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Published: August 21st 2012
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Not every blog has to be about an amazing place...not every blog has to be about another exciting experience...
This blog is simply about another week in Buenos Aires and our nice week-end in Rosario....but what makes this blog better, is that Leslie is now 12! Happy birthday big guy...you are soon on your way to be a fully fledge teenager...and me...an happy father!
Imagine, this week-end, it was not only Leslie birthday, but also the birthday of our first month in Argentina! First, and most important, Leslie! Well...the place was not the right one for a birthday celebration, and Leslie did understand this. He would simply consider Rosario as...a slightly boring city...you and I in the adult world would call it a pretty quiet provincial city...perception...who is speaking of perceptions....
We did not figure out ahead that Leslie and Tiffany would settle so easily...and should I say in such a friendly way with their new school friends...and the hotel in Rosario was booked before we even landed in Argentina...so Rosaria it was, and we were going to do the best of it!
Argentina is huge...and if you don't
start to visit it, you'll never see it! I would think this is a pretty good line for the country. Prior to this month, I had visited Argentina five times...each time stopping in Buenos Aires...once in Ushuaia on my way to Antarctica (look at my past blogs...back in 2008...), twice to Bariloche...yes I love the Llao Llao hotel (summer time and winter time)...and once to witness the wonders of Iguacu Falls...and that was it, I had seen nothing of Argentina!
So this time it's different, we have a year...well..short of it today...and we are going to see it...even if it means some week-ends will be more impressive than others....
The last few days, we have had a lot of rain in Buenos Aires, so it was nice to escape the rainy weather...and the crowds...
Good news, the strike on the metro system, aka the Subte, is over...after 10 days without a single metro, I was on to try my first metro to downtown...and actually, it was not that bad!
But first, back to our little week-end in Rosario. We left home pretty early on Saturday morning taking our
usual collectivo to reach Retiro and the long distance bus terminal. Our collectivo is crossing the "party area" of Palermo, and it was pretty fun to see bars getting finally empty just past 7am. So now, having two kids at home, I really don't see myself anymore getting home at 7am on week-ends...not really that I wish about it, but there is a reality in life.....living during the day light hours seems more appealing to me...than living in the early morning dark hours of the same day...
Rosario is a four hours ++ long distance bus ride north-west of Buenos Aires. The road is flat...straight...and pretty boring...focusing on what Argentina does best...agriculture! We made it to Rosario just in time for lunch...and a pretty nice paella...if only the crab was not basic surimi sticks....
Rosario is the birth place of the Argentinian Flag, designed by Manuel Belgrano...and yes, a lot of the pics are the ones from the monument dedicated to him. Than few years later...well...many years later...Rosario gave birth to....the Che...yes, you know him...and few years later...Rosiario gave birth to Messi...you know, the young guy playing football in Europe. People may be nicer
in Argentina, Europe still pays better money for those playing pretty well with the little round ball....now...there seems to be no other direct family relationship between Belgrano, the Che...and Messi...
Rosario also used to be the second biggest city in Argentina...well...if you ask Leslie, it's a pretty boring city...I know, I wrote this already...meaning...the polite wording should be...today, Rosario is a pretty nice provincial city...let's be correct...1 million inhabitant, it feels safe, nearly clean...and a pretty good place to walk a lot. I've got a challenge here! My challenge is to transform Tiffany in a pretty good walker over the next 12 months...or should I use the "snob" word...a pretty good trekker in the coming months....and we are on the path for it!
So we walked...a lot...we visited the Cathedral, the Monumento Nacional de la Bandera...dedicated to Belgrano and the...flag! We also wonder around the Rio Parana and enjoyed some nice sighting of the Old Railway Station.
The LP was paying tribute to the Casa del Tango..so we went to check. They have a daily show at 9pm...and it's pretty cheap. So we went after an early dinner. Tango is not
only a dance, it's also a musical style...involving music and singing...so tonight...we had a Tango show...without any dancers. Tiffany fell asleep...Leslie and I thought it was pretty interesting...but I'm not sure he is going to ask for more!
This was it for a fun week-end in Rosario....Saturday under a cloudy sky...and sunday with a bright sunny day...we were back Sunday noght late at home.
Few notes about Argentina and it's food! And I may...or may not do friends here. you can find pretty cheap food in restaurants around....but it's more than often pretty average...not bad...just average...
Than I wish to quote our nice neighbour when we arrived here...I asked...any recommendation for a nice restaurant around here...answer was...I don't really know, I love to cook....
Well, I've now found great lamb, great salmon, amazing ojo de bife...nice fresh pastas, enven decent veggies...and we did one of the best pizza ever...all this shopping around our locals supermarkets. So as many Argentinan will tell you, the best table is actually at home...and I'm now part of that movement...ok, I have to admit, I love to cook and Leslie and Tiffany are
amazing patrons! And yes, after few steaks around...the best one was the one as home...thanks to the local ojo de bife...and to my Le Creuset pan...which has now clocked few round-the-worlds too! This is not Ojo de Bife a la parilla...it Ojo de Bife a la Plancha...as good as it can be....
Next week-end...we going abroad...shopping...I'm looking for a proper mini-mixer...at a decent price...worst case scenario I won't find it...and after the rip-off of the "old-new" expensive mobile phone, I'll settle with the average mini-mixer...overpriced...and yes it's about food too! Ok, that was half of a joke...next week-end we are going abroad...for more discoveries....
And for those "out of this world" blogs...just wait for spetember!
With love from Argentina...more coming soon!
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Bonne Mamy
non-member comment
exploration du monde ou gourmandise ??
Eh oui, a vous lire je me demande : vous etes explorateurs ou tout simplement gourmands... ??? Gracias por recordarme la historia argentina tambien !!!!