JAN-FEB

I believe I am in Argentina now and the southern hemisphere summer festive season is in full swing, Carolina and I are getting to know one another again after our rather long separation due to my Icy desires.  Many normal things still seem a little odd and surprising to me but the unantarctic pace, activities and views I now run around in will soon be totally natural.  

Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney were blurry and fast stops with a great deal condensed into 17 days. I could not see everyone I wished to but I did my best. It was difficult as I was still running on a very strange nameless time zone that just did not dovetail with my frantic movements. I flew over the Pacific Ocean just before Xmas and got sweaty in Buenos Aires for a day then Carolina and I jumped on to a large catamaran in order to reinvent our marriage after all this time. A mini second honeymoon was implemented in the cute town of Colonia del Sacramento on the banks of the massive Rio de La Plata in Uruguay. I can recommend the Posada Plaza Mayor for such an activity. I slowly wind down and rearrange my brain as Carolina and I tumble back into our La Consulta lifestyle. Heat and a form of domestic comfort that I have not felt for a long time now surround me. “All good” as they say.

In order to control my belly’s expansion plans I jog some nights around the vineyard with our three farm dogs; Rahael Ricardo who hunts armidillos, Tinta who just wants to eat and Negro who makes strange pig noises for some reason are all pretty good guard dogs hopefully protect us from corrupt politicians, dirty police, bandits and occasionally large frogs that jump through the windows.

It is now well into 2010 so I wish everyone luck and fun for this new year. Our celebrations were perfectly minimal and predictably involved a classic Argentinean asado-bbq with a bottle or two of superb Malbec wine from Carolinas winery. www.aconquija.com.  Salud!