Day Three Hundred Sixteen: Three Restaurants in One Night

For our last night in Mendoza, we went looking for a special experience. We had heard about a rooftop restaurant at one of the hotels with amazing views of the city and the Andes in the distance. We arrived around 7:00, only to discover a sign that stated the restaurant didn't open until 8:30. (This is the normal time for restaurants to open for dinner here, but a few open earlier, and we took a chance.) Since it was a hotel where we have "gold" status, we went down to the front desk to ask if we could hang out in the member's lounge until the restaurant opened. That's when we learned that the restaurant was actually not opening at all tonight. We were still able to appreciate the amazing view and snap a few pics, but obviously dinner wasn't going to work out. Ruth remembered seeing what she thought was another rooftop restaurant at another hotel we passed on the way to this one, so we headed over there. When we arrived, the restaurant was open, but only for "Happy Hour." We decided to go ahead and have a drink so we could enjoy the lovely views of Mendoza from the patio. Lacking a Plan C, we just started walking in the direction of our house, knowing there are a million wonderful restaurants in the city and assuming we we would encounter one we wanted to try. Eventually, we came to Estanacia La Florencia, a restaurant we have passed by many times and which has always looked enticing. Third time's a charm, I guess, because they were open and serving dinner, and we were seated immediately. Everything was absolutely delicious, and it was a great way to spend our last night in Mendoza, even if it wasn't our first (or second) choice!

The view from Mirador, Restaurant Number One

The view from El Faro Bistro, Restaurant Number Two

Third Time's a Charm

Day Three Hundred Fourteen: Dulce de Membrillo

When we lived in Brazil, we were introduced to Romeu e Julieta, which is the combining of cheese and guava paste named after the famous Shakespearian play. Here in Argentina they substitute quince paste (dulce de membrillo) for the guava paste and drop the cute name. The dish is considered a national dessert. So, for me, it was dessert for breakfast today. Because I do what I want. I have to admit that I have had dessert for breakfast before, but I've never had this dessert for breakfast before, so it definitely counts as a First. It was fabulous, and I have no regrets!

Day Three Hundred Thirteen: Mercado Central

I can't believe we've been in Mendoza a month and only just made it over to Mercado Central for the first time today! I always love markets, and this one is especially nice because it's very bright and clean and not smelly like some markets tend to be. The market has been operating in this location since the city was first established, though it has obviously undergone changes over the years. I'm so glad we got to visit before we have to leave the city!

Day Three Hundred Twelve: At an Irish Pub, in Argentina, Cheering for England

By now, World Cup games are nothing new for us, but here's the First for today: gathering at an Irish pub in Argentina with a large group of English and English descendants (and a few Argentinos) to watch England play and beat Tunisia in the World Cup. It was a loud, enthusiastic crowd and the best match we've seen so far!

Claire (who is English) and Katie (an American) are friends from Jeff's school

Day Three Hundred Eleven: Cerro de la Gloria

It was another beautiful day here in Mendoza, so some of us decided to do a short hike. Mendoza is surrounded by several large hills, so we took a cab to the top of one of the more famous ones, Cerro de la Gloria, where there is a huge monument dedicated to General San Martin, who played a fundamental role in liberating Argentina from Spain in the 1800s. After checking out the monument, we hiked down the hill and through the largest park in town, which also honors San Martin. It was a lovely day, and we had such a great time!

A tribute to San Martin and his liberating army

A nice view from the top of the hill

 Coke break at the lake after our hike

Day Three Hundred Ten: World Cup Breakfast Outing

Like so many Americans, we don't really follow fútbol (soccer). I'm pretty sure I've seen parts of a World Cup game, but I don't think I've ever specifically sought out a game and watched it all the way through. But, this morning, Jeff and Weston and I made our way to a little cafe to watch the Argentina/Iceland game. It was fun to be part of all the excitement and cheer for Argentina alongside some die-hard fans, even if the match ended in a tie.

