our saviors were Cesare (originally from Italy) and Sonia (from Colombia), who not only drove us on a quick tour of Barichara but then invited us to the wonderful house they are building right outside the pueblito as a retreat from the urban life in Miami and Bogotá. (More photos of the house here.) At their kind invitation, we returned the next day as guests for paella, one of Cesare's specialties. Fortunately, Linda had some good wine from Argentina to bring to the feast.

We wound up staying three more nights beyond Cesare and Sonia's departure, exploring Barichara, which is indeed one of the most charming villages we have ever been in. Photos here. We also took another - mercifully shorter - hike to the nearby pueblo of Guane, "only" 9 kilometers away on the old Camino Real. Photos here. Linda kept thinking of Werner Herzog's 1972 classic Aguirre, the Wrath of God.

Señor, our little-while dog

While in Barichara, we also met more new friends. Certainly the most cuddly was Señor, our name for a friendly soul who followed us home from the cafe where we had shared our lunch with him on our last full day in Barichara. Alicia, the caretaker of Sonia's house, told us that Señor actually belonged to a nearby family who did not treat him well. We tried to make up for his prior bad experiences with humans. Señor stayed the night with us, guarding our bedroom from any potential intruders, and then went running with Belén the next morning. We tried to convince him to stay with Alicia when our moto-taxi came to deliver us and our luggage to the bus stand, but Señor insisted on accompanying us. He even waited with us til the bus was ready to leave, then kept up with it as long as he could. A good good dog and we were sad to leave him behind. More photos of him here.

Detail of master bath in
Gabriel's house

Sonia had arranged for our accommodations in Cartagena. While "bed and breakfast" would be the technically correct descriptor for our lodging, the phrase can't begin to convey the atmosphere of Calle de las Palmas 31. Photos of the house here. For example, the 10 bathrooms in the house we stayed for two nights are artistic installations that also happen to be extremely serviceable. All were designed by our host Gabriel, the uncle of an old school chum of Sonia, who some 20 years ago had begun the long process of rebuilding and combining two colonial mansions in Getsemaní, one of oldest parts of the city. He had certainly done an exquisite job.

A fruit lover's paradise

Despite the brevity of our stay in Cartagena, we managed to see a lot of the old town and, thanks to a mid-afternoon downpour that kept us from leaving, all of the old headquarters of the Inquisition in Cartagena. The museum to those 200+ years there is complete with examples of mechanisms of torture (many of which, such as waterboarding, unfortunately are still in use today in too many places) along with the wording of various spells and incantations. (Linda is considering naming her next dog "Fulano de Tal.") Photos here. We also had some of the best seafood ever at Donde Socorro, a small restaurant recommended by Gabriel.

Joanna & her tarot cards

Next stop: Taganga, a small beach pueblo a few hours via bus east of Cartagena, where the seafood feasts continued and swimming became a top priority for Belén, the quintessential pisces mermaid. Photos here. We also had the good fortune (and we mean that literally) to meet Joanna, a traveling artisan and seer originally from the north of Chile. Sadly, her mother had been killed by Pinochet's forces when Joanna was an infant; she was raised by her grandmother, a woman well respected for her psychic abilities. On the grandmother's death, Joanna said, birds of all types surrounded the house during the wake. We soon learned first-hand that Joanna has a similar connection with nature at various different levels. That's all we can say. . . .

Cartagena iguana

Ñoquis del 29

2011-05-29T16:43:00.001-03:00

Good luck ñoquis

On our way home after running this morning, we came across Mónica (our neighbor two floors up), who announced she was headed out to get ñoquis for Sunday dinner, since today is the 29th of the month. Kurt was immediately energized to also head over to Mas Pastas for 300 grams of newly made ñoquis and a small container of "turco" (meat sauce) for our own dinner on this cool and cloudy autumn day.

Ñoquis - the flavorful pasta version of potato dumplings - was brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants and the original name - gnocchi - transformed into something more castellano. And over time the 29th somehow became ñoqui day.

There are several explanations as to why. In one version, farmers in a poor area of Italy experienced a bumper harvest because of the intercessions of San Pantaleon, whose feast day is the 29th of some undefined month. Another version says the custom arose from the gathering of Italians to celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, on June 29th. Yet another, more common explanation, is that the end of the month is a time of short supplies, and cooks made due with whatever was available.

In any event, the custom is to place a peso coin or other money under each plate for good luck and prosperity. We, of course, think it is good luck to have a bowl of freshly made ñoquis regardless of what's under it.

Revolutionary Changes

2011-05-25T16:45:00.006-03:00

Along with the rest of Argentina today, we celebrated the anniversary of the "May Revolution" of 1810 that led to the country's independence from Spain. Last year's bicentennial celebration was extravagent and lengthy. This year, commemorations were low-key and traditional, centering on food and family.

Los Pinos, home of the world's best locro

We hung our Argentine flag from the living room balcony last night, despite the steady rain that has signalled the beginning of fall. The rain continued overnight and throughout the morning. But at noon, the skies cleared and the sun came out, just in time for our four-block walk to Los Pinos, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. We went there expressly for locro, a stew that is the traditional dish on May 25, much like hot dogs in the U.S. on the 4th of July. Los Pinos serves the best locro we've ever had. You have to get there early, or you'll be disappointed.

Locro for two

We have special reason to celebrate this May 25.

After three years of living in Argentina, we've gained permanent residency status, meaning we no longer have to do the annual paperwork shuffle to extend our temporary residency nor the monthly money transfer from the U.S. to demonstrate financial stability (in itself another paperwork shuffle). We also now are eligible to apply for Argentine passports, a goal we intend to achieve in the next few months.

At the same time, we've decided to sell our beautiful apartment here and move to Panama. Why? Many reasons. We love Argentina and have enjoyed living here, making new friends and learning more about a different culture and ways of doing things. Yet at the same time, we are both itching for a new adventure - before we get too old to enjoy one - and realize we need to be a bit closer to our little nuclear family.

Here's to the future!

Panama seems like an excellent choice. Kurt went to high school in the old Canal Zone and his parents were restationed there while we lived in Mexico City, so Linda also became familiar with the area during the mid 1970s. And earlier this month, she got the chance to stay in Panama City for a few days with daughter Belén following a three-week trip through Colombia (more on that later!). Now we're looking at apartments in Casco Viejo, the old colonial part of town. Like San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico, where we had a house several years ago, the casco has been designated by UNESCO as a "World Heritage Site." Obviously these old colonial towns appeal to us! Developments as they happen.

At the Movies . . . with Rodrigo

2011-04-06T19:49:00.003-03:00

Rodrigo, our cinema expert

When we first came to Argentina three years ago we fell into the bad habit of watching telenovelas. There was always the excuse that it's a good way to practice Spanish and get better tuned in to the alluring but odd Argentine accent.

But quitting telenovelas - nightly soap operas watched religiously in Latin America from the U.S.-Mexico border to Tierra del Fuego - is like kicking the cigarette habit: good for you but extremely difficult.

Our definitive break with Latin soaps came around the time we saw El secreto de sus ojos, which won the 2009 Academy Award for best foreign picture. Starring Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil, it had everything that telenovelas lack: a great plot, thoughtful social commentary, superb acting, and a riveting, Hitchcockian quality. While many of the parts were improbable, director José Campanella stitched them together in such a way as to make them completely believable.

We decided to explore further. We joined a video club, Film City, a couple of blocks from our apartment. But our success in picking films was mixed. Luís Puenzo's Historia oficial about the horrors of the Dirty War - Argentina's only other Academy Award-winning film - was terrific. La próxima estación, Pino Solanas' story about the death of the Argentine railway system, was educational. Hombre mirando al sudeste was quickly forgettable, falling short of expectations and downright sleepy. By accident, we discovered El hombre de al lado, a little gem by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat in which an architectural dispute between two neighbors turns into an obsessive power play.

Then we met Rodrigo, Film City's gregarious store manager with an infectious passion for his country's movies. When asked if he could help guide us, he threw himself into the project of entering a must-see list of films under our account number in his computer.

Rodrigo lured us in with a couple of light, pleasing films by Daniel Burman - Derecho de familia and El abrazo partido. The lovable Daniel Hendler is the male lead in both.

Bombón, played by Gregorio, and
Juan Villegas, played by Juan Villegas

Next up: the work of Carlos Sorin, who uses real people instead of actors in his endearing, feel-good stories. In El perro, an old man who has lost his job as a mechanic is given a Dogo show dog ("Bombón Le Chien") that changes his fortunes. In Sorin's Historias mínimas, an old man searches for his lost dog in the other-worldly expanse known as Patagonia.

Then Rodrigo hit us with the powerful team of Pablo Trapero and his wife Martina Gusman and their films Carancho and Leonera. Reminiscent of the stand-out Argentine film Nueve reinas, these gritty films convincingly expose the underbelly of society. The "protagonists" in the first movie are an ambulance chaser (played by Ricardo Darín) and his physician/heroin addict girlfriend (Gusman); in the second, the lead (again Gusman) is a university student convicted of murdering her roommate, the father of her unborn child whom she subsequently delivers in prison.

Recently Rodrigo insisted we watch Esperando la carroza. Rodrigo was firm: "Con ésta pelicula vas a saber que es ser argentino." We can only respond: "Claro, che, dále! Y gracias! Por suerte sos amigo."

Boicot Productos Israelis

2011-03-30T19:21:00.009-03:00

Today, March 30, is Palestine Land Day. The day commemorates the events of 35 years ago, when Israeli security forces shot and killed six young Palestinian citizens of Israel and injured many. The youth were among thousands protesting Israel’s expropriation of Palestinian land to build new Jewish colonies and expand existing Jewish cities. Today, Land Day symbolizes Palestinian resistance to Israel’s ongoing land expropriation, apartheid, colonization and occupation.

In solidarity with the Palestinian people’s right to self determination on their ancestral land, today also has been designated as Global BDS Day of Action. BDS stands for "Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions" - nonviolent actions also used successfully to break up apartheid in South Africa. The need for such action is as critical in Israel. More details here.

Last weekend, in advance of Global BDS Day of Action, we helped hand out leaflets urging shoppers at the Alto Palermo mall not to patronize Maim, a store that sells Israeli cosmetics produced from Dead Sea minerals, resources stolen from Palestinians. Israel exports millions of dollars worth of cosmetics to Argentina every year. The message to shoppers: "No seas complice del apartheid Isreali en Palestina."

A short video about the activities here.

Boicot a maim PRODUCTOS DEL MAR MUERTO-Buenos Aires from julieta on Vimeo.

Día de la Memoria

2011-03-25T20:04:00.000-03:00

2010 Bicentennial exhibit, Madres de la Plaza

Yesterday Argentina observed Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia (Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice). The holiday commemorates the victims of the military dictatorship, which seized power on March 24, 1976. Tens of thousands of Argentines as well as citizens of other countries (notably Chile and Uruguay) were taken from their homes, schools, or places of business, illegally detained and tortured because of their alleged political beliefs. Some 30,000 people were killed or "disappeared," i.e., their bodies have never been found.

After the military junta was overthrown and free elections held in 1983, those who participated in these crimes against humanity were awarded an amnesty in the "interests" of national reconciliation. However, in 2006 (the year the Day of Remembrance became a national holiday), that amnesty was overturned, and many of those who ordered and/or took part in the illegal detentions, tortures, and murders were arrested and charged with the crimes. The trials are still continuing. Considerable credit for the investigations into and prosecutions of what is now known as the "Dirty War" goes to the "Madres de la Plaza" who still march every Thursday in front of the government building in Buenos Aires calling for action on their disappeared sons and daughters.

Not all Argentines agree with the trials. Some say the military dictatorship was forced to take such extreme measures because of "subversive" groups that were "terrorizing" the country. Kurt has been following several of the more famous trials; as he notes in his reports, the Argentine government had all the legal tools at its disposal to arrest, charge, prosecute, and incarcerate domestic terrorists. But the junta chose to operate outside the rule of law, turning the country into a rogue state. We do well to remember these dark moments of history.

Happy Weekend

2011-03-21T18:15:00.000-03:00

On the third weekend of most months, our bank pulls out all the stops to entice clients to use their debit (or sometimes credit) cards. We happily oblige because the savings are substantial.

"Happy Weekend" (yep, that's the term, no translation needed) offers discounts of 20% on purchases at certain supermarkets, 30% on restaurants (up to 50 pesos per day per account), and 50% on movie tickets. Happy Weekend has become routine for us; around it we plan major grocery shopping expeditions for nonperishables and staples as well as culinary excursions to old haunts or new favorites.

This past weekend we headed to the Coto (the big supermarket in the neighborhood that partners with the bank) on Friday for staples and then again on Sunday for fresh meat and other items. Supermarket savings both days: 108 pesos.

