Why we fell in love with Argentina

We're off!!

Our trip begins on the morning of 11 September: the day of our wedding!! I get up at 6 and my brother drives me to the hairdresser … in the car we sing at the top of our lungs!! The day promises to be sunny…. WOW… I couldn't have hoped for better!! At the church Stefano is waiting for me …… my fiancé ….. smiling as always……. I'm overcome with emotion…….. but when he gives me his arm to walk me to the altar, I calm down a bit and manage to enjoy the whole ceremony and the hymns. After the ceremony, off to lunch and photos in Bellagio, the pearl of Lake Como ……… The weather is on our side and our wedding day flies by in the blink of an eye…….. In the evening we say goodbye to the friends who kept celebrating with us in our little house ….. we won't hear from them for 3 weeks ……. Our mega honeymoon awaits us …..

ARGENTINA/BRAZIL HERE WE COME!!!!On the 13th we get up early; a ton of flight hours await us before arriving in Buenos Aires. I start to get nervous and worried……. anxious as usual……. The things I found online about Iberia have planted the seed of doubt about the suitcases and the schedule!! Luckily my brand-new husband is calm and tries to instil some of his confidence in me. He manages it … but only a little!!! Here we go!!!! We're on time and I start to really calm down. In Madrid the one-hour stopover stretches a bit to almost three hours ….. but who cares…? By now we're on our way!!!!! Only 13 hours to go………………..Contrary to what I read around, the Iberia staff, although not particularly friendly, are kind and helpful, even if …. the hostesses ….. are among the oldest I've ever seen!!!We arrive in Buenos Aires around 9:30 pm and the sight before us is truly indescribable.

An immense expanse of lights that seems to have no end. Someone might think "what did you expect? It's one of the largest megacities in South America?" Well, whatever…. I had never seen a megacity before!! But the most impressive thing is that, after flying over this immensity of lights for a good quarter of an hour (and that's no small thing!!), you still can't see the end of it!!Finally we land… the wait for the suitcases begins! I scan the carousel while my brain runs through all the stories I'd read about suitcases lost and never found…. anxious as always …..

but the wait is short and, this time, Iberia didn't fail! Here they come and I breathe a sigh of relief…… my husband is gloating "I told you!!! There's no point worrying in advance!" Lucky him!At the exit Andrea is waiting for us, an Italian friend who lives in Argentina and runs the travel agency Argentinaconnoi together with Manuela, his wife. We entrusted them with the entire organisation of our trip, flights, hotels and also part of the excursions. Excellent choice! We managed to see a lot in a short time and everything was organised perfectly! The airport is very close to the city centre, so in a little less than half an hour we're at the hotel.

The hotel is on Avenida Corrientes, the avenue that never sleeps (and I can assure you that's true) and near the famous Avenida 9 de Julio! Practically, to be any closer to the Obelisk, we'd have to camp in the flowerbed at its feet! Once check-in is done we say goodbye to Andrea, who will come the next morning to give us all the vouchers and explain a little about Buenos Aires.Finally in the room…… Shower and finally bed!!! We've been up for 25 hours!

TANGO IN BUENOS AIRES

The next day, whether because of the time difference or impatience, by 5:30 we're already awake!!! I can't wait to go to the Boca district!!! After breakfast, while we wait for Andrea with the vouchers and so on, we start exploring the surroundings and, needless to say, we go to see the Obelisk. In itself the Obelisk has nothing special, except that it stands in the middle of Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world!!! Seven lanes in each direction, plus the flowerbeds……. It's truly immense and…..not missing here either…..the traffic is heavy. Stefano immediately starts taking photos and filming everything…… I'm a bit puzzled……it really doesn't feel like being in Latin America. One thing that immediately stands out in Buenos Aires is the large number of taxis in circulation….. I think the percentage could be 60% of the cars on the road.

I'm a bit dazed by the chaos of cars and by the time difference; I still need to settle in….. After meeting Andrea, we go to explore the city a bit on our own and I begin to savour the idea of finally being in Argentina. Where can we start our tour if not from Plaza de Mayo? It's quite striking to think that, right there, the mothers of the disappeared marched for 30 years. Yes, "marched". For a few months now, in fact, these mothers no longer march, since they have reached an agreement with the government. One of the peculiarities of Plaza de Mayo is that on the ground there is a circle of headscarves drawn, the symbol of these mothers. In front of us is the Casa Rosada….. Don't cry for me Argentina……. The first thing that comes to mind is precisely that on that balcony the Peróns appeared innumerable times ……. Or rather, Evita Perón.

