Bariloche, Argentina

This place puts out a huge spread for breakfast and we took advantage. Eggs, ham, croissants, fresh fruit…it seemed to go on and on. It’s really fun to chat with the other guests during meals. Last night we dined with an very interesting couple from Raleigh, NC and shared breakfast with two large families from New York. In these families, between them they have six kids aged 10 to 15 and the kids are having a blast. There are more Americans here at the Estancia than we met in Mendoza. In fact, we were the only Americans at Club Tapiz. The international connections are what we truly love about these trips. We learn so much.

We’re getting plenty of opportunity to speak Spanish too. The staff here at the Estancia speak both English and Spanish and don’t seem to mind when we butcher a request or question.

Today, despite the threat of rain and some strong winds, we headed out on the trails behind the Estancia. Serving as our trail guides were Gandhi, Alpha, and Cocoa, three of the resident canines. The trails are marked with colored ribbons and we had a map in hand. Still, there were times when the dogs helped us find our way or showed us something we might otherwise have missed along the way. Since Mia and Nica are not real hiking dogs, today was a special experience.

Alpha taking a break

We still love our little poodles but these big dogs were incredible companions.

In all we covered about 6.5 miles and walked every trail on the map in less than four hours. There are several options for longer, more strenuous hikes that we may do in coming days. For our first day back to physical activity in about two weeks, today’s distance was good. It felt so great to be exercising again. It makes the fantastic picnic lunch that we enjoyed on the trail that much sweeter. The chef here prepared a lunch of vegetable quiche/tart, grilled vegetable sandwich and ham and cheese. We also had fruit, homemade trail mix and cookies. You can see the photo of Steve eating while Alpha looked on drooling.

Our afternoon was was spent napping and reading. I’m almost done with the first two Hunger Games books and hope to finish all three before we get home. Steve is reading some kind of philosophical book. He thinks a lot on these trips.

We’re not sure what we are doing to do tomorrow but it will likely involve something outside and fun! Stay tuned!

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Bariloche, Argentina
Today we travelled to Bariloche which was a two hour flight south of Mendoza. We in the North Patagonia region of Argentina in an area called the Lake District. Our dear friend Lucia raved about her visit here last year, so we had to check it out. Lucia, you were right when you said Bariloche is bellisimo.

Our driver said there are 30 lakes in the area and our estancia is on the southern tip of Lake Gutierrez. An estancia is basically a ranch but we’ve compared this one to Cheley Camps with luxury accommodations, gourmet meals, and happy hour each evening. Here we will be able to hike, ride horses, kayak, and do any number of other activities. Or do nothing.

It’s hard to describe this paradise and hopefully these initial pictures will give you an idea of this heaven on earth. This afternoon, after a wonderful three course meal, we did a little hike on the mountain above the property. We made it to a nearby waterfall and an old avalanche area. We’re hoping the weather holds out in the coming days so we can more exploring. Rain is in the forecast and it’s really windy today. However, up in the forest you are protected from the elements and the hiking was perfect.

The estancia has four Golden Retrievers that accompany hikers, greet you at the gate, swim in the lake, and pretty much bring the joy that only a dog can bring. So far we’ve met three of the four dogs. Tara is the youngest and we found her chasing geese into the lake. She enjoyed our game of fetch and then got in trouble for not coming when the owner called her. Gandhi appears to be old, wise, and very happy to have his ears rubbed. Alpha also made a welcoming appearance and we’re stilling waiting to meet the fourth. Stayed tuned on that one.

Tonight we have happy hour followed by dinner. We’re looking forward to meeting the other guests who come from all over the world and with whom we’ll share the New Year celebrations.

Please keep your comments coming as we love to hear from you all.

Adios por ahora!

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Mendoza, Argentina

Today we set out to explore the wineries of Mendoza. There are over 1000 wineries, also called bodegas, in this area and most are small family-run operations. Most require you to call ahead and make a reservation. Unlike wineries in the States where you can walk in and stand at a bar for a tasting, these places conduct full on tours designed to educate you about the wine-making process. Then, when it’s time to taste, you don’t just taste 3 or 4 like in many other wineries. Here the tasting is of at least six or eight kinds with pretty generous pours. So, it’s a good thing we didn’t try to see all 1000 of Mendoza’s bodegas. Today we hit three.

Our driver Diego picked us up at 9:30 and we drove about 15 minutes south to Bodega Tapiz, which is the winery owned by the same place we are staying.

Steve and Diego

We were greeted by a beautiful herds of llamas and a friendly guide named Juan. We learned about the wine production process and finished with a tasting of numerous wines with chocolate. The tasting finished up with a sample of their special lemoncello.

Next we were off to Archaval Ferrer, known for producing some of the highest quality wine in the area. We were too late to join the actual tour and just in time for the tasting. We didn’t complain! The wines just kept coming and we were able to compare Malbecs from different terriors, or plots of land. It’s amazing how different the same kind of wine can taste by growing in different dirt. We took a few photos from the lawn of Archaval Ferrer because they have the most beautiful view of the Andes.

Andes in the background

Today was was the first day we were able to see the snow-covered peaks and they were so majestic. We are in the height of summer and there is still a lot of snow up there. Imagine what it looks like in winter. Mendoza is the jumping off point for climbing expeditions of Aconcagua. This is the highest peak on the continent and we’ve enjoyed learning about this challenge. Steve’s up for the climb of the 23,000 foot mountain but I’m not crazy about the idea of hiking in snow. Still, it sounds like it would be a great adventure. In fact, this week a nine-year-old boy reached the summit, making him the youngest to ever reach the top.

Our third winery today was Alta Vista, one of the oldest in the area. They use the old-style concrete tanks and have an underground cave, like you find in France. Emelie, our guide, was actually from Leon, France and had the most beautiful accent.

Steve and Emelie, our guide at Alta Vista

We enjoyed our private tour with her and our extensive tasting afterwards. Even Diego, our driver joined us!

By this time we were done. The rest of the day included lunch, nap, more wine tasting at Club Tapiz, followed by another great dinner. Tomorrow we leave wine country and fly to Bariloche, known as the Argentine Lake District. We are staying at an estancia, or ranch, and are looking forward to some physical activity for a change. Hiking and kayaking sounds good after our days of decadence here in Mendoza.

Llamas at Bodega Tapiz

At Bodega Tapiz

Andean view

Archaval Ferrer Malbec

Archaval Ferrer Temporis

Archaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista

Archeval Ferrer Finca Mirador Malbec

Archaval Ferrer Quimera – Marnie’s favorite

Steve with a Malbec

Archaval Ferrer

At Alta Vista

Warming up at Alta Vista

Sweet Malbec

Steve and Diego

Alta Vista

Alta Vista Chardonnay

Alta Vista Alto

Alta Vista Malbec

Alta Vista Atemporal

Steve with wine

Alta Vista Torrontes

Concrete tanks

Barrels in the cave

Dinner description

A lighter dinner