We managed two cafés on Friday, first La Biela, the iconic lunch spot right across from the Recoleta Cemetary, for a shared lunch of toasted ham & cheese sandwich (an Argentine staple) with fries, and then Piola, our latest favorite pizza place, on Libertad near 9 de Julio. Saturday featured dinner with friends at Caseros on the border of San Telmo and Barracas, for the first but not the last time. Sunday dinner was three blocks from the apartment at Los Pinos, our favorite neighborhood steak spot. Restaurant savings: 139 pesos.

Total savings: 247 pesos, or about $62 USD. It was a happy weekend.

Empanada Night

2011-03-12T22:02:00.000-03:00

Cross-section of the finished product

Tonight we finally attempted what top culinary experts call the quintessential Argentine food: the empanada. And we're proud to say we achieved success.

Since moving to Buenos Aires almost three years ago, we have sampled many different styles and fillings of these flavorful turnovers: carne (both "sauve" and "picante" - though picante here does not mean what it does in Mexico), humita (a type of creamed corn), capresse (as Italian as it sounds, with mozzarella, tomato, and basil leaves), and hongos, among others. We particularly like empanadas mendocinos, the meat pies from Mendoza that are juicier than others but not to the extent of being messy. So when we finally decided to try our hands at our own home-made empanadas, we of course consulted our sources on all things mendocino, Eduardo and Stella Molteno. Additional resources included How Argentina Cooks and Eusebio, one of our favorite people at Mas Pastas, where Kurt purchased for less than 7 pesos the "masa" or preformed dough circles we used to encapsulate the meat filling. (One thing at a time . . . )

The ingredients

According to the Moltenos, the secret to a moist meat filling is onion . . . and lots of it. They told us to use 3 kilos of onions for each kilo of ground meat. Saute the onion, add the meat until it just browns, and then cut off the heat and top the pan for two hours, they advised. Add spices, a little chopped hard-boiled egg, and an olive, and voila!

Sounded good, but we wanted to incorporate some additional flavors; we had always thought that our recipe for picadillo - a treasure from Kurt's mom that melded formulas from her mother Belén and her mother-in-law Flora - could be adapted to empanadas. And of course we were right (though we have to admit that heavying up on the onion makes all the difference in the world). Here's what we devised:

sautee in a small amount of olive oil 3 thinly sliced medium-sized onions and 1 diced green pepper
add 1 large clove minced garlic
add 1 pound lean ground meat, and cook just until color changes
turn off heat
stir in 1/2 tsp. each oregano, ground cumin, and dried parsley; 1 tsp. each paprika and red pepper flakes; freshly ground salt and pepper to taste; Tabasco or other hot sauce al gusto; 1/4 cup home-made tomato paste; and 10-12 chopped up green olives
cover pot and let sit for 1 hour

Forming the empanadas

When the mix is ready, chop 2 hard-boiled eggs. Then put 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each dough circle, add about 1 Tbs. of the egg, and fold the dough over, pressing the edges together. Place a few drops of olive oil onto a cookie sheet, and then sprinkle over that a small amount of flour. Place the formed empanadas on the sheet so that they are not touching, and cook in a preheated 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen tasty empanadas.

Baking empanadas

We served our empanadas with frijoles bayos estilo mexicano and some simple avocado slices with lemon juice and sesame seeds. YUM!

Special thanks to Waitress from Mensa, who asked quite some time ago for Argentine recipes.

Celebrating a Clear Title

2011-01-16T12:50:00.001-03:00

Luis Batiston in what was then his apartment

Last night we raised a glass of Cinco Sentindos Extra Brut (acquired, of course, from our good friend Eduardo) to the memory of Matilde Milagros Paulliere, who passed away 10 years ago yesterday at the age of 92 years. We never had the pleasure of meeting Srta. Paulliere, but we do know her nephew, Luis Alejandro Batiston Paulliere, who in 2006 sold us the apartment where we now live.

Sr. Batiston had inherited the apartment from his maternal aunt, as specified in her will. Under Argentine law, however, a direct descendent has rights to real property that trump any bequest to another person, related or not. Although Srta. Paulliere never married and had no known descendents, the law also provides for the possibility of offspring and stipulates a 10-year period from the date of death to allow any offspring to make themselves known.

All this was carefully explained to us when we entered into the contract to buy the apartment and at each subsequent step in the process. The escribano (a cross between a lawyer and a notary who handles real estate transactions) called the issue a "cloud" on the title, or escritura. This cloud previously had dissuaded an Argentine family from purchasing the apartment. But Escribano Monte - as well as Sr. Batiston - also told us it was highly unlikely an heir would materialize. Being the adventurous souls we are, we readily committed to the deal. We had fallen in love with the apartment and felt that in this case the cloud was sure to have a silver lining.

Yesterday, all clouds lifted. Cheers!

Economic Snapshot: Living in Buenos Aires

2011-01-14T15:26:00.004-03:00

"So how much does it cost to live in Buenos Aires?" That's probably the question most frequently lobbed to us from people in the United States. (A close second is "And what about health care?" but we think we've covered that topic already.)

So as Linda was pulling together all the pieces of paper necessary to file our U.S. tax returns (because Uncle Sam does indeed tax all worldwide income, unless you're in a special exempt group), she decided to add up the receipts for just about everything we spend money on regularly in Argentina. The spreadsheet to the right basically lays out the details. All amounts are in Argentina pesos, which has been trading for some time now at around 3.95 pesos to the U.S. dollar (down from 3.78 a year ago).

Some quick observations:

Basic living expenses are low. Utilities, especially electricity costs, are subsidized by the government. Without the subsidy, our electric bills for the year would have totaled slightly over 1,000 pesos (still low by U.S. standards). Water is not metered, so consumption is estimated.
Property taxes, called "rentas," are collected by the city government and used to pay for street lighting and cleaning and maintenance of public roadways and sidewalks. The taxes on our 88 square meter apartment have not increased since we bought it in 2006. For us, then, the taxes actually have gone down, since the dollars we transfer here have increased in value against the peso.
Our laundry expenses appear high because we do not own a washing machine or dryer. Our 88 square meters don't offer enough space. On the upside, for every 7 "valet" services (one bag full washed, dried, and folded for 15 pesos), we get one free from our favorite laundry.
We've obviously failed to add in expenditures for such things as clothes, entertainment, transportation, and travel. Suffice it to say that public transportation - subways, buses, and domestic airlines - are also subsidized. Bus and subway tickets run about 1.10 pesos per ride for everyone. And thanks to our residency status, domestic tickets on LAN Argentina and Aerolineas Argentina are about half what they cost nonresidents.

Additionally, our living costs also are low since we own our apartment outright. Mortgages are uncommon here; interest rates for those few in existence hover around 22% (meaning real estate bubbles do NOT happen in Argentina). But rents are low, and very nice apartments can be found for under 3,000 pesos per month. All in all, a couple can live well here on an income not much beyond the poverty threshold in the U.S. Put another way: our "grand total" for 2010 is well below what we paid in property taxes alone in Austin in 2005.

Feliz Navidad 2010

2010-12-25T11:23:00.000-03:00

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!

Linda's Medical Emergency

2010-12-17T20:07:00.001-03:00

Nur für Krankenwagen

One of the things we really like about where we live is the proximity of just about everything we need. We walk to our grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stands, subway station, gym, shoe repair and pedicure shops, barber, bank. Early on the morning of Thursday, November 4, we even walked - albeit slowly and with several pauses - to the nearest emergency room, located about 4 blocks away at Hospital Alemán.

Linda had awakened hours before with what she thought was stomach pain that grew steadily more severe. Finally we agreed that the situation required medical attention and headed to the emergency room, where Linda was whisked right away into an exam room. There blood samples were drawn, an IV with pain killer hooked up, and an exam conducted by the very capable and personable physican on duty - Dr. Alejandro Fabian Irastorza - assisted by two eager young residents. Something was wrong with her liver. A consult with a team of surgeons was ordered, as were an ultrasound and a CT scan, all conducted promptly and efficiently. Meanwhile, with each order, Kurt was given a receipt and directed to the cashier's office. A real pay-as-you-go system for those without applicable insurance.

Eight hours later, with pain and nausea conquered, Linda was allowed to leave, but with a strict diet of no medications and only crackers, white rice and pasta, the latter of which, Dr. Irastorza said, could be flavored with a little olive oil. (Surprising how good that is!) Follow-up blood samples were conducted the next day and again three days later. Levels of bilirubin and other indicators of liver functions that had been off the chart were falling dramatically to normal levels. In the meantime, it became clear that the probable culprit was a medication that Linda had been taking for several years and that evidently had accumulated to toxic levels in her liver. That element was dispensed with and she's now long since back to a regular diet. Subsequent tests have confirmed the source and - more importantly - the resolution of the problem.

some of our "facturas"

We have no idea of what all the diagnostic procedures and professional consultations and analyses would have cost in the States. One friend has suggested at least $15,000 for the emergency room alone. Our total bill worked out to just about $1,500 USD, under the threshold for filing an out-of-network claim with our US insurer.

Feriado

2010-12-08T18:29:00.010-03:00

Entrance to Barrio Chino

December 8 in Argentina - as in most if not all of Latin America plus Spain - is a holiday. The Immaculate Conception of Mary. Occurring as it did on a Wednesday this year, the feriado makes for interesting vacation plans. Some folks connected to the past weekend, others to the next weekend, using the "puente" (bridge) concept we learned about decades ago in Mexico City. We applaud those who do both.

In any event, the occasion is an opportunity to anticipate the "real" summer and holiday vacation times of late December, January, and half of February that are looming. For us, these times are the absolute best to be in the city: warm weather, blue skies, and much fewer people with whom to share the streets and the subway. And the jacarandas, of course, though past their November prime, still are gloriously lavender.

Jacarandas 2010

So this afternoon we decided to head to China Town, the very small barrio of about 4 square blocks located in the Belgrano area of town. The grocery stores there carry a good assortment of items hard to find in regular Argentine stores. We got wild rice, dried mushrooms of various types, American style freshly made oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies (go figure), and 4 cans of frijoles negros enteros imported from Mexico.

El Jefe

On the way back to the subway, we stopped at Big Mamma, a cafe attached to the Sarmiento Museum, for some liquid refreshments in the outdoor section. Next time we'll also get some food: Kurt is dying to try the Rueben that marched past our table to another guest. Linda's interested in the Salad Nicoise. Something for everyone.

Springtime in Mendoza

2010-11-25T17:45:00.003-03:00

View from Catena Zapata bodega

A mid-November visit from Judy and Claes, Linda's sister and brother-in-law from Stockholm, was an excellent excuse to return to Mendoza Province for five days of bodega touring and wine tasting. Once again we stayed at Quinta Anabtawi just outside the small town of Lujan de Cuyo. Photos from the quinta here.

At the quinta, cherry, pear, apple, fig, almond and walnut trees plus rose, magnolia, and other flowering bushes testify to Mendoza's fertile soils and the transformative power of an irrigation system that brings snow melt from the Andes to a desert where rainfall averages less than six inches per year.

Great nose at Achaval Ferrer

Of course, the trifecta of water, soil, and climate produces world-class wines, the underlying reason for our trip. Although Mendoza is home to literally hundreds of wineries, we concentrated on five bodegas.

Dining in style at Ruca Malen

Some were favorites from past visits - Carinae, Tempus Alba, and Ruca Malen, where we again enjoyed the 2.5 hour 5-course meal with wine pairings, complete with a wonderful view of the Andes to the west. Others - Achaval Ferrer and Catena Zapata - are now new friends. And with coaching from wine expert Claes, our wine tasting and appreciation skills are enhanced . . . though we still need to practice! More photos from the bodegas here.

Not quite to the summit!

We took a day off from bodega visits to head further into the Andes, to the base of Aconcagua. At 6,962 meters above sea level, this is the highest mountain in the world outside Asia. The name means "Stone Sentinal" in the indigenous Quechua. Our short hike on the visitors trail was enough to make Kurt vow to return for an overnight trek in the future. And more mountain photos here.

Egg production control at the quinta

Back at the quinta, down-time daylight hours were devoted to soaking up the sun, exploring the grounds, and - especially in Judy's case - encouraging egg production from resident hens Thelma and Louise. Not to mention visiting with Homero, canine director par excellence of pr and marketing. Evenings invariably featured new experiments on the parilla - all successful by both human and canine standards.

Grill master at work & play

Adios y hasta pronto

Censo 2010: We Count in Argentina

2010-10-27T20:08:00.002-03:00

We arrived home yesterday after our wonderful trip to Fort Worth just in time to be counted in Argentina's decadal census, which took place today. Refusing to succumb to jet lag, Kurt made some speedy runs to our neighborhood grocery store, produce vendor, and bakery to replenish provisions: almost all businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, were ordered shuttered until 8 pm on census day so that everyone in the country could be counted. The penalty for failure to comply: 5,000 Argentine pesos. The order also applied to public transportation, schools, events, just about everything except emergency facilities. For some reason, kiosks catering to the Argentine fondness for sweets also seemed to be immune to the penalty.