World Cup breakfast dates

Game Food

A terrible pic of the replay of Argentina's only goal

Day Three Hundred Nine: El Botellón

We met up with some friends from Jeff's school this evening at El Botellón, a craft brewery in town. The group represented three continents aside from the one we are all on, which made for interesting conversation. The concept of the brewery is that you pay one price for "happy hour," which gets you unlimited peanuts in the shells and two pints of any of their twenty beers. And, you are welcome to sample as many as you like before making your selections. We had a great time and enjoyed the experience very much!

Day Three Hundred Eight: Cine Argentino

I had yet another opportunity to participate in an activity with Jeff's school today: Cine Argentino. Jeff had attended one of these video-viewing events a couple of weeks ago which was apparently quite colorful, and he ended up learning some vocabulary they don't teach in class, although he did report that it was a great way to practice listening to Spanish and to learn more of the culture of Argentina. I was hesitant to go today because I really didn't want to watch a crude movie, but since I very much wanted to get out of the house, I decided at the last minute to walk over to the school and check it out. It turned out to be fine. In honor of the first day of the World Cup, we watched a comedy about a man addicted to watching fútbol (soccer, for those of you in the U.S.) whose wife issues him an ultimatum, which was the movie's namesake: El Fútbol o Yo. With the Spanish subtitles to go along with the Spanish dialogue (and with the predicable plot), I was able to follow along pretty well in my first all-Spanish movie viewing. Woohoo!

Day Three Hundred Seven: Don Pedro and Almendrado

Jeff and I went out for a walk after dinner, which was lovely but quite cold. So, after a while we decided to stop for coffee and dessert. We popped into Don Aldo, on our favorite street, and ordered up. There were two desserts listed that were completely unknown to us, so those were the ones we chose. I ordered the Almendrado, which Google translate told me was simply "almond." Jeff ordered the Don Pedro, which the waitress explained to us without us understanding a word. Both desserts contained ice cream, which was ironic since we were so cold and were trying to warm up. Also, when they were delivered to our table, we didn't know which was which, so we each just ate the one closest to us on the table. When we got home, we looked both desserts up online and realized I had eaten the one Jeff ordered, and he had eaten the one I ordered. Both were good (and both were almond-flavored, which is why we didn't figure it out in the restaurant), but the whole thing was quite funny.

Almendrado-- the dessert I should have had

Don Pedro--the dessert I actually had

Day Three Hundred Six: La Cabaña Chocolate Factory

Today we got to participate in a tour of the La Cabaña Chocolate Factory, which was fascinating and fun. And, of course, we enjoyed all the free samples!

I love factories, and I especially
love chocolate factories!

Day Three Hundred Four: Tour Bus Backing Up a Mountain

We joined a tour group headed to Potrerillos Lake today. There were a couple of stops along the way, one of which was to see a Christ statue on a high hill overlooking the lake. And when I say "hill" I mean one of the foothills of the Andes, so not exactly a small one. When we got to the gravel road leading to the statue, the bus driver started heading up in reverse. The tour guide explained there was no way for the bus to turn around at the top, so this was the only way. The driver obviously knew what he was doing, but it was a little nerve-racking for the passengers, who couldn't see where we were going and only knew there seemed to be a pretty steep drop-off on one side. We made it to the top safe and sound to enjoy the lovely views, but it was definitely a new experience for me.

This picture doesn't really do justice to how steep or long the road was

The whole scene at the top of the hill

Day Three Hundred Two: Argentinian Asado

This afternoon Jeff's school hosted an "asado" (BBQ) for students and their families, so the kids and I met Jeff there after his classes and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying grilled meats and veggies, wines, beers, and the lovely company of the students and staff of the school. We've obviously been to BBQs before, but this was our first Argentinian asado.

So much grilled yumminess!

