 |
| Welcome to El Puesto |
None of the other guests were at the estancia when we arrived but over a cup of coffee and a cake Raul told us that the family that were staying we're out on a ride and the final guest was on his way from the airport - it was really exciting waiting for the other guests to arrive - we were keen to find out who we would be spending Christmas with.
A short while later we found out..... Fi and Matt with their four delightful children: Eliza, Archie, Camilla (Lilla) and Matilda (Maude) who were en route from Italy where they'd lived for seven years to their new home in Australia. They were a really lovely family, so much fun and having the children there really helped to make it feel Christmassy. The final guest, Calum, arrived from Buenos Aires a short while later with Daniele, Raul's equally charming and charismatic (yes, yes and good looking) Italian son-in-law.
Whilst we knew when we booked our stay at the estancia that food was a major part of it I don't think Abby or I had anticipated it being as good as it was.....
Lunch and dinner are eaten much later in Argentina..... Lunch started at about 3pm with a basket full of fresh empanadas which were consumed within a few minutes washed down with a couple of ice cold bottles of Chardonnay. Then another basket with more empanadas arrived, not knowing the format and thinking that this WAS lunch I had another... then Lis, the housekeeper (and most amazing cook) asked us to go round to the BBQ area for lunch (!) where Christoval and Polo the two gaucho's served Chorizo and some incredible steaks that they'd BBQ'd to go with the huge selection of salads and the three bottles of Malbec that Raul and Daniele seemingly managed to pour in to our glasses without us noticing!
 |
| Where lunch is served every day |
We were encouraged to go for a siesta after lunch at about 5pm; sleeping in the afternoon is easy when you've had a few glasses of wine and when the only noise that you can hear is birds tweeting and horses whinnying......
I woke up about 7pm and after a quick shower sat reading on the veranda with all of the children buzzing around then suddenly everyone had disappeared to have their showers and it was just me on the veranda and 4 year old Maude who sat on the grass telling her doll to mind the snakes when she went out!
 |
| Our garden at El Puesto |
Then as quickly as everyone had disappeared they were all back, Matt, Archie, Eliza and Abs all reading, Lilla and Maude playing Noughts & Crosses and Christoval and Polo the two gauchos having a kick about and playing 'keepy uppy', all in front of the incredible backdrop of the snow covered Andes - it's crazy - this time last year I had no intention of being away for Christmas but here I am. Last night wrapping Abby's Christmas presents and listening to Christmas with the Rat Pack definitely made me feel more Christmassy but sending a few emails and updating my blog made feel a little bit melancholy. I feel so happy and so lucky to be on this trip but a little bit sad to be missing out on the annual rituals of chrismas and spending time with my family and friends, something that I hadn't realised that I cherished quite as much as I do.
As Raul and Daniele serve champagne and bruschetta canapés, 'Sunrise' by Norah Jones is playing in the background and Lilla is explaining to her Mummy that "when it rains it means the clouds are crying", I'm struck by how perfect this moment is.
Our late (by English standards) dinner of Pollo al disco, which is chicken in a delicious sauce cooked in a special pot on the BBQ served with rice and the obligatory red wine, a merlot this time, followed by Malbec pears - Argentina is not a place to be visited and enjoyed by vegetarians or teetotallers - we head to bed safe in the knowledge that whilst Christmas will be different this year, Raul and Danielle are going to make it one to remember.
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
Raine x