We woke this morning to a strange silence. No diesel-fume belching buses nor the near constant parade of yellow taxis roared down our street. Linda checked the scene from our dining room balcony: one older lady walking a small black dog. Nada mas.

Linda had to attend to the famous rental apartment, so Kurt stayed at home to wait for the censista. A nice young woman named Silvina, one of some 680,000 deployed across the nation, showed up at our apartment about 10:30 with the "short" 35-question version of the census (versus the 67-question list). How many people live in the apartment? What are our names? Where were we born? What level of education did we reach? How recently had we worked or studied? How many rooms in our apartment? They covered the 35 questions in about 4 minutes. As Kurt let Silvina out the front door, she gave him the typical Argentine beso to the cheek. Kurt loves that stuff.

In the afternoon, we hooked up with Lorenzo, our pretend dog from across the street, for a reunion walk after our 5-week absence. Usually our "walks" entail heading to a nearby cafe, where the humans have a copita de vino while Lolo chews on a rawhide bone. Alas, nothing was open. Poor Lorenzo was puzzled. We've promised to make it up to him this weekend.

Sadly, Censo 2010 will be remembered for the passing early this morning of former president Nestor Kirchner. Although we have different opinions about his political tactics, we agree on the fact that he and his wife - current president Cristina Fernandez - have done much to bring to justice those guilty of violating the human rights of tens of thousands of people during the "Guerra Sucia" of the 1970s.

For the curious: a Q&A on Censo 2010.

Water: Blog Action Day 2010

2010-10-15T00:17:00.001-03:00

Today is Blog Action Day and this year's topic is water. It's hard to think of a subject that is more crucial to life. Yet, as organizers note, almost a billion people on the planet lack access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in every eight people.

"Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation."

Furhermore, according to the United States Fund of UNICEF, about 4,500 children worldwide die each day from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation facilities. Over 90% of deaths from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and sanitation occur in chidlren under 5 years of age. "The poor are especially hard hit. An infant born in sub-Saharan Africa is 520 times more likely to die from disease than a child born in Europe or the United States."

What can you do? An easy first step is to support the UN's work to supply clean, safe drinking water to the world's poorest populations by signing this petition.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

¡Felicidades Joey y Lauren!

2010-10-02T21:07:00.002-03:00

Los novios se casaron el 25 de septiembre en Fort Worth, Texas.

It was a wonderful wedding, followed by a fun reception, full of happiness and joy. We parents of the groom are ecstatic.

The newlyweds just returned late last night from their honeymoon in the Bahamas, and today returned to their home in Tyler.

More candid photos of the Adkins and Fernandez families and the attendants here.

Photos of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner here.

Suited to a T

2010-09-09T15:32:00.000-03:00

First item on the agenda upon returning to Buenos Aires from Spain: getting Kurt fitted for a suit at "Sastreria Fabio," the tailor around the corner from our apartment. Fabio, a spry gentleman who looks at least a decade younger than his 70 years, learned how to create made-to-measure suits and handle other tailoring chores in his native Naples, Italy, where he apprenticed before immigrating to Argentina.

Fabio explained that when he turned 13 his father gave him two options to roaming the streets with his friends: continuing his schooling or learning a trade. He apprenticed with a tailor for four years, earning knowledge and the occasional monetary tip from his mentor when his capabilities expanded. Lamentablemente, he says, he has had no luck recruiting his own apprentice to carry on the trade.

Kurt was measured for the suit on August 9. For the jacket, a two-button front, three functioning buttons on the sleeves, and two side vents. For the pants, two coin pockets and no cuffs. European style sensibilities prevailed; Fabio dismissed the American predilection for center vents, for example, on the grounds that they rumple too easily.

The first fitting (above right) was August 24. Second fitting was September 1. We picked up the finished suit today (left). ¡Muy elegante! And just in time for the wedding of favorite son Joey to adorable Lauren on September 25.

Barcelona the Beautiful: A Fitting End to Our 2010 Tour of Spain

2010-08-22T11:38:00.002-03:00

We left Haro on July 23, heading east to Barcelona for the final five nights of our tour of Spain. Our drive took us through numerous wind farms, with turbines whirling as far as the eye could see. They reminded us of the storks we had to leave behind in Haro.

We made an unscheduled stop at Lleida, prompted by an article favorite daughter Belén had spotted in the day's edition of El País. Citing fire concerns, the city council had ordered a mosque (actually a garage converted into a prayer hall) closed. The city had earlier prohibited the wearing of full veils in public. Check out Belén's article on the controversy here.

Once in Barcelona, we were able to navigate fairly easily to the Eixample neighborhood, where we had rented a two-bedroom apartment full of Modernista architectural charm but also plagued by a few problems with the hot water heater. Fortunately, another apartment became available . . .

We fell in the love with the neighborhood. Incredible architecture (photos here) was all around us, thanks to Gaudi and his peers. We were reminded of Buenos Aires, but with a thorough steam cleaning and some expansion of sidewalks and streets. We were close to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (photos here), whose trademark spires we could see from our window, and to the Barcelona city park, or, as it's called in Catalan, "parc de la ciutadella." (Park photos here.) This gem of a green space also houses the Catalan parliament (photos here).

Unlike the Basque language, Catalan is a romance language and similar enough to Spanish that we could understand at least the written version. Try your hand at deciphering this important billboard. Twenty extra points for naming the event it celebrates!

We walked and walked and walked and walked some more. A memorable excursion was our long walk down La Rambla (which quickly became NOT our favorite part of the city) to the port and then over to the Barceloneta neighborhood and the beach. Photos of the port here; photos of the beach here.

And, of course, we made plenty of excursions to restaurants. Our favorite was de Tapa Madre, where we spent one evening catching up with Kurt's niece Sofia and her boyfriend William, who happened to be enjoying their own memorable vacation in Spain before starting college. (Politico Buck Dean also stopped by the table, trying to round up a few votes, but this wasn't a "lock and load" crowd.) In addition to great dishes, de Tapa Madre serves Blanc Pescador, our favorite Spanish white wine and a product of Catalunya. Just a little fizzy, thanks to a short second fermentation. You gotta try it.

El Pais Vasco, or What Do Kurt and St. Ignatius Loyola Have in Common?

2010-08-16T17:48:00.000-03:00

Halfway through our stay in Haro, favorite daughter Belén finally recovered from the nasty bug that tagged along with her from London, and all three of us made a day trip to the Basque Country, up higher in the hills and toward the coast, where the fog and cool temperatures set a different mood that complemented the Euskara (Basque) language on highway directions and street signs.

Our first stop was Azpeitia, an incredibly picturesque little burg that was the birthplace of Kurt's great-great-grandmother on his mother's mother's side. Doña Vicenta Azpiazu was the paternal grandmother of Belén Arocena (mother of Kurt's mom Jeanette and namesake of favorite daughter).

Upon our arrival in Azpeitia, we quickly realized that the town was perhaps better known as the birthplace of San Ignatius of Loyola, whose remains are interred in the small yet elegant cathedral built around his family home. Ignatius experienced his famous conversion here as well as he recovered from life-threatening battle wounds. He went on to establish the Society of Jesus to serve as an army of God. Not surprisingly, Ignatius is the patron saint of soldiers.

The cathedral and its grounds (photos here) are like a mini-Vatican, a jurisdiction unto itself. Directions to the town (photos here) right across the street are provided just in case. There we had a great meal in Kirkuri, a restaurant with no menus: the waitress recites the litany of options, starting with the appetizer, then progressing to main course, and culminating with dessert. Self-serve wine also provided. Total cost: 12 euros per person.

Well provisioned, we headed off to Guernica, ancient capital of the Basques and the target of a devastating bombing attack by German aircraft at the behest of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Following Franco's death many years later, the Basque Country regained some of its autonomy, including use of the Basque language. Many still call for complete autonomy, as demonstrated by this highway overpass sign. It's hard to argue with them. Photos of Guernica here.

La Rioja Part II: Holy Moley!

2010-08-16T15:28:00.004-03:00

Haro is located on one of the major routes of the Camino de Santiago, which wends its way another 600 kilometers to the Basilica of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Walking through and around Haro one finds all sorts of signage directing pilgrims along their way, most incorporating some variant on the seashell, a symbol of St. James/Santiago.

Nearby is the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, named for its favorite son, who in the 10th century built bridges, roadways, and a hospital to help travelers on the road to Santiago. The cathedral in Santo Domingo contains the remains of the saint, along with a coop full of live chickens, honoring Dominic's most famous miracle.

The story is that a young man was wrongfully hanged for a crime he did not commit. When his parents went to remove his body from the gallows, they found he was still alive. They rushed to the local authority, disrupting his lunch of roasted chicken. "Your son," he assured the parents, "is no more alive than this chicken," at which the bird rose up from the plate and began crowing.

Santo Domingo - for all you engineers out there - is the patron saint of roads, bridges, and water projects. Just in case you need a little help. . . .

Down the road from Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the village of San Millán de la Cogolla, home of the Suso ("upper") and Yuso ("lower") monasteries. The former was founded in the 6th century and the latter 10 centuries later. The monasteries have been designated a UN World Heritage Site; the first written evidence of the Spanish language comes from Suso, where monks annotated Latin texts with the vernacular.

More photos of Santo Domingo de la Calzada here. Photos of San Millán here.

La Rioja Part I: Storks & Wine and More Argentines

2010-08-11T17:58:00.002-03:00

Favorite daughter Belén never made it to Nerja; her interview with Rattansi & Ridley plus other business matters had kept her in London until our last day in southern Spain. So as we left Nerja on the morning of July 16, we drove first to the nearby city of Málaga, where we picked her up at the airport before turning north toward La Rioja, considered by many to be the premier wine country of Spain. (Tho for us Argentine wine is still the best!)

We arrived in Haro about 9 pm, about an hour before sundown. We were pleasantly surprised by a cool mountain breeze that required us to pull out our sweaters. A nice - albeit shortlived - change from the heat of the south. Through HomeExchange, we had arranged to trade our rental apartment in Buenos Aires for a comfortable loft in Haro, in a building owned and operated by a Spaniard and his Argentine wife, Sandra. Another small world moment.

Haro is a delightful town, very manageable in size and full of picture-perfect architecture and landscapes. And the food is quite tasty, especially at our favorite restaurant Terete, specializing since 1877 in cordero asado (roasted lamb). Who knew roast lamb was so good? We also recommend the roasted chicken and the bean and chorizo soup. Alas, we never got around to trying out the desserts.

Haro bills itself as the wine capital of the wine province, a claim that certainly seems fairly justified by the numerous bodegas around the town as well as the many wine and tapas bars in the center.

The most impressive venue we visited was Bodega López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, the third oldest bodega in the province and a real gem of facility, with eye-popping facilities, hand-hewn storage caverns underneath the production area, its own barrel-making workshop, and a delightful tasting room. More photos from this and other bodegas in the area here.

Also impressive were the storks that seemed to have built their huge nests on just about every chimney and steeple in the town. From our living room we could see - and hear - 4 pairs of storks, some still with offspring that showed up regularly at dinner time. Rather than singing or chirping, storks clatter their long beaks while making gutteral noises. Kurt mastered a very good imitation of the interesting sound that is produced. Stork watching became a ritual, as evidenced by this small sample of many many stork photos we took. And for those similarly smitten with these huge gawky miracles of flight, here's a fact sheet on their habits.

World Cup Madness & Family Reunion in Nerja

2010-07-19T16:59:00.000-03:00

We arrived in Nerja, a short drive from Granada, just in time to watch the final game of the 2010 Copa Mundial and then celebrate Spain's first-ever championship with just about everyone in town. A few dejected Dutch fans (see below left) were the only exceptions to the jubilant crowds parading through the streets and - in some cases - fountains dressed in red and yellow and wrapped in and/or carrying the Spanish flag.

Lots of photos from that memorable evening. Days later we were still hearing spontaneous bursts of creativity from the bar down from our wonderful rental apartment (thanks Frans & Nuttee), as inspired Spaniards burst out with new songs commemorating the campeones del once de julio.

Nerja, located on the Costa del Sol, is an old town that caters more to tourists from other European countries, unlike than the newish resort of Oropesa del Mar, where almost everyone seemed to be Spanish. It is also the birthplace of Kurt's great-grandmother on his mother's side. Angustias Centurión, mother of his maternal grandfather, was born here in the 1880s, moving as an infant to Cuba, where her military father was stationed to help stifle rebellious initiatives. Angustias later immigrated with her husband to Tampa, Florida, where "El Boy" Fernández (Kurt's mother's father) was born. Meanwhile, the Centurión clan has continued to prosper in Nerja, and Kurt has many distant relatives there.