First Argentinian Asado

Day Three Hundred One: Fernet Branca

I promise we do way more than just drink, but it just so happens that Argentina has provided us with several new drinks to try. Tonight, Jeff picked up a Fernet Branca, which seems to be everywhere and which people always seem to be talking about. It's actually an Italian amaro, or bitter spirit, but Argentina's history is filled with Italian imigrants, and this drink has made it's way into the local culture. It is made with myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits, and it has a high alcohol content. It is one of the most awful things I have ever put in my mouth, and I could barely get through one little sip! It kind of reminds me of mixing a mint julep (which I do not enjoy in the least, despite it's pretty-sounding name) with the really bad kind of cough syrup that made me gag as a kid. Even bad Firsts are good Firsts, though, because you truly never know until you try!

A bottle of sadness

Day Three Hundred: Bonarda

Before we ever arrived in Mendoza, we were familiar with malbec wine and knew most of it was produced in this region. We also knew we would be sampling a lot of it and trying to discover our favorite. Shortly after we arrived, we learned of bonarda wine, which is made from the second most cultivated variety of grape in Argentina (after malbec). So, obviously, we wanted to try this one as well. We have found that bonarda is used in red blends but appears less often in pure form, so we have had trouble finding a bottle to try. But today, we finally tracked down a pure bonarda and were eager to check it out. We liked it but didn't love it, but we were so glad we finally got to try it.

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Nine: Mate

The event at Jeff's school today was a mate (ma-tay) class, and we signed up as soon as we found out about it because mate is super popular here, and we've been curious about it. We have seen it everywhere but previously had no knowledge of what it actually was. But we became quite educated during the class! Mate is short for Yerba Mate, which is a type of leaf that is dried and ground and made into a tea, usually with a little sugar added. The special cup used to drink the beverage also goes by the same name.

Drinking mate is a social thing, almost like a ceremony, and everyone drinks from the same cup through the same bombilla (special mate straw that filters out the leaves), which I found completely disgusting. But, I tried it anyway because I wanted to be brave and embrace the "yes, and" spirit and not offend the teacher, who was teaching the class on a voluntary basis and who was very enthusiastic and sweet. The drink itself tasted fine, but I was very turned off by the act of drinking after others, especially strangers. The teacher said I was supposed to make a wish since it was my very first mate, and I wished that I would not pick up any awful germs! No joke. Thankfully, I was only the second person to drink the mate because I don't think I could have done it if I would have had to watch everyone else drink out of that cup and then had my turn!

We also learned that there are other social aspects to the act of drinking the mate, one of which was sort of ugly. After each person take a few sips, more mate and water are added for the next person, but if you are upset with someone and want to send them a subtle/not-so-subtle message, you can make them a "long" mate with more water, probably meant to shut them up because they have more to drink. The class was fascinating, and I'm glad we gained the education, but I now feel like I have done this and don't ever feel the need to do it again!

Mate, anyone?!

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Seven: Smoked Scotsman

While Mendoza is definitely wine country, there is an up-and-coming craft brewery industry here as well. We've sampled lots of wines from the region, but we thought we should try some of the beers as well, just to be fair. Many of the breweries are located on Aristides Street, which is a very fun area with lots of cool restaurants and shops. We chose to visit Chachingo where we enjoyed some new-to-us beers and a large and wonderful charcuterie board. The beer I picked was called the Smoked Scotsman. It was good but definitely not my favorite beer of all time.

Chachingo Craft Brewery

Smoked Scotsman and delicious homemade breads

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Six: Herb Store Takeout Buffet

Jeff has been wanting to introduce us to a cool little lunch spot close to his school that he has visited a few times with some of his classmates, so we walked over there today to check it out. There is nothing about the outside of the building that would make you think it is a restaurant, including the sign, which indicates that it is a health food and herb store. In fact, it is not actually a restaurant, but they do have a very nice buffet set up, along with some takeout containers that can be filled and paid for by the kilo. It is a tiny place, and there isn't a table in sight as all the food is to-go only, but it was packed with people looking for some delicious food at a very low price. For all six of us to come away with more food than we could eat in one meal, it cost about $24! It was such a unique experience and a fun outing!

