Food Glorious Food

We went to a fancy schmancy dinner venue in Buenos Aires on Friday evening, our first night back. French chef sitch in hotel (Jean-Paul Bondoux at the Alvear Palace). Was totally nice and not one of those hushed places where you can hear knives and forks scraping across plates. In fact, it was quite noisy, particularly as the table next to us had about eight people but just one young Spanish guy talking loudly. We wondered whether he was a footballer showing his family a good time, or perhaps a local pop star.

It's now Saturday morning and we've had an adventurous few hours. It's pouring with rain here (seems a global phenomenon atp) so we stayed in our Recoleta hotel room until midday (while Hans did a one hour online Tesco shopping order, asking questions like "do we want beef casserole next week?") and then got a cab to come over to this Esplendor Palermo Soho hotel. The hotel looked totally gorgeous and the street was full on New York West Village with overhanging trees and a smell of humidity in the air. Got into hotel and the guy on the desk said there was some kind of serious problem with the room so would we mind moving to a different hotel and they would pay the taxi. I was really meek and said yes, although Hans was looking angry. I thought they were moving us to the other Esplendor hotel (in Palermo Hollywood - DF with the 'Hollywood' and 'Soho' monikers btw) but on further questioning it turned out they were sending us to some other hotel (named 'Dazzler' - a bad sign) somewhere in Barrio Norte, which is probably nice but not at all what we had in mind. Anyway, at that point Hans swung into full outraged mode and told the man on the desk it wasn't good enough, they should pay for the room for tonight, why didn't they call us earlier as we could have stayed in our original hotel. These were all very valid points and the man then said he would try to see if we could stay in Esplendor Palermo Hollywood instead, which is where we are now. Full marks to Hans for going there and dealing and no marks to me on this one so I will probably have to be extra nice all day! I'm glad though as we're now in the hotel and it is fully gorgeous, huge room, stylish beyond all stylish, great restaurant that was featured in the Wallpaper guide opposite (the Standard) and close to the restaurant we're going to tonight (Casa Cruz). BTW, those Wallpaper guides are really to be recommended.

So, we're now settled in, fully happy with where we are. The great thing about our stay here has been moving hotels as we've got to stay in Microcentro, Puerto Madero, Recoleta and now Palermo. Each area is really different so has been good to see. In some ways, BA is like London and New York as the character of the areas really changes, unlike say Paris where places are posher or grungier, but all basically have that similar Haussmann look.

This has been an interesting trip for me and H to think about and discuss all things related to work, careers, where we'll live and I think we've moved things along a bit.


Sunday 22nd November
So, we are fully up at this point (9.20am). The Standard restaurant turned out to be a great pick, despite us being the first people there so it looked a bit sad (it soon filled up). It has beautiful Scandinavian style wood panelling on the walls (apparently it's also 50s style Argentinian as well) and a waiter wearing a starched white jacket buttoned up to the neck (old-style). Probably the best waiter we've ever had - suggested H get just the half portion of the obligatory beef dish and then brought along some free empanadas to the table as we had to wait a while (as I was having this slow-cooked chicken whatever). We each had a tasty glass of wine to accompany and was gorge. Tipped him 20% which is beyond generous for us. Then we set out, in the rain, to explore the neighbourhood a bit. Really nice round here with lots of nice shops. Found a clothing shop and bought some trousers (advantage of being gay - you get to share clothes so one purchase is effectively two outfits) and H bought these shorts which are quite American Apparel-esque.

My leg was really hurting as I don't think I medicated enough yesterday so we stopped for some ice cream and coffee and then went home. H ventured towards a shop selling cow hides and rugs made out of bits of cow but I started to feign an anxiety attack and we were able to move on without doing any damage. We've since discussed that we may move in London and buy a house where we each get to have a room of our own. In my room I'll have this huge sofa that has a section that allows you to lie out flat (my dream sofa, but H hates it) and a huge TV screen on the wall, while in his room he will have all manner of rugs and cow hides all over the place.

The ice cream was tasty (Freddo) but the coffee we had was awful. Have we talked about the coffee here yet? Quite unbelievable how they are even able to make coffee that tastes so horrible. I mean, it's not difficult. The espresso in the ice cream shop was just undrinkable. It was a horrible sludge brown, watery liquid with little bits floating in it. I've given up trying to have coffee at breakfast as it always tastes awful. I'm surprised as I had imagined the Argentinians would really be into coffee. Countries where you get good coffee (that I've been to) are Italy, Switzerland and Germany. I think we get good coffee in England (although it used to be terrible 15 years ago) and I also know where to go I suppose, and H thinks the coffee in the US is quite nice as well. I also like the drip coffee in Sweden; it has a sort of nutty taste that I like. OK, that completes our coffee round-up for today. At this point, I would be tempted to look back at this paragraph and say "that was boring" and then delete, but my friend C always insists you should never delete in an email and "show all your working" so that's what I'll do.

After my leg pain we hurried home and lay around in the hotel for a while. I actually watched Raiders of the Lost Ark on a Spanish film channel (in English with subtitles obviously) while H half-watched and half-read his new book (Jonathan Littell, Les Bienveillants). We then mobilised ourselves to a restaurant called Casa Cruz (another Wallpaper recommendation and also one from Sebastien in NY) which was TOTALLY nice. Gorgeous large, dark, velvet interiors with one whole wall devoted to a huge stack of wine behind a glass wall. Delicious food. I had foie gras creme brulee to start and H had some kind of veal tartare. I then had sea bass with lentils and a smoked cheese sauce and H had sweetbreads with caramelised shallotts. All totally tasty. H then had an Earl Grey souffle, which struck me as odd but he seemed to like it. Totally delish.