In our first trip to Nerja in 2000, we met three elderly nieces of Angustias and some of their children. Ten years later, the ladies had passed on, but we reconnected with Loli and Miguel, children of Dolores. Together, they still operate the "Bar Italica" in Plaza Cavana, near the Balcón de Europa. We also met Linda, another Centurión, born in England, whose grandfather was the eldest uncle of Loli and Miguel. Family photos here.

We also got in some serious beach time, along with the usual culinary adventures. Our best find was Jaipur's Indian restaurant, a short walk from the apartment. Jaipur's serves a special wine - named Balti - blended to complement various categories of spicy Indian foods. In the small world department, the blend of chenin and chardonnay we selected comes from Mendoza, Argentina. When we get back home, we're going to track it down. The Argentine connection continues.

We're Out of Argentina, but Argentina Isn't Out of Us

2010-07-13T11:05:00.055-03:00

The evening of July 5th, we headed north to escape the coming Argentine winter. About 36 hours and many many valuable Continental miles later, we landed in Barcelona, Spain, where we picked up a rental car and started off for a 3-week vacation in the sun.

Our first stop - fortuitous, since it was the only one not planned in advance - was Oropesa del Mar, along Spain's eastern Costa Azahar, about a 3-4 hour drive south of Barcelona.

The Marina D'Or resort complex there was a wonderful place to get some beach time after the long trip from Buenos Aires and then watch Spain beat Germany to advance to the final game of the World Cup. In the ensuing jubilation we gained lots of little-while friends and learned some valuable chants and songs, such as "Soy español, español, español; soy español, español, español." This easy to remember and quite manageable ditty came in handy the night of July 11, a date now forever etched into the hearts of españoles everywhere. But more on that in a later posting. More photos from Oropesa here.

Next stop: the Alhambra in Granada. Ever since her first visit in 2000 to this grand complex of mainly Moorish architecture and landscaping with Reyes Católicos overlays, Linda had wanted to stay on the grounds for a few nights. The Hotel América, an economical alternative to the Parador next door, more than adequately served the purpose. We had purchased tickets in advance for a day-time visit of the gardens and post-Moorish structures and a wonderful night-time tour of the Nasrid Palaces, built in the 14th century. Photos of the grounds here; photos from the night tour of the palaces here.

What we didn't know was that the 59th annual music and dance festival also was going on. Featured performers the days we were there included Rodolfo Mederos, famed Argentine bandoneon player whom we have heard twice in Buenos Aires, and Daniel Barenboim, Israeli-Argentine pianist and conductor, whom we will see directing the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (coincidentally based in Sevilla in southern Spain) at the Teatro Colon in August.

But the biggest surprise was running into Argentine president Cristina Fernández (no relation), stopping by briefly on her way home from an official visit to China. We knew something was afoot when we saw a security detail (obvious from the earplugs) casing the restaurant of the Parador, accompanied by officials using such typically Argentine phrases as "chau chau" and "besitos." We returned after dinner time for a glass of wine and, despite security attempts to block us, were able to snag a photo of the presidenta without her trademark heavy make-up and wearing eyeglasses. Even presidentas suffer jetlag.

Music & Human Beings

2010-07-04T17:48:00.002-03:00

Last week our destinies connected with those of some wonderful people from very different backgrounds, all thanks to our daughter Belén, and we are now part of a larger effort to bring to Buenos Aires UNESCO Artist for World Peace Marcel Khalifé. Marcel learned to play the oud growing up in Lebanon and has composed numerous lyrical and orchestral works incorporating both Arabic and western instruments. His compositions have been performed around the world, in such venues as the Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, La Scala, and more.

Mustafa Habib, Marcel's manager based in Houston, had graciously given Belén permission to use one of Marcel's compositions for the promotional video of her book Coffee with Hezbollah. When we learned that Mustafa was trying to arrange a Latin American tour showcasing Marcel's new symphonic works, we volunteered to help out however we could in Buenos Aires. Shortly thereafter we attended a program in the National Library put on by the Argentine - Arab community celebrating Palestine culture, with a special focus on poet Mahmoud Darwish, many of whose poems Marcel has put to music. At the reception following the program, we approached a young man who had accompanied with the oud a recitation of a Darwish poem. Thus we met the Attar family, five generations of Argentine Lebanese who speak Arabic as well as Spanish and English and who promote Lebanese and Arabic culture through a variety of organizations. Immediately, the Attars signed up to lend their considerable good will, talents, and resources to bring Marcel and his work to Argentina.

Mustafa flew to Buenos Aires last week for a whirlwind of meetings with community leaders and embassy and city officials organized by Daniel Attar. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and the planning is continuing for a 2011 concert in Buenos Aires. We tagged along for several of these meetings as well as quite a few social occasions, including watching Argentina beat Mexico in the World Cup at the Attar house.

We have been impressed not only with the talents and graciousness of the Attar family but also their genuine respect for all human beings. To commandeer a favorite saying of Daniel, we thank our God for our new friends. (Above right, Mustafa and Daniel at the Attar house; above left, meeting with the Buenos Aires Cultural Office.) More photos here.

¡Gol Gol Gol Gol!

2010-06-17T17:24:00.002-03:00

Argentina came pretty close to a complete stop this morning as the national team played its second game in the World Cup, beating South Korea 4-1 and taking the lead in Group B with 2 solid wins. Offices and shops opened late; schools adhered to normal start time, but devoted the first 90 minutes of the day to the televised broadcast of the game. The word is this decision was made to prevent the heavy absenteeism that occured during the 2006 World Cup.

Although the spontaneous post-game marches to the Obelisk have not yet reached traffic-stopping volumes, futbol fever is already at epidemic levels. The Argentine public television system is broadcasting all the games of the national team and many of the other matches, as well, and the huge Plaza San Martin has been turned into "Fan Park," where multitudes gather to watch the games on a giant screen. Light blue and white - the colors of the Argentine flag and the national team - appear on everything, and Maradona and Messi are the favorite topics of conversation.

We've got our own little Messi figurine - free with the purchase of a 4-pack of Energizer batteries - watching over our World Cup schedule. Eyes on the prize. ¡Vamos Argentina!

A Day of Gilt

2010-06-10T12:13:00.001-03:00

Last Sunday we made our second trip to the newly reopened Teatro Colon, this time for the monthly free concert at 11 am. Kurt got to the opera house in time to snag two first-come, first-served tickets in the 18th row of the ''platea,'' which usually go for around $125 USD. The Camerata Bariloche played pieces by Rossini, Albinoni, Suk, and Fernando Hasaj, a violinist and the group's musical director, who died unexpectedly in his early 50s shortly before the performance. The program was dedicated to him.

Everything about the renovation of the theater makes you feel good, from the new red velvet on the comfortable seats to the old world curtains framing the entrances to the balconies. Everything shines, especially the music. We have always heard that the higher you sit the better the sound. But we found the acoustics at orchestra level to be as superb as in the galeria. Luciano Pavarotti reportedly said that the acoustics at the Teatro Colon were so good that every mistake could be heard. On Sunday we understood what he meant. Toward the end of a program a piece of sheet music slid off a stand. Hitting the floor it made as much noise as the snare drum used in the piece.

Afterwards we headed across Avenida 9 de Julio to Palacio Español, one of our favorite "special occasion" restaurants and a fitting follow-up to the Teatro Colon excursion, since it was founded in the same year (1908). Like the Teatro, the Palacio shines in both form and in function. Following an appetizer of garlic soup, we shared a huge paella, fit for a king. And after such a day of gilt, we indeed felt like royalty.

"Estado Sionista, Vos Sos El Terrorista"

2010-06-05T18:56:00.000-03:00

Friday evening we walked from Congreso down Avenida 5 de Mayo to the Israeli Embassy in Argentina.

We walked with a few thousand other people in protest of the murder of 9 activists aboard the lead ship of the Freedom Flotilla, attacked in international waters by Israeli commandos on May 31 as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, themselves victims of an Israeli blockade that violates both international law and all standards of human decency.

"Estado sionista, vos sos el terrorista." ("Zionist state, YOU are the terrorist.")

A Night at the Opera

2010-05-27T16:04:00.010-03:00

Last night we attended the first public performance held in the newly renovated Teatro Colon, regarded as one of the top opera houses and classical music venues in the world for its superlative acoustics. The grand reopening caps almost four years of work on the theatre, which first opened its doors in 1908.

The photo on the right shows the view from our seats, up in the "galeria,'' right below "paraiso," where the cheapest tickets (some less than $1 USD) buy you a place to stand with the best sound in the house.

On the stage below us unfolded the story of La bohème, by Giacomo Puccini. Coincidentally, on June 16, 1896, Buenos Aires was the site of the first performance of this opera outside of Italy. Click here to listen to Anna Netrebko sing Musetta's aria in Act II.

We've already bought our tickets for performances by Yo-Yo Ma on June 11 and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony on August 25. We'll be sitting one level down, in the "tertulia." Our tickets for these performances cost $10 each. Casi regalado.

¡Bicentenario!

2010-05-25T17:48:00.005-03:00

Two hundred years ago today Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule. The 2010 commemoration of la revolucion de mayo has lasted for four days. We started off our observations by hanging up our new Argentine flag on the balcony to our living room, following the lead of our neighbors up and down the street.

The official festivities were more elaborate. A lengthy section of Avenida 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires' main avenue - was blocked off for numerous events. These ranged from a parade featuring some 80 groups that have large immigrant groups in the country, lead off by the Arab-Argentine community and Bolivia and including Italy and Spain, the major sources of immigrants to the county, to nightime musical performances honoring the folkloric and tango traditions.

Downpours failed to curb enthusiasm for the celebrations, especially after Argentina won 5-0 over Canada in its last "friendly" this weekend just before leaving for South Africa and the World Cup. We hiked over to the "Paseo Bicentenario" on Sunday and Monday evenings to witness some of the activities, but rain, mud, and overwhelming numbers of people with the same thought in mind did not make for the best viewing experiences.

Today we opted for a calmer celebration at Los Pinos, one of our favorite neighborhood cafes and well known for its locro, a traditional stew served during the "fiestas patrias." Tomorrow night we're headed to Teatro Colon, which has just reopened after almost four years of renovation to restore this architectural and acoustic gem to its orginal 1908 splendor. More on that later.

¡Viva Argentina!

Celebrating Year 2

2010-05-19T18:48:00.003-03:00

Today marks the second anniversary of our arrival to Buenos Aires as residentes rather than turistas. This afternoon we celebrated, as usual, with a nice glass of vino tinto, this time at the outdoor cafe attached to the Museo de Belles Artes. The museum is a nice stroll down Azcuenaga, past the Recoleta Cemetery. A beautiful fall day with lots of warm sunshine after some unseasonably cool weather earlier in the week.

Moving here has allowed us to pursue all those activities we envisioned doing as early retirees, especially traveling, both within Argentina and around the world. It helps that our property taxes are virtually nonexistent compared to what we paid in Texas ($128/year here v. $15,000/year in Austin). We're looking pretty content.

Las Hormiguitas de La Hormiguita

2010-05-18T10:51:00.007-03:00

When we renovated our little 88 square meter apartment, we opted not to include a washing machine in the kitchen in favor of having more storage space and fewer headaches. When the dirty clothes pile up, we march them downstairs and two doors up the street to La Hormiguita, our favorite laundry of the many in the neighborhood. The laundry is open from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm every day except Sunday and certain holidays.

"Las Hormiguitas" (as we call the four friendly ladies who work at the laundry) will wash, dry, and fold all the clothes that fit in one large plastic bag for 14 pesos (about $3.50 USD at the current exchange rate). Much cheaper than buying and maintaining our own machines plus paying for all the washing supplies and the electricity and water. An extra benefit: we get a free "servicio valet" for every seven we pay for. Plus we have a whole set of new friends. In the photo: Sunny, Mariela, Giselle, and Katy (from left to right) right at shift change one day last week. They're always smiling!

OUCH!

2010-05-12T14:43:00.000-03:00

We got back to Buenos Aires earlier this month after two weeks in Texas getting to know our son's future in-laws and taking care of those personal matters that are hard to do from afar. We returned with new friends, lots of wonderful memories of our trip (such nice weather we had!), and, unfortunately, several kilos in excess body baggage. Too many trips to the breakfast bar at our hotel in Fort Worth. Hard to resist those biscuits and sausages . . . also hard to get rid of their tell-tale effects. That plus the fact that we missed our usual work-out schedule meant that our first days back at our gym here were painful. . . but satisfying!

Bull's Gym is 3 blocks north of our apartment, near the intersection of Azcuenaga (our street) and French. It's funkier that other gyms in the city, but also a lot less expensive. We pay 75 pesos each per month for access to all the equipment Monday through Saturday. At the current exchange rate, that's a little over $19 USD per month. Juan and Gabriel (left to right in the photo) are the morning staff. Nice guys.

