This morning we landed in Buenos Aires at 10:30 AM: 13 hours after boarding in Providence. Time here is EST plus two hours. Buenos Aires is due south of Saint-Pierre, Newfoundland with a southern latitude that matches North Carolina. We flew in a very comfortable United Airlines Boeing 767. Economy seating was the most spacious I have ever experienced. I like the seating arrangement with window-2seats-aisle-3seats-aisle-2seats-window.

We are staying at a cozy Bed and Breakfast called Solar Soler in the suburb of Palermo Hollywood. Old, well pruned, Sycamores keep the streets cool and provide ambiance for the many restaurants. This is perfect outdoor dining weather and we found a nice table at La Pascana, on the bustling corner of Paraguay and Humbolt.

Serendipity rules when we travel, and so it came as no surprise that La Pascana’s stated mission was to offer recovery from the hardships of the road. And that they did. Click here for photos of our meal. All that for $14.49 with tip.

La Pascana also has an interesting web site.

Hugo the owner of La Pascana recommended Bodega 52. Tonight we went there and had a great 2002 privately bottled Bodega 52 Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza with a bruschetta, and mixed ham, salami, and cheese plate. We simply ordered the Picada Argentina for 2. Picada is an appetizer plate. There is a full listing of the items included in this Picada in Spanish on Bodega 52’s web site. Here is a picture of the Picada and the Bar.

Next week…February 28th, Debbie and I (John) are going to Argentina for three weeks. We plan to keep you informed of our search for Malbecs, recipes, and hot spots as we travel across the center of the country from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. We may make our way to Santiago, Chile and Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. (How many more “U’s” will fit in a country?)

Scratch Chile…too much driving from Mendoza.

Please check back in on a regular basis to see the latest.

Oh, by the way we just rented the movie “Tango Bar”. It gave a history of the tango with mesmerizing footwork. My stereotype of the dance, sadly, was found in a cut from a Laural and Hardie move. Anyone ever hear “Hernando’s Hideaway”? We have a lot to learn.

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