Today is Sunday so lots of things are closed. We're going to go to this San Telmo market. I've heard it's great although I'm always sceptical of markets. Very touristy and not sure there's anything I really want to buy. However, it's in La Boca which is an area we ought to do and there seems to be a fun lunch place there that looks cheap but good. We don't have any plans for this evening as we'll just see what's open. In some ways, we're now starting to look forward to an evening of just being at home and eating something simple. We've already planned to have chilli con carne on Wednesday evening.

Up the Andes

We had a lovely evening yesterday and I must say I feel nicely refreshed this morning. After our trip up the Andes we had a gin and tonic here at the hotel, sitting outside on the terrace, and then went to a fun little place called Casa 3 where I had a plate of cheese and mini-toasts and H had a salad. I had a glass of Malbec and H had a diet coke and we were back in the hotel by 10pm, both tired and ready for bed.

H has swung into organisation mode on Buenos Aires and been figuring out good restaurants and bars for us to go to. BA seems really great and interesting so I'm glad we've booked the extra day there. We've also been reading a great book called "Bad Times in Buenos Aires" by Miranda France, which I fully recommend if you're interested in the country. Very informative and very funny. Written by an English journalist who lived here in the 90s. H was chuckling away on the minibus yesterday as he read it, oblivious to stunning mountain ranges passing by on either side. I love reading books set in or about the country when on holiday. I've now started one called 'A State of Fear' which is all about the horrible times in the 70s with people being murdered and 'disappeared', which is certainly not as funny but informative.

Wine Tour

We're done with the wine tour now. Was totally fun. Key points to note:

- the three wineries were all super modern; one in particular was practically from the set of the Da Vinci Code with moody lighting, cellar constructed like an underground circular chapel with mysterious tiled mosaic in the middle on the floor and inscriptions on the wall. I kept expecting a monk to pop out from behind a barrel;

- wine definitely of variable quality. I didn't really like some of the whites so much, though H did, but some of the reds were very tasty. Definitely learnt a lot about the wine and region and the whole thing was done really well with lovely sit-down tastings and people talking us through each of the wines, so "worth the extra bucks". Feel like we've definitely notched up a key holiday moment today;

- really well organised with comfy minibus and nice guide plus full delicious lunch in private room with stunning views all cooked by some visiting Mexican chef who seemed to be a celebrity as there were various speeches and rounds of applause;

- totally fun older American lady who let rip on the healthcare issue and general US political situation. She asserted that most better educated Americans are Democrats and how Republicans are idiots. She wants to add to minimum wage legislation by having a maximum wage. She was totally funny and had views on most things (sample comments included "I don't really care for salmon", "we live in Bend because it rains too much in Portland", "I was very disappointed with the food in Spain - frankly a lot of it was inedible" and "Australians aren't generally very well educated"). Definite good value lunch partner who also offered tips on where to get a good gin and tonic in Mendoza ("they have Tanqueray") and fun stories about being held up and mugged at gunpoint in Brazil;

- also two Canadians on the tour and H, having watched Fargo on the way over on the plane, was loving the fact that the woman had some of Frances McDormand's intonation ("willll, yoo knorrr").

Mendoza: getting a grip

We're back from a walk around town. Went for some lunch and had two perfectly decent salads (I had glass of chardonnay, H had beer) and then a rather disappointing chocolate cake (which I thought was going to be more ice-creamy). We then waited the customary 20 minutes for the bill despite no other people in the restaurant and four members of staff. We did get two updates from the waiter to say the bill was on its way (as if it might be arriving by bus from the next town) until he came over and just told us verbally the price. Was all rather odd but we're getting used to it now. H was fuming atp so I was trying to distract him but it didn't work. Add to that me getting jumpy and irritable about a car that exploded as it drove past and you can imagine the scene. We walked around the town after that trying to find some restaurants mentioned in the guide book but only coming across frat boy style drinking dens with "local beer" and other delicacies. Things were improved when we got to the fancy wine tour shop and booked ourselves on a nice $135 per person wine tour for tomorrow (including lunch). Will be really nice. Then we're moving to the Park Hyatt in the evening and will spend the day there for my birthday, so should be great.







Argentina, November 2009
Here's our itinerary for the trip:



Monday 9 November:

leave Heathrow at 21.25, H armed only with Swedish ID card, rather than full passport - fingers crossed.

Tuesday 10 November:

arrive Buenos Aires. H turned around and sent back on next plane to London. M goes to 725 hotel and meets Jon and Liz in the evening.

Wednesday 11 November:

H gets new passport and gets back on evening flight to Heathrow.

Thursday 12 November:

H arrives. Both check into Faena hotel in Puerto Madero.

Friday 13 November:

Catch overnight bus to Mendoza

Saturday 14 November:

Arrive Mendoza, check into Villaggio hotel.

Sunday 15 November:

Wine tour of Mendoza.

Monday 16 November:

M's birthday. Spend day at Hyatt.

Tuesday 17 November:

Trip into the Andes.

Wednesday 18 November:

Move to Cavas Wine Lodge.

Thursday 19 November:

Second tour of wineries in Mendoza. Catch overnight bus to Buenos Aires.

Friday 20 November:

Arrive Buenos Aires. Check into Howard Johnson hotel, Recoleta.

Saturday 21 November:

Check into Esplendor hotel.

Tuesday 24 November:

Catch 13.15 flight from Buenos Aires.

Wednesday 25 November:

Arrive early morning at Heathrow.