This woman, so original, social-climbing and saintly, vengeful and devout, who has always fascinated me. We should be close to the famous (at least according to the Routard guide, because it seems no one knows it) Farmacia Estella…… the oldest pharmacy in BA, full of paintings, wooden counters and mosaics…….. We look for it for almost half an hour and when we find it ….well, the old pharmacy near my house is more charming……… Stefano puts up with me. We take a stroll along the pedestrian streets full of shops and Stefano starts to feel the pangs of hunger … strange!…….. we grab a quick bite because afterwards we're meeting Andrea. La Boca……. Here we come!!!!The Boca district is very cheerful, brightly coloured houses, tango in the street, even though what remains is for the use and consumption of tourists…… but then again…. What are we? Outside the Caminito …..

better not to go there!!! Moving away from the Caminito we see in the distance the Boca stadium, the so-called Bomboniera ….. I don't know how famous it is, but ….did you know that it's the only stadium in the world where Coca Cola advertises with the logo on a blue background and not on a red one?……. It should have something to do with the home team's colours if I'm not mistaken, but I'm hopeless at anything to do with football! From here we head towards Puerto Madero, passing in front of the Argentine favelas, which here are called "Villa"……… These poor people live in what's left of ruined houses, with nothing….not even the hope of being able to change their condition. Very close to the villa, the Puerto Madero area begins. Recently redeveloped, it's the area for evening strolls, for nice restaurants.

As I'll get to notice later during our Brazilian leg, this is a common thing in Latin America. We stop to have a gelato that isn't bad at all…. But these Argentinians have 6/7 flavours of gelato all based on "dulce de leche"……I don't like it… too sweet. We head towards Belgrano where we go to see Evita's tomb and the Church of Pilar. The church is in Latin American baroque style and I'm fascinated by it; I like the contrast between the white walls and the dark wood of the pews with the splendour of the massive gilded statues of the Virgin and the Saints. Attached is the Recoleta cemetery, where Evita Perón lies. Needless to say, I want to go in…… I don't know why, but I always find a reason to go to a cemetery during my trips!!! Maybe because in cemeteries rests the history of a nation, or maybe it's some mental quirk of mine …..

I wouldn't know, but it almost always happens that in the end I go……I don't know. Anyway, I discover that the custom of the time was to leave the coffins on display inside the chapels. And indeed you see quite a few ….. some decrepit ones that look like they're about to fall apart. It's quite striking…. a bit of a horror film if I'm honest. Evita's tomb is as I imagined it… in a narrow little alley, with a big black gate and a red flower hanging. We head towards Palermo and stop in one of the famous parks!! What do I see? The first dogsitter in my street………. well, here in BA it's normal…….. Since the weather is on our side, Andrea suggests a trip to the town of Tigre for the next day. We accept and then go to book the visit to the largest theatre in the world, the Colon. To our great disappointment it's all booked up until Sunday …..

But by then we'll already be in Patagonia …… BA is a very big city, but it's very easy to get around ….. better than I thought!! The day isn't over yet…. We go back to the hotel and after a quick shower we get ready. Tonight, tango at the Carlos Gardel school. Here a full orchestra and several pairs of dancers bring to life an exciting show!!!! One dancer even dances with two brooms! Masterful!!! That's the only word I could use to describe him!! I love dancing a lot, even though I've never delved into Argentine tango, so it's an immense joy for me, mixed with no small amount of envy, to watch these dancers!! The only downside of the evening is that….our eyelids were drooping….. The wine they served us (plentiful and excellent), but above all the time difference, didn't allow me to enjoy the show even more. This show is described as very touristy and so on…….

I can only say it's stupendous!! Unmissable…. touristy or not ….. (but after all, what are we if not tourists?) With a bit of regret because the show is over and with great joy because in a few minutes I'll be in bed, we say goodbye to Rita and Dario (whom I'd met by chance on the TPC site and we'd discovered we'd be at the same theatre on the same evening) and head to our hotel.