Good for Another Year

2010-03-30T13:38:00.012-03:00

Red letter day: we successfully negotiated all on our own the process of renewing our temporary residence permits for another year. Our advance work included ordering police reports proving we'd not caused any trouble over the last year and getting photocopies made of our US passports (all pages), Argentine identity documents (also all pages), apostilled and officially translated marriage certificate and proof of Kurt's pension, and our Argentine bank statements for the last 12 months.

At 6:45 this morning we arrived at the immigration office down by the port to find a line already some 100-125 persons long, everyone waiting for the doors to open at 8. Linda asked the third person in line what time he had arrived. "A las cuatro." Fortunately, residency renewal did not seem to be the most common reason for lining up at this hour of the day: we received numbers 8 and 9 for the renewal section and were on our way out the door by 9:15 with our passports bearing the required stamp and signature renewing our residencies through 27 May 2011. Next year we apply for permanent residency, which comes with additional benefits from other Mercosur countries. As permanent residents, for example, we will no longer have to pay $130 for a visa to visit Brazil. We can hardly wait!

Mejor en bici

2010-03-11T16:13:00.017-03:00

Today was a great day to go running around in the parks near the Law School and the Museum of Fine Arts. Turns out it also was a great day to have a press event in the same place, featuring Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri officially inaugurating the northern link in the city's new network of dedicated bike paths.

We snagged some of the yellow booklets explaining the whys and hows of the program to encourage bike use. The material presents some compelling reasons for mejor en bici ("better by bike"), the slogan for the program. Most trips made in Buenos Aires are under 5 km, a distance easily covered by bike. Benefits include better traffic circulation, personal health, and the environment, not to mention the cost savings associated with NOT using a car.

We were caught without a camera, but there are lots of good photos plus more information on Facebook.

¿Vos Hablás Castellano?

2010-03-05T22:36:00.012-03:00

For the last 2 weeks, Linda has been getting up early to navigate through 3 subway stops and 13 city blocks to the DWS language school. There she took lessons in Spanish - or Castellano, as it's called here - Monday through Friday from 9 to 1:30, with a 30-minute break at 11.

She had the good fortune to share the classes with Chloé from London and Camilla from Norway (with maternal family in Brazil). Instructors Ludmilla and Nicolás took them through the paces from the imperativo to the pretérito perfecto and imperfecto to the pluscuamperfecto. Cuando terminaron las clases, Linda había aprendido mucho. Best of all, she discovered that the dreaded "vos" she had been avoiding is actually the easiest form to conjugate.

At right is Camilla with her famous dictionary.

After a 1-week break, Linda's heading back for 2 weeks more, but starting at 2:15 pm instead to accommodate exercise time in the mornings.

Salta la Linda

2010-02-14T11:23:00.028-03:00

Last November, we set out to explore another region of Argentina: Salta, located in the northwestern knob of the country, close to Bolivia and Chile. The name is shared by both the province and the capital city. It only took a little while for us to confirm the appropriateness of the epithet "la linda" for both localities.

The city boasts some stunning examples of colonial architecture (photos here), matched in grandeur by the impressive landscapes of the province. The area also produces wine, particularly Argentina's signature white, Torrontés. We took a day-long tour with a group of mostly European and Australian students to Cafayate (photos here), a center for wine production. So much wine that some enterprising souls also turn it into sherbet. But first, Kurt finally made good on his goal to consume everything - yes, everything - served in the typical parrillada.

Along the way there and back (photos here) we stopped at various rock formations, all designated with names appropriate to their shapes: the monk, the toad, the ampitheater, the nail, and more. We also got opportunities to visit with the goats of a roadside cheese stand and an extremely photogenic llama and his owner, both of whom blended perfectly into the landscape.

Later, back in Salta City, we took the teleferico up Cerro San Bernardo, which offers a different type of landscape as well as great views of the city below (photos here).

We loved the handicrafts we found in Salta, bringing back all sorts of items for our own apartment and our vigorously promoted (!) rental unit: things like footstools, bedside tables, wood and alpaca bowls, and old aguayos (woven poncho-like fabrics). Taxi rides, restaurant meals, admission fees, etc., were all substantially less than in Buenos Aires. Taxis here in Buenos Aires, for example, now start at 4 pesos 60; in Salta, the fares start at 1 peso 50.

But perhaps the most amazing part of our visit was our excursion to the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña, built specifically to house with reverence and dignity the "Niños del Llullaillaco," 3 mummified children of Incan heritage from 500 years ago discovered in 1999 at a volcano located 6,700 meters high in the Andes. This by itself is worth a trip to Salta.

When you go, make sure to stay at Hotel Solar de la Plaza. Great place with great customer service AND the very best restaurant in town, bar none.

And speaking of food (and how could we not?), we were enchanted to find that Salta produces tamales, small but sabrosos, rivalling those of Mexico. Yum.

Big Announcement 2

2010-02-01T08:41:00.009-03:00

Today New World Digital Publishing is releasing favorite daughter Belén's first book, Coffee with Hezbollah, which recounts the story of her 10-week hitchhiking tour of Lebanon with friend and photographer Amelia Opalinska in the wake of the 2006 Israeli attack on that country. It's a surreal saga that blends political analysis and cultural observations in a decidely unique manner. Watch the video now.

But don't just take our word for it! Here's what Norman Finkelstein has to say:

"It's hard to pull off a book that's simultaneously silly and serious, but Fernández managed to do it. A delightful read."

We are proud. For more information about Coffee with Hezbollah and to order your own copy, click here.

Big Announcement 1

2010-01-31T15:19:00.006-03:00

Good news seems to come in groups. Last night, our favorite son Joey proposed to his girlfriend Lauren and they are now officially engaged.

Of course, we are thrilled and need to tell the whole world. Here's a photo of the happy couple from their trip to Buenos Aires in December, in an appropriately loving embrace modeled on a statue in Plaza San Martin.

Another big announcement tomorrow. Stay tuned . . .

Feliz Año Nuevo 2010

2010-01-02T15:18:00.008-03:00

Everything closed down by 3 pm on New Year's Eve, as the residents of Buenos Aires headed to family dinners. The three Fernandez (Kurt, Linda, and Belen) headed over to our rental apartment to see the new year in with friends Bobby and Nancy from Wyoming, whom we had met last Christmas in San Martin de los Andes.

We feasted on shrimp ceviche, a spread of avocado with salsa verde, watermelon, prosciutto pizza with arugala, green salad, and lots of wine and champagne up on the rooftop terraza by the pool. As midnight approached, people set off fireworks from adjacent rooftops. We cheered with each blast of sound and explosion of light.

Before the clock struck 12, we toasted son Joey in abstentia in honor of his 25th birthday on the last day of 2009. Happy birthday and happy new year!

Noche Buena con Amigos Buenos

2009-12-25T10:09:00.010-03:00

Last night we went with Belen to the home of the Moltenos: Eduardo and Stella and Andres, their youngest of 5 children, to celebrate la Navidad. Eduardo owns and operates the La Cava de Vittorio vinoteca (wine store) around the corner from our apartment, and we have become good friends.

Buenos Aires winds down on Christmas Eve; stores close early, traffic decreases substantially, and quiet pervades. We left our apartment shortly after 9 pm, and spent the next 15-20 minutes trying to catch a cab, a process that normally takes 30 seconds in our neighborhood. We still arrived at the Moltenos in plenty of time for a glass of wine before dinner.

Stella had prepared a sumptious spread of cold foods (perfect for the warm humid night): stuffed beef and chicken rolls, deviled eggs on tomatoes, beef with a tuna and caper paste, salads, all complemented with one perfect wine after another. Our contributions were shrimp ceviche, tabouli, and (in the small world department) a fruitcake from Texas' own Collins Street Bakery, sent to us for Christmas by Linda's sister Judy in Sweden.

At midnight the quiet was banished with fireworks large and small. Lacri, the Molteno's dog, hid in the bathroom while we toasted the season with a sparkling blend from Eduardo's collection. Stella drove us home at 2 am.

¡Feliz Navidad!

Jacarandás 2009

2009-11-22T17:59:00.005-03:00

Plentiful spring rains in recent days have washed most of the flowers from the jacarandás while creating a beautiful purple carpet beneath the trees. Photos don't do justice (especially on an overcast afternoon), but we did our best to share the beauty.

These photos were taken along Avenida Libertador, about a dozen blocks north of our apartment, from the Museo Nacional de Belles Artes (and the Law School directly across from it) down to the Museo de Arte Decorativo and Plaza Chile, then back to Plaza Francia.

November is a good time to be in Buenos Aires.

Tomatillos in the Making

2009-11-01T18:45:00.004-03:00

In an ongoing effort to promote Mexican cooking in Argentina, we bought packages of tomatillo and chili poblano seeds during our last visit to the States in June. Once the cold weather had passed here in Buenos Aires, Kurt started the germination process on the roof of our building.

Planting occurred Sept. 3; tomatillo seedlings sprouted Sept. 15 and poblanos about 2 weeks later. Kurt thinned out the seedlings about the middle of October. Today, after a weekend of heavy spring showers, the first tomatillo blossom appeared. More are on their way. We are encouraged.

North to Brazil

2009-10-28T14:36:00.011-03:00

For Kurt's birthday trip this year, we headed north to Bombinhas, a small village on the coast in the southeast Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Quite a change from last year's celebration, in terms of both weather and world financial news.

Getting to Bombinhas took some doing. First Linda had to get an emergency US passport, since the one she had was due to expire in February 2010. Brazil requires that the passport be valid for at least 6 months. Then we had to apply for a Brazilian visa, paying $130 USD each for that document. We had to admit the fee was fair, though -- it's exactly what Brazilians have to pay to apply for a visa to the United States. Apart from the pain to the pocketbook, the process was relatively straightforward and efficient. You apply at the embassy, go pay your fee, and then come back in two days to pick up the visa.

Bombinhas was everything we had hoped for. Small, quiet, clean, and with lots of secluded beaches, plus we were able to get by speaking Spanish. The food - both seafood and Brazilian style BBQ - was great and inexpensive. On the recommendation of Argentine friends, we stayed at a complex of six bungalows built on the side of a hill halfway between "Four Islands Beach" and the town itself. Because we were there before the start of high season, we paid only $45/night for a very comfortable and well equipped cottage. Dubai Bungalows is another place we plan to revisit.

Photos here.

Investing in Argentina

2009-10-04T15:05:00.005-03:00

We did it again: bought another apartment in a gorgeous French-style building in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. No, we're not moving, though we certainly plan to take advantage of some features of the new place that our home here doesn't have. Like a patio with a real Argentine parilla (or grill).

The new apartment is an investment. Before we retired in early 2008, we'd made certain assumptions about the income that our savings would generate. That was then . . . we've spent the last several months revising those estimates and trying to figure out how to preserve principal and earn more than 1.35%.

Argentine real estate has consistently held its value, in large part because mortgages are not easy to come by and have more stringent terms. Purchases generally are cash transactions. Speculative bubbles, like the one that most recently blew up in the US and elsewhere, are nonexistent.

Tourism from the US, meanwhile, is on the rise here, as exchange rates continue to make Europe too expensive for many Americans. So we've dipped our toes into the vacation-rental business, buying a new apartment in an old Belle Epoque building that has been completely refurbished and retrofitted over the last 3 years. The photo here shows it off nicely!

UPDATE 2011: We have sold the apartment.

Mas Pastas

2009-09-25T19:30:00.004-03:00

Pasta - in all shapes - is a staple here in Argentina, thanks to the Italians who immigrated in masses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pasta "factories" offering freshly made noodles, gnochis, raviolis, and pizza dough, and more abound; we've sampled the wares of at least four such fabricas, all within easy walking distance of our apartment. Each offers great products at great prices, but we like the service best at Mas Pastas, located around the corner and one block down. Our friends in this photo are Hugo, Eusebio, and Mario.

One-half kilo of tallarines at Mas Pastas costs 9 pesos and 80 centavos, a "bollo de pizza" (after a recent price increase of 10 centavos) is 2 pesos 50, and a large container of grated parmesan is 6 pesos 50. (One US dollar currently buys about 3.85 pesos.) Great deals, no?

What Happened to August?

2009-08-31T22:57:00.004-03:00

It's a good thing we're retired. This is the only post in August because we've been working overtime (ha!) to finish out and furnish a 66-sq. meter apartment 3 blocks away at Junin 1280. The building is an old family manse estilo frances that has now been added to and converted into 18 short-term rental units. Ours is on the planta baja (ground floor) and thus has its own private patio. We put in the plants last week as the building nears completion. A parilla (grill) is coming soon. We're looking to start renting Oct. 1.

Yet Another Home Improvement Project

2009-07-29T13:22:00.007-03:00

We marked this chilly mid-winter day by having burletes installed on the balcony doors and the front and service doors of our old apartment. What a difference! We could immediately tell that the burletes -- a type of weather-stripping made from cloth -- were working. Cold drafts (and, hopefully, dust and dirt) are now blocked and the street noise has been reduced considerably.