The unassuming store front

I ended up with mostly vegetarian options,
but there were plenty of meaty options as well!

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Five: Thirty Degree Temperatures on June 1

This was the first time in my life I have woken up to 30° temperatures on June 1. And even though it is winter in the southern hemisphere, it still took us a little by surprise since up until yesterday it has been sunny and in the high 60s/low 70s. We always say, you can control lots of things when you travel, but you can't control the weather, and you can't let the weather interfere with your fun. We were prepared with our heavy coats and gloves, so it was really no problem for us, and we still had lots of fun.

Too cold for this girl!

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Four: Museo del Area Fundacional

Jeff's school had an outing to a local museum scheduled this afternoon, and I decided to join Jeff there after his classes, even though the kids weren't interested in going. Therefore, my first First of the day was wandering around the city by myself on this cold, wet day looking for a cab. There were plenty around, but either they weren't available or they were on the other side of the street and super hard to hail. I had no luck, so I was just generally heading in the direction of the museum when Jeff called to say that his driver and our guide for the afternoon would pick me up if I would just stay where I was. I was directly across the street from a Shell station, which seemed like a good place for them to meet me. I didn't count on having to play a live version of Frogger to get over there, but that just added to the adventure. When Jeff and Maggie picked me up, I found out that it is "impossible" to get a cab at that time of day (12:30) because it's rush hour. Interesting.

The museum commemorates the birth of the city and actually sits atop the original governor's palace, which was buried by an earthquake at some point. The museum itself seems to be a working excavation site for the palace and the original plaza, which was pretty cool. I somehow managed to follow most of the Spanish tour until the very end when it became like drinking from a fire hose. I was glad to hear later that it felt the same to Jeff. My favorite exhibit was the "Water Room," which explained how Mendoza would be nothing but dry desert if it weren't for the irrigation systems that were developed to divert water from the Mendoza River, which is one of several that flows down from the Andes. This city seems lush, with gorgeous tree-lined streets and so many large parks, but all that is basically fake. Everything has been planted and absolutely nothing grows here naturally. I loved the photo of the installation of the first fountain which showed a background that looks very similar to our family's ranch in west Texas. We have been to the park that houses that fountain, and I can assure you you would never guess it was originally a desert.

The most hilarious part of the tour was near the end of the fire hose speech when our guide (and ride) suddenly said she was leaving and wished us luck with finding a taxi to get back home. Jeff and I kind of looked at each other to see if we were understanding correctly, and the next thing we knew, we were receiving our customary cheek kisses and a wave. Thankfully, the rain had let up, but it was still pretty cold, and of course, we had to walk quite a distance before finding a cab. We got a good laugh out of the situation, and I told Jeff I was kind of glad for it since it meant I actually got to walk the entire route to/from the museum.

Museo del Area Fundacional

A mural of the original plaza faces the new plaza,
which has been built over the original.

The entrance to the museum reveals
 the ongoing excavation.

A fountain in the desert

The same park now

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Nine: Locro and Malbec Gelato

Today was full of Firsts, but I'll just focus on the new foods I tried. (If you want to see more details from the day, you can visit our family blog.) Yesterday, we found out about a food called locro, which is a bean and squash stew traditionally served on Independence Day since people have time off work and have more time to prepare it at that time. We meant to pick some up at the festival yesterday, but the crowd and lines and loud music were a bit overwhelming, and we simply forgot to order it. So, we were pleased to find that the little food counter/grocery store across the street from our house had some in stock today. (They haven't had it any of the other days we've been here, confirming that it's something of a specialty item that is only served occasionally.) It has a unique flavor, which I can't really describe. I would say we liked it but didn't love it.

Locro

Later, we took Weston out for gelato to celebrate his half-birthday, and Jeff boldly ordered one of the three Malbec gelatos on the menu. Because when in Mendoza... It was my first time to try a wine-based ice cream, and I was not a huge fan, though I was glad for the experience. I think I'll stick to having my Malbecs poured rather than scooped.

Malbec gelato with cherries