Tigers

Today we're going on a boat trip through the canals of the town/district (you can't make sense of Buenos Aires anyway, but it should be part of the city) of Tigre. Only about 30 km from the Microcentro is this sort of northern Venice, which you can visit on a boat trip. The houses are in northern European style and you get the impression of sailing through the Scandinavian countries…..were it not for the vegetation, which is completely different. Wooden houses, each with its own pier and its own style….. we even come across the Supermarket boat…….. yes, because, women, imagine the luck, here it's the supermarket that comes to you…. And not the other way round

Punta Tombo, Gayman and Puerto Madryn

We leave the big suitcases at the hotel and set off with only our carry-on luggage... Plenty, to tell the truth... But on domestic flights they're not too strict (maybe not strict at all). Our plane is on time and after a two-hour flight, at nine o'clock sharp, we land in Trelew. Here a minibus is waiting to take us on the excursion to Punta Tombo. The weather is gorgeous, not too cold even if a bit windy. Along the road we spot several Guanacos, unfortunately always quite far away.......and after almost two hours.... the penguins!! The habit we have is to see penguins in an icy setting..... here it's not like that. The Magellanic Penguin digs its own burrow in the ground and these poor things even travel more than a kilometre to get to their nest........... In mid-September the colony isn't complete, there are only the males preparing the nest....

Learn, men, learn!!! We note with pleasure (even though we are both smokers) that at the entrance to the park you have to put out your cigarettes.... a habit we'll find often in the various Argentine parks. And so begins our tour among the penguins...... you follow a set path whose purpose is not to disturb the hosts. The imperative is: we are the guests, so let's try to disturb them as little as possible!!! An idea that meets with our complete approval. The little hills behind us teem with burrows and penguins that, with their clumsy waddle, make their way to the longed-for nest while waiting for the females to arrive. Being here at the moment of maximum presence, that is, with the females and the chicks already born, must be amazing...... the guide points out that the most correct term would be "stink-tastic" as well as beautiful...........

"Imagine 50,000 penguins gathered together doing their business"........... There you go, that's how to ruin a romantic image.......The sea below the promontory is beautiful and, shortly, we find our "favourite" penguin. Favourite in the sense that it just stood there in the middle of the path preening its feathers without batting an eyelid, while we got as close as possible to photograph it at its best.... A real treasure, in short!! We peek into the burrows and wander around this promontory enjoying the crisp air............ we're in Patagonia!!! On the way back we stop at the Prehistory museum in Trelew and then at Gaiman, the Welsh village, where we have tea with an overabundant quantity of excellent homemade cakes. But time is short, a couple who are with us are leaving for Ushuaia on the 18:00 flight... the guide, the legendary Ugo, is calm.... They a bit less so...

it's already 17:00 and we're still eating and drinking tea.... But.... At 17:30 they reach the airport and board without any problems....... I told you they're not exactly strict here. We finally head to Puerto Madryn where we'll find our suitcases again at the hotel. The hotel is small and cosy and is located on the seafront of Puerto Madryn, a few metres from the long pier where the ships dock. We go for a stroll, it's a very quiet little town, and we admire the sunset...... the colours are gorgeous and I've already fallen in love with this land. Stefano is enthusiastic about it....... and in the evening we have dinner based on steak..... needless to say..... washed down with a good Malbec!

The Whales and the Valdes Peninsula

The next morning Stefano gets up very early to go and photograph the sunrise... I can't manage it and sleep a bit longer. The whale watching awaits us........... We travel for about an hour and a half before reaching Puerto Pyramides, where we'll board.... I'm impatient, I hope the patch really works against seasickness... I wouldn't want to feel ill right when we spot the whales!! We arm ourselves with life jackets and.... off we go!! After a few minutes of sailing, already inside the gulf in front of Puerto Pyramides, we spot a whale, then another...... it's wonderful. There are quite a few of them, some with their calf beside them. WOW.

They swim undisturbed, very close to the various boats, and show their magnificent tail to us tourists, eager to photograph them (me, a Fantozzi imitator, my camera freezes just when the whale shows its tail less than 2 meters from the lens!!!)! Of course they really are colossal...... tears come to my eyes..... One of them could easily overturn one of our little boats..... but they are gentle animals..... it's humans who are not. The boat excursion ends too soon, we set off again and, this time, we're going to see the sea lions. The Patagonian landscape is arid and steppe-like, but the spectacle of the cliffs over the blue sea is enchanting. We reach our destination, where, for the first time in my life, I eat lamb..... or rather, Cordero Patagonico. I couldn't have said no, after all.