Our burletes were made and installed by the Alberti family. Esteban (son of Eduardo, the marketing and estimating chief) and Martin (cousin to Esteban) did the job for us today in a little under 3 hours. Their next stop: the factory where the family makes the burletes in different colors and sizes. When they're not installing, they're helping out there, under the supervision of Esteban's mom. The burletes are guaranteed for 4 years. We're happy.

Health Through Vino

2009-07-11T11:42:00.021-03:00

Mike and Kelly arrived at our apartment in Buenos Aires on June 30 in the midst of the worst flu epidemic to hit Argentina in years. All three of us Fernandez were suffering, with ailments ranging from chills and fever to full-blown bronchitis. Could it get any worse?

We thought not, so provisioned with antibiotics, super ibuprofens, and prescription expectorants and wearing surgical masks, we ignored the advice "not to do anything" and boarded Aerolineas Argentina for our long-planned trip to the wine country of Mendoza. The warm winter sun and the fruit of the vine did wonders for our health.

Highlights from our visit:

Scenes along the wine routes
Shots from Quinta Anabtawi, our home away from home in Mendoza province, supervised by Homero, the best beagle in the world
Wine tour and tasting at Nieto Senetiner
Wine, snacks, and sun at Tempus Alba
Fantastic 5-course lunch and wine tasting at Ruca Malen
Our incredible drive up into the Andes, complete with a snow-chilled Sauvignon Blanc
Scenes from our brief visit to Mendoza City prior to returning home to Buenos Aires

June 26: International Day Against Torture

2009-06-26T13:59:00.004-03:00

One man's story underscores the need for international efforts.

Here's more about what happened to Mohammed Omer on this day one year ago.

This Morning at the Fruit & Vegetable Stand

2009-05-28T12:12:00.008-03:00

Purchased:

1 gorgeous cauliflower, 3 large zucchinis, 2 cloves garlic, 1 kilo Italian tomatoes, 1/2 kilo strawberries, 2 bananas, 1 head butter lettuce, 6 eggs

Paid: 20 pesos ($5.30 USD)

Celebrating Year 1

2009-05-19T11:55:00.008-03:00

One year ago today, we arrived in Buenos Aires for the first time as residents rather than as visitors. In 12 short months we've completed the renovations to and bought furniture for the apartment, secured residency permits AND renewed them for another year, set up Argentine bank and credit card accounts, made friends, and basically gotten into the swing of our new lives here. And thanks to the much more economical cost of living here, we've been able to pursue our dream of traveling both regionally and internationally.

On this fine fall day, we celebrated with daughter Belen (who is staying here for a while) with lunch at Croque Madame. Que bueno!

To the End of the World & Back

2009-05-10T11:00:00.035-03:00

On April 12, we boarded a large ship in Buenos Aires; two weeks and 3,972 nautical miles later, we arrived at Valparaiso, the major port for Chile, some 1.5 hours driving time in a bus over the mountains and down into Santiago.

In between we saw southern Patagonia on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides. We rounded Cape Horn, thus earning the right to wear a gold earring in our left ear, sailed through the Straits of Magellan, and cruised the Chilean fjords. We saw penguins, llamas, and guanacos (sometimes all together) and the Skua Glacier. Here's the itinerary and some of the 750 photos we took:

Leaving Buenos Aires: the city looks much bigger from the sea than the land. We get ready for the shipwide "emergency" drill. Our stateroom is on Deck 3, one up from the water line, giving us a great view of rocking swells later on in the voyage.

Montevideo, Uruguay: the boat stops for 6 hours of shore time at Uruguay's capital. We wander the historical and downtown centers, buy a bottle of fine Uruguayan Tannat, then head back to the malecon skirting the Rio Plate to enjoy it and the view. Kurt says he's reminded of Havana.

Punta del Este, Uruguay: the Altantic beach retreat in this part of the world. Calm, clean and organized; Linda liked it a lot more than she thought she would. On the list for future short vacations. The fish market on the wharf is extra special.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina: we hook up with Modesto, Rosa, and Diego from Miami and grab a cab to Punta Tombo, home to 1.5 million magellenic penguins at the height of the season (plus assorted other Andean wildlife) before winter migration. Enough are still there to make the two-hour ride each way worthwhile. The scenery looks like a mix of Hill Country and West Texas. The penguins burrow into the ground.

Navigating Cape Horn & Environs: Chile claims title to this toenail of South America, protected by a light house and a garrison of naval personnel stationed for 6 months at a time. Fortunately, we have great weather; only later does the captain tell us that the same cruise a few weeks earlier had encountered 40-foot swells and Category 3 hurricane winds. The scenery is breathtaking.

Ushuaia, Argentina: "The end of the world," only 50 miles from the tip of Antarctica. It's a small town with nothing fancy except the scenery. It's gorgeous.

Punta Arenas, Chile: Chileans call this the southernmost city of the world (ignoring Ushuaia's claim to fame). Everything is neat and clean. The main plaza is centered on a huge monument to Magellan. The saying is you will return if you rub the Indian's toe. Around the square are turn of the century mansions and government buildings. We have a glass of wine in one former mansion now restaurant and hotel. The populace seem innured to the rainy weather; we're the only ones with an umbrella. Linda buys an alpaca sweater in the plaza for $15 USD; no one seems to have Chilean pesos here.

Strait of Magellan, Chilean Fjords, and Skua Glacier: We cruise through the strait, delineated by fjords and other remnants of glacial activity. The captain makes a slight detour to the Skua Glacier. Incredible.

Puerto Montt, Chile: Bigger and funkier than Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt is a haven for seafood lovers. The specialty is king crab. We later are told that the town was devastated in the early 1960s by a 9.5 earthquake that produced a tidal wave which also destroyed Hilo, Hawaii and did extensive damage in Japan. Another finding: trained llamas do their business just like dogs.

Santiago de Chile: We leave our ship at Valparaiso (with regrets after such a wonderful time!) and head inland to Chile's capital. Like the rest of Chile that we've seen, the city is very neat and clean, though the smog is unfortunately a real problem.

Day 1: We spend our first full day exploring Cerro San Cristobal, the city's highest hill and home to the municipal park. We hike up part way, stopping at a hillside restaurant for a great lunch. We take the teleferico (like a ski lift) to the summit, wander around the shrine to the Virgin, and then take the funicular back down the hill. All along the way are places to eat and sit, all neat as a pin.
Day 2: The next day we head out for quick tours of the neighorhood and central markets, the precolumbian museum (complete with figurines depicting all sorts of every day activities), and the other hill in town, the Cerro Santa Lucia.
Day 3: We've just a few hours to wrap up our visit. We breeze through the plaza outside the government house (where we are treated to "saluting" dogs of the federal police), and catch the tail end of demonstration in front of the statue to Salvador Allende, who was overthrown by a Pinochet on Sept. 11, 1973. At the airport, we don masks against the threat of swine flu, only to find out later that they probably offer no defense.

What a trip!

Recent Events

2009-04-01T13:26:00.010-03:00

The mirror masterpiece by Raul (the artista en cristal) is now installed in the living room. What a difference! We're reminded of the line in The Big Lebowski about "bringing the whole room together."

In other events, we've started the process of renewing our residency papers. Hard to believe that time has already arrived. Step 1 was completed this morning, with another criminal background check, which consists of checking our datos personales and fingerprints. We passed. Next week we'll lug photocopies of all relevant documents (which were properly apostilled in the US state of origin and then officially translated and legalized here) down to the immigration office. The process gets much easier, since we already have most of the necessary documentation from our initial permit gained last year. New items are bank statements showing monthly transfer of pension funds to Argentina, thus complying with the terms of our residency permits.

Meanwhile, signs of fall are everywhere. The air has turned much drier and cooler and the sun is now shining into the apartment from different angles. Should be perfect weather tomorrow for our next date with Lorenzo (our pretend dog), scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

In addition, tomorrow is a holiday in Argentina, meaning that both vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be much lighter in our neighborhood. The holiday honors those who served in the Malvinas War of 1982. In one of those strange coincidences, the funeral of Raul Alfonsin also is scheduled for tomorrow. Alfonsin became the first democratically elected president of Argentina in modern times, following the disaster of the Malvinas War and the political oppression and human rights violations of the military dictatorship in the 1970s and early 1980s. Alfonsin passed away at age 82 yesterday, March 31.

Save the Windows

2009-03-20T14:44:00.009-03:00

The bedrooms, dressing room, and bathroom in our apartment flow around an "aire y luz" (less poetically called a ventilation well in English). The windows opening on to the well are beautiful examples of the French-style design that dominated architecture here in the first part of the 20th century. When we bought the apartment, Kurt vowed to restore the windows to their original beauty. Today he completed his mission, sealing the panes of the last of this set of five windows.

The job was not easy, requiring some gravity-defying contortions to remove old paint, putty, and other debris from both the inside and the outside and then to apply sealer to 24 different sections of glass in each mullioned window. (ADD 1: That's on the outside, Kurt points out. Inside work involved cleaning 156 individual sections of glass on each window.)

The project also featured several trips down to the planta baja (ground floor), where Sr. y Sra. Recondo good naturedly retrieved for us a variety of tools and materials that landed in their patios. It's one way to get to know your neighbors.

London for Less

2009-03-14T16:41:00.014-02:00

There are some silver linings to the economic crisis. First, for some reason the U.S. dollar is up against most other currencies, including the British pound. Second, air fares are down. Both good reasons to finally make that trip to London.

Another good reason: we very much needed to change our travel pattern from Texas - Buenos Aires - Texas to BA - Texas - BA. So on February 26 we flew back to Austin, using the return portion of our tickets that had brought us to Buenos Aires last May. (Thanks to our good friends Roger and Maria Nasr for putting us up!)

With our Texas business (tax filings, bank runs, and medical appointments) out of the way, we left for London on March 4 on an open-jaw ticket that allowed us to return from London to Buenos Aires. Of course, we had to connect through Houston on the return leg, which made for a very long trip: we left the apartment we had rented in London at 6:30 am on March 12, and arrived at our home in Buenos Aires at 11:30 am on March 13, some 31 hours later.

London was worth it, though. We stayed in Southwark, right off the Tower of London Bridge, on the south side of the Thames, in an area of refurbished warehouses that had served the docks in past eras. We were pretty much in walking distance of most attractions: we trekked across various bridges, to Bloomsbury and the British Museum, to Westminster and Parliament and other government buildings, as well as to closer sites, including Burrough's Market, St. Paul's Cathedral, the National Theatre (where we attended a dramatic reading by playwright David Hare), and the adjacent Festival Hall area, with all sorts of enterprising entertainers performing for passers-by. Photo impressions here.

Lorenzo & Ceibos

2009-02-20T22:50:00.012-02:00

Lorenzo, the Bounder look-alike from across the street, is now officially our "pretend dog." This afternoon we took him for an hour-long walk up Azcuenaga to the park across from the Buenos Aires Design Center and then around the British Embassy and back home. It was a treat to have some doggie time.

Here's Kurt with Lorenzo, framed by blossoms of a ceibo tree. The ceib0 blossom is the national flower of Argentina. A treeful makes for a pretty impressive sight - just about as impressive as the jacarandas in the spring.

Celebrating Bounder

2009-02-19T18:59:00.009-02:00

Bounder didn't make it - at least not physically - with us to Buenos Aires, but his spirit lives on. We celebrated his memory today, on the date our favorite Austin yellow street dog passed away in 2008 after enriching our lives for 14 years. As a dear friend put it at the time, "it is hard to lose those trusty tail-wagging always-there friends."

We see Bounder all around us here. Lots of yellow Labs and yellow partial Labs and just plain yellow mutts that look and act like the B-dog. Right across the street from us, on the same level as our apartment, lives a Bounder look-and-act-alike whose owner we have just met. Tomorrow we have a date to take Lorenzo for a walk. Bounder lives on.

Nuevo Amigo

2009-02-10T20:02:00.009-02:00

At mid-day Raul Vidal, our new friend, stopped by to final measurements and design for the mirror he's going to make for our living room. Raul is an artist in cristal.

Raul would fit well in Austin: he's a radical vegan whose workshop's walls bear the Argentine flag adorned with photos of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro with Cristina Fernandez.

We took an excursion there last Saturday to see more of his work. Raul lives in Avellaneda, outside the limits of Capital Federal, in Buenos Aires province. We were reminded of Mexico City.

The mirror should be finished around the end of the month. Stay tuned.

Protesting the Gaza Massacres

2009-01-22T22:18:00.014-02:00

At 5 this afternoon, tens of thousands of Argentines in Buenos Aires representing some 50 political, social, and labor organizations marched from the congress building to the embassy of Israel to condemn the massacres in the Gaza Strip. Many held signs with gruesome photos showing the bodies of some of the 400 plus children killed in the 3 week bombardment that left dead more than 1300 Palestinians and some 13 Israelis (including several military personnel killed by "friendly fire"). Body counts and other reliable details at Free Gaza and the Palestine Chronicle.

