You’re probably waking up thinking of all the cooking and preparation ahead of you today. So are we! I have been thinking about Thanksgiving for the last couple of weeks. It’s especially hard to remember that it’s fall in the US because it is a beautiful spring in Argentina right now! I think I’m hanging on to the thoughts of Turkey Day because it reminds me of our family, our traditions, and where we come from. This year we really get the chance to think about our roots…and that we miss our family even though this adventure is so beautiful.
We planned a “smallish” menu. Beef on the parilla, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pickled beets, and pumpkin pie. And we hope to do lots of Skyping and WhatsApping to watch how are families prepare for this special celebration of gratefulness and abundance. The US is truly rich.
We’ve had some awesome food experiences since arriving in Argentina. Here they are!
Wine has been a great part of Argentina. It seems to be a given on every table.
Visiting Mendoza was educational and we had gorgeous weather.
We decided to a blind tasting.
Wine #2 was the best, and it wasn’t the one that cost the most!
Massive old French Oak barrels resting in a field. We’re told the wood gets re-purposed into smaller barrels or chips for aging wine. They can have decades of use, but must be scrubbed with a soft brush every couple of years in order to keep imparting good flavor to wine.
Just my size!
First glass! Thank you for the shirt and jewelery little sis!
This is the largest size barrel used at Lopez Winery, ~35,000L capacity.
This wine is aged from 6 months to 6 years. Larger barrels have a better surface area : volume ratio and age the wine better. These were really cool to learn about.
The bottling facility.
We covered a lot of miles this week, going from Mendoza to….Northern Patagonia! We made it to the famous and cherished hiking/adventure lands of Argentina. We got to see some food in its live form too.
The posh Las Lenas area. An astounding campsite for the night. I couldn’t believe the view, multiple mountain ranges, amazing geology, and snow capped mountains.
Gauchos and sheep! Lots of sheep in the area of Malargue. This town holds the world record for cooking the most goats at once… just a 1,000 or so!
The gauchos continue to peak our interest with their wool berets and the vast areas they farm.
Gauchos and cows! Did you know one dog can do the work of 4 men on horses?
We have gone out to eat just a handful of times.
Lomo sandwiches…
…Todd was speechless.
Lomo, fried egg, Port Salut cheese, ham, lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayo ketchup. And double battered fries.
A human sized mate pot (purely decorative)
Get hot water at a gas station for your Mate!
Part of the fun of having a van is that we can buy local food and cook it at our leisure. Lola has been great for that.
Each day starts out this way. No two ways about it.
Toasted oatmeal pancakes? Yes, it’s possible!
Nectarines are in season. Todd has complained he doesn’t have his maple syrup, so I used some Guatemalan wildflower honey and mashed it with fresh nectarines. He was happy.
Figuring out how to improve our water pumping system is an ongoing task. Surprisingly Todd fits in the WC! All this exercise seems to be helping both of our waistlines.
Lunch stops usually look like this. It’s nice to take a break from the bouncy and loud gravel roads. That day we drove 60km on a dirt road!!!! AAAAAAaaaaHHHHhhh!
Delicious and beautiful beets.
We are finding some fall veggies. Butternut squash soup.
Lola Wine! Had to get it. Making “Juicy Lucy’s” according to Esther’s recipe! THANK YOU ESTHER!!!
Do you think it’s too thick Todd?
The finished product.
Always making friends!
We did the last leg of our trip to our AirBnB yesterday, we are now in San Martin de Los Andes. Looks like paradise to us.
Lago Lacar, just one of the lakes nearby San Martin.
Volcan Lanin.
Scotchbroom and cyclists. Both are remarkable.
And now we’re cuddled up in our Cobb House AirBnb overlooking the nearby hills. This place is peaceful and beautiful. And it has great WIFI, so call us!!!
Todd found the lard and a Brazilian turkey ($5/lb) , but we opted for some good ol’ local Argentinian beef ($6/lb).
The Brazilian Bird.
Lard in BAGS!
Nice chunk, 1 kg for the two of us.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We are grateful to be Americans and grateful for the beautiful world and the good people in it.
Thanks for the truly lovel Thanksgiving wishes and fabalous photos. So happy to live your trip with you via your travel log. In case you were wondering, we have lots of rain here in the NW, still. Food and Wine you are experiencing look amazing. Seeing the hot water stand for Mate reminds me I have a bowl and Bambisa (sp).
So I’ll set up a drink of Mate and send you a blessing and a toast for a happy thanksgiving and continued safe travels.
This was a great post! Fun pics and good stories. We miss you guys daily but these shared moments help ease the void of your shining faces. Thank YOU! and Happy Thanksgiving.
Great post! It’s great to share this wonderful experience vicariously with you. And I made a note of that Argentinian wine you liked, to see if I can get it here.
The thing we’ve learned from this man is that we focus on very young wine in the US. Argentina has more wine and thus seems to have more freedom in producing older and tastier wines!
Alex, I’ve been thinking about you and your travels. It’s great to see what you’re up to. Be safe, have fun, keep the pics coming, and adventure on!! 😁🍷
It looks like you two (plus Lola) are having a great trip through South America! I love the van life! We’ll miss you guys up here in the NW over the holidays. I know my Spanish is terrible, but Feliz Navidad y Buena año nuevo!
Thanks Mike. Hope you guys are doing well. When are you going to do your next epic bike trip? We have seen tons of cyclists down here, particularly on the Carretera Austral.
So jealous of your winery trips! You look stunning in the shirt 😉 Maybe I’ll bring back some clothes from the UK in the summer for you to pick through.
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Happy Thanksgiving yourselves — looks like you will also be eating well.
Thank you Miss Karen! Yes we had 5 dishes and made 2 pumpkin pies!
Thanks for the truly lovel Thanksgiving wishes and fabalous photos. So happy to live your trip with you via your travel log. In case you were wondering, we have lots of rain here in the NW, still. Food and Wine you are experiencing look amazing. Seeing the hot water stand for Mate reminds me I have a bowl and Bambisa (sp).
So I’ll set up a drink of Mate and send you a blessing and a toast for a happy thanksgiving and continued safe travels.
Such fun “following” you! Love your insights! Happy Thanksgiving! 😘. M
This was a great post! Fun pics and good stories. We miss you guys daily but these shared moments help ease the void of your shining faces. Thank YOU! and Happy Thanksgiving.
You are the sweetest! We miss the Barrio and all the debauchery!
Great post! It’s great to share this wonderful experience vicariously with you. And I made a note of that Argentinian wine you liked, to see if I can get it here.
That would be cool! We tried Carmelo Patti’s wines too! He told us he actually exports to Portland http://www.elixirwinegroup.com/argentina/carmelo-patti.html
The thing we’ve learned from this man is that we focus on very young wine in the US. Argentina has more wine and thus seems to have more freedom in producing older and tastier wines!
Alex, I’ve been thinking about you and your travels. It’s great to see what you’re up to. Be safe, have fun, keep the pics coming, and adventure on!! 😁🍷
It looks like you two (plus Lola) are having a great trip through South America! I love the van life! We’ll miss you guys up here in the NW over the holidays. I know my Spanish is terrible, but Feliz Navidad y Buena año nuevo!
Thanks Mike. Hope you guys are doing well. When are you going to do your next epic bike trip? We have seen tons of cyclists down here, particularly on the Carretera Austral.
So jealous of your winery trips! You look stunning in the shirt 😉 Maybe I’ll bring back some clothes from the UK in the summer for you to pick through.
I think Argentina would be a haven for me…
Hehehe. Looking forward to clothes! With the variety in weather, I’m wearing a little of everything but not getting tired of it yet.