Seeing my indecision, the cook, with a nice chubby, sunny face, cut me a little piece on purpose to let me taste it, and with exquisite kindness asked me if it was good.... How could I say no? But it really was good! Stefano has no such problems, he's a good eater and appreciates good food!!! Once we've had lunch, we go down the path that will take us to the beach where some sea lions sleep in the sun. Here too, cigarettes away before entering the protected area. We can't get close to the sea lions because going down to the beach is forbidden...... and incredibly, no one tries or complains about it. The sea lions are colossal. There are some immense males, reaffirming their supremacy with loud calls, and also some females with their little all-black pup beside them. This day is also drawing to a close. We head back towards Puerto Madryn, where Stefano wants to do some shopping.

A quick shower and we're already on the road....... But am I mistaken or is there a spout in the bay here in front of us? Yes, it really is a spout..... so there are whales here too!!! We go onto the pier and stay a long time admiring this coy whale that came to greet us. She just stays there all calm, playing with her tail.... It seems like she's dancing.......... The sun is setting...... we linger a few more moments and then go shopping..... Needless to say.... I buy a fleece with the whale's tail on it. After dinner I insist.... I want to go and see if the whale is still there...... Stefano isn't convinced....... but I'm right!!! She's still there.... it seems she wants to be seen at all costs, in fact, she has come close to the pier and the lights illuminate her.

It's incredible how man has managed to integrate with the environment to such an extent, so much so as not to bother these wonderful mammals, which sometimes leave the absolute tranquillity of Puerto Pyramides to take a stroll in "town." This is proof that if you want to, you can do it! While we're still admiring "my" whale, something light-colored appears in the water..... a dolphin, I say (I see dolphins everywhere...you have to forgive me), a shark, says Stefano....... We were both wrong....it's an Ocean Sunfish! By now it's time to go back, but I struggle to tear myself away from this pier.......... I look up at the sky and what do I see? A shooting star!!! What a fantastic day!! We say goodbye to "my" whale and Puerto Madryn with great sadness on my part.....tomorrow we'll fly to El Calafate...... but by now it's clear: Patagonia te Quiero.

El Calafate

We set off for El Calafate but the two-hour flight grows exponentially......... Unfortunately, a rare case, in El Calafate they've closed the airport due to a snowstorm. So we land in Rio Gallegos, "only" 320 km from our destination. After a 3-hour wait we set off with some very comfortable tour buses. The journey lasts three and a half hours and, even though I would have preferred to avoid it, it lets us see the vastness and aridity of this land. We meet only 3 or 4 cars along the way, the view is very limited because of the snow... in any case there wouldn't be much to see other than a few sheep. We reach El Calafate and, to our great relief, a pale sun has returned!! The hotel is outside the center, but it enjoys a splendid view over Lago Argentino, and it's beautiful, all in wood and exposed stone. We drink a tea and then go out to explore.

At first glance the center of El Calafate seems like Snow White's village, lots of little wooden shops in a very charming setting! Dinner at Mi Viejo, excellent meat and, needless to say, Malbec (about €22 for two as usual). It's time to go to bed!

The Perito Moreno!

Tomorrow Perito Moreno awaits us. We set off and after an hour by bus we arrive at De Los Glaciares park. Before reaching the bend where we'll have our first view of the Perito Moreno, our guide puts on music that will serve as the soundtrack to all the OHs! Bellissimo! Wonderful and Bonito that will be heard shortly after. But this is nothing compared to when you find it there in front of you. We begin with the navigation along the north face. Its beauty takes your breath away, the blue spires, the thuds of the pieces of ice falling into the water, its sheer size...... Whoever said that this view alone is worth the trip was not mistaken. You can see it a thousand times in photographs or on television, but when you find it there in front of you it takes your breath away and emotion washes over you. After lunch we continue with the visit to the front.

Here too, I wish the time to return would never come. The day is partly sunny.... The best for seeing the blue reflections of the ice..... We're about to leave when, to our great joy, a wall right in front of us collapses...... (and I even manage to photograph it..... I don't even look through the lens.. I just press the button..........). This collapse, in the Perito Moreno, is not a sign of the glacier's retreat, but is physiological. In its case, in fact, the new ice that forms on the mountaintops is able to balance what melts. The time to return has come..... we inaugurate the whirlpool tub in our room and then dinner at La Tablita. Needless to say, here too the meat is excellent. We choose a wine recommended by a TpC.... Malbec (just for a change) from the Ruca Malen winery..... I'll pass on the recommendation... Excellent.