Speakers at the march condemned the attacks and urged the Mercosur nations to repudiate any free trade agreement with Israel. Mercosur members include Argentina and Brazil (the two largest economies in South America), along with Paraguay and Uruguay. Associate members include Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

We marched today with our new neighbors. As the poet Miguel de Unamuno said during the Spanish civil war, "sometimes to be silent is to lie."

Tuesday, Jan. 13

2009-01-13T19:33:00.011-02:00

The day turned nice. Some gentle rain fell last night, but not nearly enough to break the drought affecting the campo. Though gray and humid was not intolerable after recent warm days, the cool, dry wind that blew in from the south around 6 pm scattered the clouds and also refreshed the spirit.

Daughter Belen continues here with us for another few days. She stays constantly occupied with her writing. Her most recent publication.

More ordered furniture arrived last week. That triggered a flurry of box-openings, selecting books and photos from our culled down but still ample collections.

The photo was taken from the living room around 7:30 this evening.

Peace in 2009

2009-01-01T14:12:00.009-02:00

Buenos Aires welcomed in 2009 with an almost eerie quiet. By yesterday afternoon, the streets were deserted and most businesses closed. Later, as we waited with daughter Belen to ring in the new year, we noticed how many apartments in buildings around us were shuttered and dark. Even the few fireworks (more noise than lights) at midnight were sparse.

Many people here (as in Europe) take off for the mountains or the beach for several weeks over the summer, escaping the heat of the city. Our favorite pasta factory, for example, closed down Dec. 29 and won't reopen until early February. (Fortunately there are other options in the neighborhood.)

The peaceful mood here contrasts starkly with the images of carnage, desperation, and grief coming from the Gaza Strip. How can we be allowing this massacre to continue?

Horrors from Distant Shores

2008-12-30T10:26:00.015-02:00

This entry was supposed to have been the recap of our family's Christmas vacation in San Martin de los Andes. That is being postponed; warm and fuzzy feelings of holiday celebrations seem trivial in the face of the massacres in the Gaza Strip. (Photo from Aljazeera.net through The Palestinian Chronicle.)

Contrary to Israeli excuses for their savagery, Hamas was not the one to violate the cease fire. Israel did when it bombed the tunnels Palestinians had dug to bring in supplies. Israel has confined 1.5 million people in a space smaller than 140 square miles. Regularly it shuts down entry and exit points, prohibiting delivery of food, medical supplies, and other basic needs, including supplies coming from the United Nations. It also regularly cuts off power. Sort of like a concentration camp.

For more background and analysis, check out these recent reports: Hannukah Games and Barack Obama on Siege, Killings in Gaza.

Voice your outrage to the Israelis and the U.S. government, which provides the weapons that are being used not for protection but for genocide:

Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC: info@washington.mfa.gov.il
White House: comments@whitehouse.gov
Obama transition team

Cocina Mexicana en Argentina

2008-12-15T21:55:00.016-02:00

El dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe had passed by a mere three days when we decided to have a Mexican feast. Our new wooden tortilla press from La Michoacana in East Austin, Texas, faced its first real test: enough authentic Mexican tortillas to make a tray of enchiladas. We had dabbled with the press since bringing it to Buenos Aires in our backpack after Thanksgiving, making tentative orders of small, thick tortillas for "sopes'' and a few tortillas to be used as a substitute for bread with a Cuban dish, picadillo.

These early efforts emboldened us. Using the masa de maiz we had brought back with the press, Kurt made around 15 tortillas.

The process is not hard but requires a deft touch. You mix a little water with the masa, knead this for a couple of minutes till you get the right consistency, then form small balls. Next, using the press, turn each ball into a tortilla. Gently peel the tortilla from the plastic lining the press and flop it on the very hot comal, or flat griddle, for about a minute on each side. Then toss it into a tortilla warmer to keep it warm til ready to use. Kurt's tortillas turned out perfect!

For her part, Linda sauteed broccoli and mushrooms and added them to a bed of grated mozzarella cheese (an easy substitute for queso asadero) in each tortilla. She rolled them up, then layered the enchiladas with some salsa verde, cream, and the rest of the grated mozzarella, and then popped the concoction into the oven for a while. More salsa verde and cream and shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cilantro were then added as garnishes.

Complimenting the meal was Belen's best-ever guacamole, plus refried beans from El Paso, Texas, scored at Jumbo, a Chilean-owned supermarket in Palermo that carries a weird assortment of of imported foods catering to Mexicans (or gringos looking for Mexican food), Arabs, and Germans.

Photos of the process and the results.

SIDE NOTE: Since moving to Argentina last May, we have experienced painful withdrawal from Mexican food and its northern neighbor Tex Mex. We have been tempted to go to some of the few Mexican restaurant in Buenos Aires but always nix the idea after reading negative blog comments. No Mexican food is better than bad Mexican food, we say. We have no complaints about the Italo/Gaucho cuisine of our adopted country, but after three years in Mexico City in the early 1970s and many years since reliving the culinary experiences, Mexican food is like an addiction for us. On our recent trip back to Austin, Kurt ate Mexican food every meal except two over a period of five days. Now we can indulge here in BA, too.

Buenos Aires: Much More Than a City

2008-12-13T12:17:00.025-02:00

Beyond Buenos Aires city -- the Capital Federal, as it's defined -- are the suburban bedroom communities of Gran Buenos Aires and the small towns of the Provincia of Buenos Aires. This past week we explored more of these parts as Salih's visit drew to an end.

Wednesday, Dec. 10, the four of us set out for Tigre, a small town northwest of the city where three rivers come together in the Delta to form the giant Rio de la Plata. From our apartment, we first took the subway's D line to Ministro Carranza (90 centavos per ticket), then the commuter train to Mitre Station (another 65 centavos each), and finally the Tren de la Costa (7 pesos each at the residents' rate). With the Argentine peso now trading at around 3.4 to the dollar, the hour-long trip was a real bargain.

We arrived too late to take any of the regular boat excursions through the Delta. Instead, we hopped aboard one of the small commuter launches that serve the people who live on the many little islands in the Delta. Folks heading home after work and/or shopping trips were dropped off at individual or neighborhood piers. Waterways provide the only access; no cars here.

Photos of our visit to Tigre here.

The next day we headed further northwest to San Antonio de Areco, best known for its annual gaucho festival in November. We hired our friend Eduardo, a professional driver and man of much knowledge about all things Argentine, to transport us over the 120 kilometer distance. As we rolled from the city through Gran Buenos Aires, the scenery changed from the high rises and great parks of the metropolis to the shopping centers of the suburbs. We knew we had hit the "campo" when the multi-laned autopista abruptly ended at a final toll both, giving way to spreading fields of corn, soy, and wheat interspersed with horse pastures and shady groves of trees.

Our first stop, a gas station on the outskirts of San Antonio, included a distinctively Argentine feature: a vending machine selling hot water for mate, the herbal drink of choice here. We headed to the gaucho museum (where Belen immediately bonded with a small dog we named in honor of Salih), then downtown for a lunch of what else but fine Argentine beef, followed up by a stroll through the historic center and then liquid refreshments under a shade tree outside "la Esquina de Merti," a vintage watering hole and restaurant. Next time we stay longer.

Photos of San Antonio de Areco here.

San Telmo & Other Sights of the City

2008-12-09T13:53:00.007-02:00

Daughter Belen and friend Salih Mendos from Turkey arrived in Buenos Aires a few days before we returned from Thanksgiving with son Joey in Texas. Showing Salih around has been a good opportunity for us to revisit spots we've not been to in a while.

This past Sunday we headed down to San Telmo, the oldest part of the city. Every weekend a giant street fair holds something for everyone: antiques and artesanias, mimes and musicians, and everything in between. Our favorite activity is listening to the Orquestra El Afronte, a tango band that is always set up in front of San Telmo Church. (San Telmo -- or St. Elmo in English -- is the patron saint of sailors.)

In other excursions, we've hiked through the Ecological Reserve by the river and spent a lovely afternoon in the Botanical Gardens of Palermo playing a round of crazy eights. Salih is the new champion.

Perfect Weather for Polo

2008-11-17T19:51:00.011-02:00

A cool front blew in from the south last Friday night, dropping temperatures on Saturday to more spring-like levels from the warmer highs of the week. It was a perfect day for watching the 115th Argentine Open Polo Championship . . . and fortunately we had free tickets, compliments of our favorite bank.

We headed out from our apartment in the mid afternoon. Two blocks to our subway stop (Pueyrredon), then five stations to Palermo. A long block up Avenida Bullrich, past an army installation from the early 20th century, then the mosque (the largest in South America), and left on Avenida Libertador to the polo fields, across from the race track. Photos here.

Despite our ignorance of the game's rules and strategy, we enjoyed watching the players, the horses, the crews, and the crowd. Pilara beat Chapeleufu, 14-13.

Mas Jacarandas

2008-11-10T18:36:00.010-02:00

Jacaranda season is too short. Already lavender petals are dusting the sidewalks under the trees.

Determined to enjoy while we can, we headed out again this afternoon (though the day was not quite as perfect as yesterday). North towards the parks, plazas, and trees, past Plaza Francia and the memorial to Khalil Gibran, then back home via Plaza Paraguay (and all the children at play) after a leisurely stop for pear cake and a glass of wine at Florencio's.

More photos of jacarandas (and other flora) for those like us who just can't get enough.

Domingo, 9 de 11 2008

2008-11-09T17:42:00.014-02:00

Today was a glorious celebration of spring before its transformation into summer. Though the air was warm the breeze was cool. And jacaranda trees throughout the city are covered with masses of lavender blossoms.

We left the apartment at 12:30 noon, heading north on Azcuenaga over Avenida las Heras around the British Embassy and Plaza Mitre to Avenida del Libertador. Left on Libertador past the memorial to Evita Peron (with the National Library in the background) and the Automobile Club of Argentina to Croque Madame, one of our favorite outside cafes (as everyone knows). A leisurely 2 hour lunch, then over the street to Plaza Chile and the monument to O'Higgins, then back up Libertador past the mechanical flower that opens and closes with the sunlight and the Facultad de Derecho, right on the overpass, and back to Azcuenaga 1170 by 5:30.

Here's the afternoon in pictures.

To the Andes

2008-10-26T14:40:00.019-02:00

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.

Recent Events

2008-10-22T21:28:00.014-02:00

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.

About that European Vacation . . .

2008-10-16T10:00:00.004-03:00

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.

August 27-28: From Brindisi to Paris

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!

Two Votes for the World

2008-10-14T15:48:00.008-03:00

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.

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

2008-10-10T15:44:00.010-03:00

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.

Spring Arrives

2008-09-24T08:56:00.015-03:00

Spring officially began in Argentina this past Sunday, Sept. 21, but we welcomed in the new season yesterday, when blue skies and a warming sun sent temperatures up to 21 degrees Celsius (about 70 F) and beckoned us outside. We celebrated at our favorite outdoor eating spot: Croque Madame, a French-style cafe attached to the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, about a 15-minute walk from our apartment. Kurt had the French onion soup, Linda the saffron risotto; we shared the complimentary appetizer (pate and toasted bread), a green salad, bottle of mineral water, and a nice bottle of white wine.

The museum is housed in a palatial building completed in 1918 as the residence of the Errazuriz Alvear family, prominent figures in Argentine history. It exemplifies the estilo frances architecture so pervasive here in the early 20th century (albeit on a very grand scale!).

Civic Duties

2008-09-19T21:30:00.011-03:00

Last night we attended our first convocation of the homeowners' association for our building. Six of the seven units were represented. We met in the apartment of the "administradora" who has lived on the 4th floor for around 25 years and raised three boys there with her husband.

We agreed on a higher dues for the next year, mostly due to inflationary pressures and most particularly because of retirement contributions for Don Tito, who does basic cleaning for the building three times a week.

Today we faxed our requests for federal absentee ballots to the Travis County Clerk. We hope our votes will count.

The Downsizing Continues

2008-09-17T11:27:00.007-03:00

Six hundred days of music are now compressed into one small Ipod with access through our new Bose portable docking station, a wonderfully compact audio marvel. This duo resides on the top shelf of our petite desk . . . much more efficiently than the 200-some CDs and boom box they replaced.

By downloading and transferring the contents of the CDs, we've freed up more valuable space in our apartment and further minimized the number of possessions requiring our care and attention.

Now, if Linda could only find a similar technology for shoes . . . .

Back in BA . . . and Back to Business

2008-09-11T17:02:00.007-03:00

We're back in Buenos Aires after a 6-week adventure that took us from Stockholm, Sweden, to the very southern tip of Italy, and then to Paris (with a one-day side excursion to St. Malo in Normandy). Lots of good food, friendly people, and beautiful sites. We'll post photos here soon.

