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Published: January 17th 2008
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Casa de Té
Traditional Welsh Tea House, Plas Coed Argentina is a country made up of all kinds of history and tradition. A vast majority of the current population have a long and mixed lineage dating back many generations when their ancestors migrated from Europe during the World Wars. Argentina is a melting pot alot like the US, and many people here carry on those traditions that were brought by their ancestors from Spain, Italy, Greece, etc. Another country represented in Argentina is Wales. The Welsh migration to South America was one in search of independence and prosperity. Many small towns sprang up in the counrtyside where there was plenty of room for farming. Most of these communities tried to stay completely self sufficient, providing for themselves in the way of food, building their own General Stores, creating their own laws (within reason of the existing Argentine rule) and keeping up with Welsh education and language. Over time, integration was inevitable and many of these Welsh towns lost their unique identity. The towns that still exist today rely on the tourist dollar and in turn share their heritage and traditions with us. One of those towns is called Gaiman.
Just over an hours drive SW from Puerto Madryn
lies a Welsh town called Gaiman. Here the population is under 5 thousand ppl. Gaiman is an example of a historical Welsh community doing all it can to hold on to its ancestral roots. Set along side the tree lined Chubut River, this area was a natural pick for colonization. The river allowed for irrigation of the farms and as a mode of transportation. Today, there are a few farms in existance, however, like I said, it is the tourism that really drives this economy.
When one thinks of Wales there are likely two things that come to mind- Princess Diana and Tea. And so, as one of the last traditional Welsh villages to exist in all of Argetina, Princess Di did pay a visit here to have ¨high tea¨at one of the many Tea Houses. It are these Casa de Te´(Tea Houses) that help to perpetuate (promote......) the Gaiman economy. I came to Gaiman, with my tourist dollar, just for this culturally rich experience. Well, and the copious amounts of cakes that come along with the ¨high Tea¨. The two naturally go together, right... Tea and Cake. If Princess Di particiapted regularly, then so shall I.
I
Oh My....
On the far left of the plate was banana bread... not as good as grandma makes :) sat down for my high tea at Plas Coed, the oldest Casa de Te in Gaiman. I purposely ate a light lunch this day keeping in mind the tastey adventure I was about to indulge in. The day was a warm and sunny one- not really perfect for hot tea and sweet cakes. But I had taken two different buses in order to get to Gaiman, every minute in anticipation of my late afternoon spoils. I arrived at 5pm and right away ordered the te' completa (as many pots of tea one can handle with all the fixin´s) The Tea House was small and quaint (and had Air Conditoning, thank goodness!!!), decorated floor to ceiling with all kinds of Welsh artifacts. It wasn't long before my tray of treats arrived. Not a taste bud was forgotten when putting it together. Everything from apple pie to chocolate cake filled with banana cream, cheese torts and lemon tarts, biscuts with jam and creamy cheese cake. My Oh My!!! I sat for two long hours working on my spread while reading a book and writing in my journal. A pleasant, pleasant afternoon if I do say so myself.
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My last couple of days in Puerto Madryn were spent very differently than my first several days. A little background first....... I have a friend named Gaston. Gaston moved to Lake Tahoe over 2 years ago from Argentina. It was in Tahoe where he met Amy, another friend of mine. They recently moved to Hawaii together and got married 😊 Congrats, lovebirds! Well, to put it mildly both Amy and Gaston were THRILLED with my decision to travel Argentina this winter (Amy and Sarah went last fall). In part, it was their collective enthusiasm that helped me put this trip together. And well, Gaston was just great! He provided me with all kinds of phone numbers and emails of his friends and family throughout all of Argentina. This helped eliminate anxieties I may have had thinking I was all alone or without a helping hand. Gaston reached out to his friends and fam to let them know I would be traveling the country and in turn made sure I knew I was welcomed.
When I arrived Puerto Madryn, Gaston had already reached out to his friend to let him know I was there. Now the ball was in
my court, I had to get a hold of this kid. So after email tag, we planned to meet. No real worries for me, knowing what a fabulous guy Gaston is, he only naturally would surround himself with special people. And so we met, (Insert special person here) Maximiliano Almiron, or Maxi for short. I am so lucky to have met such a wonderful guy. Without hesitation, Maxi spent his free hours showing me things in Puerto Madryn I had missed- far reaches of the beaches, bars & restos, the Best icecream in town. We spent an afternoon on the beach where by writing in the sand he gave me lessons in Spanish while we listened to a nearby drumming troupe. The afternoon I left on the bus he took me sailing!!! The small sailboat, it is called a PAMPERO, offered me vistas I had since been missing from the shore. Maxi is a great skipper (he competes in Regatta´s on Sundays) and I even got to man the sail... kind of.
Well, lets just say, this was a great way to cap off a fantastic week in Puerto Madryn. What a send off!!! Thank you Maxi for a
fun time, you are just GREAT! I look forward to seeing you, some day, when our paths cross again 😊 And, Thank You, Gaston, for trusting me enough not to embarress you AND giving me the gift of a new, and cherished friendship.
With that, I am on the bus- AGAIN! Headed for the furthest reaches of the South....... Ushuaia, the End of the World it was coined by famous explorers hundreds and hundreds of years ago. You will hear more from me there, where I´ll be walking the paths once likely walked by Magellan & Darwin. ciao for now, xxx
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