El Calafate

The next day I would have liked to go horseback riding on the shores of the lake, but it's raining..... we walk to the center. We're followed by 5 dogs that, to our amusement, amiably escort us to our destination..... In the late afternoon we go to Estancia El Galpon, where we watch a demonstration of the dogs herding the sheep and of shearing...... nice, but nothing more. On the way back we discover that in our hotel there's another Italian couple on their honeymoon: Miriam and Andrea.

Lago Argentino

The next morning we set off for the Navigation on Lago Argentino. The catamaran that will take us around the lake is the very latest generation and super-accessorized. Very comfortable seats, satellite navigation and... a PC station, where the onboard photographer will upload the photos he took of you during the trip onto the CD you'll want to buy...... Stefano gets excited and books the CD!! I'm happy that he's enjoying this trip as much as I am...... seeing as I organized almost everything!! After about half an hour of sailing we begin to spot the first icebergs..... huge..... One looks like a blue cave!! Stefano and I take turns, continuing to move from one side of the boat to the other so as not to miss a single one. We seem like two slightly hyperactive children!!! I'm also fascinated by the water, the so-called Leche Glaciar.

It's strange, it's thick, it looks like melted granita, but not completely..... The Upsala glacier stands before us in all its grandeur. It has an area of over 500 square km.... in short... no small thing..... But we can't get very close because of the large icebergs that break off and are there in front of it. We head towards Onelli Bay, where we'll be able to get off the catamaran. To reach this bay it's necessary to take a walk through a forest of Lengas.......... In this forest full of mosses and lichens (among which the very old Old Man's Beard) a gnome or a little fairy could pop out at any moment, and the nice thing is that you wouldn't find anything strange about it. It seems like the enchanted forest of fairy tales!! After 20 min. of walking we reach Onelli Bay. A little pearl crowned by the glacier of the same name.

In this splendid landscape, nature reigns supreme and you feel at peace with the whole world. A myriad of fragments of ice slide over the water in the direction of the lake, the sky is a splendid blue, the air crisp but not cold, the beautiful mountains on the horizon will make this place unforgettable in my memory. But the schedule requires us to return to the catamaran..... Ugh, I'd happily stay a few more hours!! We end the excursion passing in front of the Spegazzini glacier. It's the tallest glacier among all those visited, however, again because of the breaking off of large blocks of ice, we can't get close. This prevents us from fully appreciating the spectacle it offers. We return to the hotel and after one last bath, tomorrow we set off again, in our whirlpool tub we go to dinner at La Tablita with Andrea and Miriam. The evening passes pleasantly and we go to bed quite late.

Stefano has found an excellent snack companion!!The next day all 4 of us will set off for Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires

The flight leaves a few hours late and upsets our plans a bit. Stefano and Andrea plan a raid on the bar - closed - of the boarding area.... Poor things.... they're hungry!! We arrive around 15:00 in Buenos Aires and it's raining...... we hurriedly say goodbye to Andrea and Miriam and arrange to meet the next day in Iguazu. Today we're going to visit the aunt of Stefano's dad, who has been living in Buenos Aires for over 40 years, and then dinner with Andrea at Liborio (Belgrano).... Goodness.. we even get hail.... Luckily we're in a taxi and our driver, very likeable and jovial, gets agitated, flails his arms at every thing we say (no idea why?!?!) and at the news that we've just gotten "casados"... he looks at Stefano and laughs his head off!! Uh-oh!!! Our trip is now halfway through...... how sad to leave Argentina.......

Puerto Iguazù

In Iguazu we're greeted by drizzly and very humid weather. Andrea and Miriam's hotel is in Foz do Iguazu...on the Brazilian side of the falls, ours in Puerto Iguazu, on the Argentine side..... Thanks to messages we agree to go to dinner at Rafain that same evening. In Puerto Iguazu the difference in the standard of living compared to the rest of Argentina is obvious. You notice the Indian facial features of many people and also the poverty and the children asking you for money. It's something that grips my heart...... We're in the tropics and the vegetation has changed too. From arid and flat Patagonia, we've moved on to a variety of colorful plants and flowers everywhere. The humidity in the air is very heavy....a shower and we set off for Rafain, on the Brazilian side of the falls. Rafain is a big shed where they cook in the Brazilian way..........

fixed price, meat on the fire and a buffet of first courses, appetizers, desserts, fruit and more besides. The first impression isn't exciting (do you picture a cafeteria full of big tables and everyone talking?)... but the evening improves, thanks to the show. This show includes a bit of all the South American musical styles, which I love as a whole...... from Andean music, to Mexican mariachi, from Argentine tango to samba.......... Stefano and Andrea especially appreciate the latter.... Needless to say why!!