But for now we're nesting. First item on the agenda when we returned Sept. 9 was going through and organizing the contents of those too many boxes from our household shipment that were delivered literally hours before we took off on our trip. Much has been accomplished on that front. However, pending arrival of bookcases and other furniture, books and photos will have to remain in their containers.

Second action item: picking up our DNIs (Documento Nacional de Identidad). This precious "national identity document" facilitates financial transactions and travel and is solid evidence of our legal status here in Argentina. We picked up the DNIs this afternoon. Gaining them represents the culmination of many steps in the bureaucratic process. It also serves as a milestone: no more paper shuffling until next year, when we renew our temporary residency for another 12 months.

Hay Que Tener Paciencia

2008-07-24T20:15:00.006-03:00

One has to be patient. Over the last two months we former Air Force brats have relearned how to hurry up and wait. Since our last posting, we've had some exhilarating moments with federal bureaucracy, ranging from the officials who approve national identity documents (or DNI, in the castilian - as they say here - abbreviation) to the customs inspector charged with establishing the value of and approving delivery of our household shipment. Then home to wait . . . and wait . . . and wait some more.

DNIs will be ready sometime around mid-August. With this important number we'll be able to get credit cards from our bank here in Argentina.

But our household goods finally made it to our apartment yesterday evening, 2 and 1/2 months since our Texas shippers hauled off everything from our Austin apartment. Delivery time was set for between 4 and 5 pm, but actually occurred between 6:30 and 7 pm. "Technical difficulties with the truck" was the way the local agent described the additional delay; the guys handling the delivery more plainly (and accurately) said the truck had broken down. A second truck had to be dispatched to retrieve and deliver our container.

We had sold or given away most of our accumulated goods over the past several years; our shipment consisted of about 50 boxes/wrapped items total, mainly photo albums, clothes, and kitchen ware. After living with so little, though, we were overwhelmed by the amount of extraneous stuff in those 50 boxes. We are realizing we need to pare down even more. Already we've made a good start at downloading our CD collection to the MacBook Pro we bought earlier this year. We plan on buying an IPod and Bose docking station to eliminate the more than 300 CDs we still own. Next up: another go at culling the wardrobe. We'll get there.

A Visit to the Doctor

2008-07-08T19:32:00.008-03:00

No conversation about our moving to South America ever ended without someone asking what we planned to do for medical care. The implication invariably was that we were setting ourselves up for iffy if not downright inferior treatment. Based on our first experience with the health care system in Argentina we're not too worried.

For a couple of weeks now, Linda had a nagging cough and sore throat. Today it worsened so we walked toward Hospital Aleman, perhaps the ritziest medical facility in the country. But before getting there we turned into a Swiss Medical Group facility not two blocks from the apartment. The place was spotless and new. A receptionist referred us to ear, nose, and throat specialists on the second floor. We went up, waited in line for a few seconds, and while Kurt went to retrieve Linda's passport for the all-important document number, she was whisked in to see a young female doctor in a white coat. By the time he returned, Linda was coming out of the examining room with two prescriptions: one for antibiotics and another for a decongestant. The charge for the visit (without private medical insurance) was about $16! Two doors from Swiss Medical we filled both prescriptions for $23. The antibiotic alone would have cost $65 in the States.

We could submit these payments to our health insurance carrier in the U.S. for reimbursement but it hardly seems worth the effort. As soon as we finish with other pressing matters (the final punch lists on the apartments, customs procedures for our household shipment, etc.), we'll resume looking into private medical coverage here. Never has medical care been so easy, so efficient, or so cheap.

At Last: A Place to Sit

2008-07-02T19:48:00.009-03:00

Red letter day: we brought home the cafe table and two chairs we had ordered soon after arriving here. Forty days from placing the order to receiving the goods: only 10 days later than the estimated delivery time. Not bad!

The new set substantially augments our meagre supply of furniture, which consists of a mattress on the floor and a camping chair (that has endured more use than could ever have been intended). We now have a more agreeable alternative to the other eating arrangements we have tried. Creature comforts are good. Very good.

We ordered the set from Sediana, a company that apparently makes most (if not all) of the tables and chairs used in Buenos Aires cafes and restaurants. The trio fits right into the rinconcito (little nook) between the kitchen and bedroom. Ideal for morning coffee and evening aperitif. We inaugurated the set this evening with a homemade meal of Linda's famous beef stew, complemented by salad, bread, and, of course, a few glasses of Malbec. Lovely.

The Allure of Eating In

2008-06-28T19:12:00.008-03:00

Eating out -- even in Buenos Aires -- can get old! During our four days in Mendoza, we enjoyed eight consecutive meals of slow food at Estancia La Florencia: brochette de pollo y lomo, asparagus soup, French omelette, bife de chorizo, huge salads of hearts of palm, avocado, baby asparagus, and olives, among other delights. With each meal we split a Bonarda/Malbec from Crotta or a pequena vasija of white wine from La Rural (Rutini) and mineral water con gas. The meals ran on for hours, making it possible for us to befriend waiters Daniel, Patricio, and Roberto, who gave us his exquisite recipe for chimichuri sauce. With tips, the meals averaged about $30 ARS, about $10 per person.

Eating out in Mendoza wasn't a novelty. Since arriving in Buenos Aires in May, we had been eating almost every meal out. Places like Croque Madame, Florencio, Teodoro's, Battaglia, Los Molinos, Los Pinos . . .

So on our first night back in Buenos Aires, we didn't feel like rushing out for dinner. Instead, Linda made garbanzos with chorizo estilo espanola, following Kurt's grandmothers' recipes to a T.

Last night we decided to try the "fabrica de pasta" we'd seen a couple of blocks from the apartment. We bought a half kilo of fresh fideos caseros to serve with the rattatoulie Linda had made earlier in the day, using black olives brought back from Mendoza and fresh vegetables from the produce stand down the block. We also picked up a pollo rostizado, much like the ones we used to get in Mexico but about twice the size, from a place called Traks. Rounding out the meal was a bottle of Syrah from Don Arturo's vineyard in Mendoza, also toted back on the plane in carry on luggage sans TSA issues.

Because we still have no furniture beyond the mattress on the floor and a camping chair, we ate at the counter in the pantry, using our new Argentine dinnerware.

Today the left-over chicken and pasta are being turned into an Argentine version of chicken noodle soup. Tomorrow, we may well be ready to try out Granda, a small French restaurant four blocks away known for its casserole cuisine.

Whether out or in, dining is good in Argentina.

Art, Health, and Carbon Footprints

2008-06-27T14:01:00.023-03:00

Almost 40 days now in Argentina and we can count on one hand the number of times we've been in an automobile. All of them were in taxis, mostly to and from the airport. Since the first one dropped us (and our nine pieces of luggage) off at the front door to the apartment building, our principal modes of transportation have been the subte (subway) and colectivos (buses), both with fares at 30 cents US, and shoe leather.

Mostly we walk because everything is within easy reach. Bull's Gym, where we work out twice a week, is exactly 500 paces from our apartment. Pretty much everything else necessary to sustain life -- from a world class hospital to grocery stores -- is closer. La Hormiguita, which does our laundry, is about 10 paces; the nearest fresh vegetable stand is maybe 20. Several news stands, Los Pinos and Los Molinas (two of our favorite restaurants), our banks, and a grand old-style movie theater with seating for several hundred, all are within a couple of blocks.

We got into the habit of hoofing it in Austin in January 2007 after we sold the last of the approximately 23 cars we had owned over the years. In BA, it's just easier to do without a vehicle. Plus walking and using public transportation both are great ways to soak up the architectural wonders of our new hometown. The photo above shows part of the murals at the Facultad de Medicina station, just one example of the 1930s tile work adorning many of the subte stops.

The Wonders of Water in Mendoza

2008-06-26T16:32:00.041-03:00

Mendoza averages 220 mm of rainfall per year (under 9 inches), about the same as El Paso, Texas. The region's vineyards, olive groves, park vegetation, drinking water supplies all owe their existence to an elaborate system of irrigation that dates back to Incan times. Snowmelt from the Andes is collected and channeled into area rivers for transport and ultimate diversion to downstream acequias (ditches).

Mendocinos are proud of their man-made oasis in the desert. Cab drivers, waiters, and vendors pointed out to us the extensive diversity of vegetation. Throughout the city, acequias of all vintages water roadside trees that provide shade and beauty (look to the right of the trees in the photo). Just be careful coming home from a late night out!

We spent our last full day in Mendoza yesterday soaking up the sun in the town's incredible Parque General San Martin (remember winter officially began down here in the southern hemisphere on June 21). Acequias, complete with gates, crisscross the 512-hectare park, apparently fed by the man-made lake that also serves the region's rowing enthusiasts. The fountain shown below is just one of the many other water features in the park. (Despite retirement from WaterPR, Linda's still fascinated with water works!)

Beyond Buenos Aires

2008-06-23T20:43:00.010-03:00

With all important matters taken care of or in process in Buenos Aires, we've headed to Mendoza. Today we took a half-day tour of a small olive orchard and processing plant and two vineyards: Baudron, a large concern, and Cavas de Don Arturo, a small organic enterprise that exports only to Kentucky (of all places). The latter is particularly gorgeous; the current owners have preserved the original French-style buildings from the early 20th century (see photo by Kurt).

Of course, we wound up buying all sorts of bargains: extra virgin olive oil, olive paste (both black and green), Greek-style black olives, and several bottles of wonderful wine: Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, and Tempranillo.

Plus we've found a great place to eat: Estancia La Florencia.

Several thumbs up for food AND service.

Music to Celebrate With

2008-06-21T14:38:00.016-03:00

Last night we had the pleasure of attending yet another free concert at the University of Buenos Aires Law School. The National Symphony Orchestra, with guest piano soloist Boris Giltburg, performed Rachmaninoff's Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2. The audience went wild at the end, so much so that Giltburg came back with a solo piece as an encore. Much more sombre, almost dirge-like (the piece unfortunately was not identified), successfully defusing the general mania so that Giltburg could leave the stage.

The second offering was Shostakovich's Symphony #12 ("1917"), a virtual war within the orchestra, led by the percussion and wind sections. As Kurt put it, both pieces were extremely physical; the orchestra (not to mention the director) was put through the wringer!

The Law School, we are told, was originally the site of the Eva Peron Foundation. The building looks a monolithic supreme court from the outside: massive columns devoid of decoration. But inside the "Salon de Actos" (assembly hall), where many of the performances are held, the austerity gives way to red velvet seats and a massive painting depicting the founding of the University of Buenos Aires in 1821. (Photo by Kurt)

What a great way to celebrate our new residency status.

And We're Legit

2008-06-20T18:35:00.004-03:00

We're golden! Today we picked up our signed and sealed "temporary" residency papers, good for one year and renewable for two more. After that, we are eligible for permanent residency and, two years later, citizenship. The process requires quite a bit of paper collection: apostilled and notarized birth and marriage certificates, criminal records (or evidence of lack thereof), proof of pension, etc. The last item is the one that greases the skids. Thank you to the Newspaper Guild, AFL-CIO, for Kurt's monthly pension check.

Those residency papers already have come in handy. Tickets on Aerolineas Argentinas are about half the price for residents. We picked up round-trip tickets from BA to Mendoza (capital of the wine country, as everyone knows) for $300 US for the two of us. Charge to non-residents would have been $750 US. Life is good.

Sunday we head to Mendoza for a quick reconnaissance (and break from waiting for the furniture to arrive). Back on Thursday to continue the process of setting up the bank account here. More paperwork, but it's worth it.

We're Home!

2008-06-18T09:28:00.007-03:00

On May 19, 2008, Kurt and I moved into our apartment in Buenos Aires. 88 square meters of 1928 French-style architecture in an eight-floor building in Barrio Norte, part of the greater Recoleta neighborhood.

We had bought the apartment almost two years' previous, and begun the renovation process (long distance from Austin, Texas) in July 2007. A long punch list remained, but the critical elements were done: new wiring and plumbing installed, all woodwork stripped and refinished, original parquet floors polished, walls plastered and painted, kitchen and bath gutted and new fixtures and accessories installed.

Our first month here has been a mix of paperwork and housework. Finalizing the residency papers, delivering required documents to the customs broker for our modest shipment of mainly photo albums and personal effects, ordering new furniture, overseeing installation of the heating and cooling device, cleaning up excess grout and similar renovation detritus, polishing doorknobs and plates that some said were beyond such attention, and much more.

But we've also had time to enjoy some of the many amenities of Buenos Aires. Free concerts by the national symphony at the Law School, a 20-minute walk away, and by guitar and organ maestros at the metropolitan cathedral, a short subway ride from the apartment. Not to mention great food, marvelous and inexpensive wines, and the architectural richness that abounds. We are more convinced than ever that the decision to escape to Buenos Aires was a good one.