Iguazù, Argentine Side

Finally the day of the visit to the falls has arrived....... I'm happy because, fortunately, the drought is over..... only a few weeks earlier there was little water and they had suspended the raft excursions! Imagine how sad to arrive in Iguazu and find...dry........... The first walkway goes up to above the Garganta del Diablo. The spectacle takes your breath away, I get emotional because I'm at Iguazu... I can't believe it! I remember that I discovered the existence of these falls many years ago from the film of our well-travelled parish priest...... and from there I had begun to dream of seeing them!! The noise of the water is intense and below us there's a big cloud of spray and splashes. A myriad of little birds flies through this cloud of vapor...

I envy them there!! From here you admire the panorama of the Iguazu river and the other myriads of falls and little falls that wind along the Argentine and Brazilian side. Here and there, you notice the effects of the drought, but we're lucky...... I worried for nothing. We meet Andrea and Miriam again, but they arrived earlier and are ahead of us. We continue along other walkways, admiring the plays of colors created by the water, the vapor and the sunlight: rainbows abound....... Water, as always, has an irresistible fascination for me.... I'd stay for hours watching and strolling along the walkways!! We also meet a coatì, a little animal of the raccoon family, likeable and..... greedy! Tourists tend to spoil them and they, by now, have learned that backpack = food.

As soon as you set your backpack on the ground, if there's one nearby, it dives in, sticking its nose inside.Stefano throws himself into the great adventure. With a raft he's taken, along with many other tourists, right under one of the falls, I give up, I don't feel like getting completely soaked!!..... he tells me he had a lot of fun....... Undoubtedly the experience is thrilling, but I leave it to the brave ones without fear..... and above all, without neck problems, which will be the drawback of the three days in Iguazu.

Iguazù, Brazilian Side

The next day it's the turn of the Brazilian side of the falls. The Brazilian side has fewer falls and of lesser importance but, as they say: "the Argentinians have the more beautiful falls, but to see them well you have to come to Brazil." I absolutely confirm. The spectacle before us is marvellous....... The entire complex of the Iguazu falls crowned by the Garganta del Diablo. All this seen from a walkway that is right in front of another waterfall. Everywhere you turn there are falls and little falls.......... How envious I am of those staying in the hotel inside the park!! Just think...... looking out the window of your room and seeing this spectacle.

The excursion on the Argentine side lasts only half a day, so later we'll go to see the majestic Itaipu dam, which, alone, supplies 40% of all of Brazil's electricity and, thanks to which, the standard of living of the inhabitants of Foz do Iguazu (40,000 employees) is completely different from that of their Argentine neighbours. Personally the dam doesn't interest me much..... I'd much rather stay and watch the falls......but let's go, Stefano is more interested, seeing as he deals with the management of water systems.... Pipes and water, in short, as always. In any case the dam really is immense...... the cooperation between Brazil and Paraguay has borne fruit. By now our stay in Iguazu is over too. Tomorrow we set off for Rio de Janeiro........... even though the most famous beaches in the world await us I'm very sorry to leave Argentina......

but that's another story............................We'll return to Buenos Aires a week later to catch the plane that will take us home.

But returning to Buenos Aires feels almost like returning home a little.... We arrive in the evening, it's our last night in the city of tango..... but before leaving, tomorrow, we'll dedicate ourselves to shopping, which for us Italians is very convenient. The day, as during our whole stay in Argentina, is clear and sunny, we buy cashmere sweaters for the whole family, shoes for me, etc.... and then we go and eat our last Argentine steak in Puerto Madero at La Caballeriza..... We down the last Malbec too, actually..... I'm a bit sad because of the departure...even the sky notices and so, to make my goodbye less harsh, decides to send a nice downpour, the kind that soaks you completely in a few minutes........... Andrea accompanies us to the airport and before boarding we make our last purchase.... A few kg of meat to eat with the family..........

Goodbye Argentina!! Not farewell!! Let's hope we return soon..... and with this thought I board the plane that will take us home...... where our new adventure of life as a couple will begin!!