Over spring break, I received some very exciting visitors. We had six days off, so my whole family came down to visit me and explore Buenos Aires. My parents arrived on Wednesday, and we spent the day walking around Palermo, the neighborhood where they stayed. My dad’s checked luggage unfortunately did not make it on the plane, so we had to buy him more clothes to last until the airline delivered his bag. I didn’t mind that, though, because it meant we got to window shop and discover cute boutiques. Argentina has a lot of tariffs on clothes, so most of the prices were absurdly high, but I still had fun looking around.
The next day, we explored the Parque Tres de Febrero, Buenos Aires’s biggest park. It was nice to be out in nature (or as close to nature as you can get in a metropolis), but the one downside was the mosquitoes. They were EVERYWHERE, and we all got eaten even though we used a lot of Off. One lady next to us at a restaurant offered us her own bug spray because we were being bitten so badly. I thought Florida mosquitoes were bad, but Argentine mosquitoes are worse.
We also visited the Eva Perón Museum. Eva Perón, the wife of former Argentine president Juan Perón (who you might recognize from We Didn’t Start the Fire), has become a legend in her own right in Argentina. She’s a very polarizing figure in Argentina. People either love her or hate her, but her legacy’s staying power is undeniable. The museum is structured so that you essentially follow the path of her life. It’s not a very large museum, but it was very interesting. My favorite part was the display of some of her most famous outfits. I could certainly understand why she was considered a fashion icon in her day.
The day after, we took an early morning flight to meet the rest of my family in Mendoza. Mendoza is Argentina’s wine country and the home of its famous Malbec. It’s right in the Andes near Chile, so the scenery is unbeatable. Our first stop was an olive oil maker, where we sampled everything from the mildest, lightest oil to the darkest, strongest oil. I was surprised to find that I actually liked the strong oils quite a bit. I typically prefer a less sour taste, but they paired well with the bread they provided us.
Next, we visited our first winery of the trip. They showed us how the wine is manufactured, from growing the grapes to bottling it. I was surprised by how much work goes into winemaking. The bottles need to be turned on a regular basis and sometimes sit in the cellar for years to age. It’s a far more involved process than I would have expected. This particular winery specialized in sparkling wines, so I thoroughly enjoyed the taste test (I have a La Croix addiction, so as far as I’m concerned, the more bubbles, the better). The view from the tasting patio only made it better!
For lunch, we stopped at a local place overlooking another vineyard. They served us the best empanadas I have had so far (and I have had quite a few) which were filled with osso buco. Naturally, more wine was served, as well as Argentine steak. I was very pleased by the meal. We stopped by one more winery after lunch, but we didn’t stay long, as the tour started before the scheduled time and was exclusively in Spanish (which only my mom and I speak). Everyone agreed they were tired, so the rest of the day consisted of a nap, dinner, and gelato.
The second day began with yet another winery. This one was known for making 100% organic wine and being very into natural agriculture. They actually had a sectioned-off area that required workers to fully sanitize themselves to wash the grapes, since they don’t use any conventional disinfectants. The winery also had many animals, so it felt almost more like a farm. The taste test here was probably my favorite. They provided us with accompanying snacks to pair with specific wines and sheets to take notes. I'm far less well-versed in wine than the rest of my family (which I guess is to be expected, considering that I only turned 21 in February), so I did occasionally find myself getting lost with some of the descriptions. For example, people would smell the wine and talk about all the notes they could detect, whereas my take was more, "Well...it smells like wine." Luckily, the guide was very nice and informative, so I did learn a lot.
The winery after that was a small, family-owned winery. We had snacks and tasted wines in their kitchen, and it felt very homey. The tomato-covered bread was particularly delicious, so I had to pace myself. This particular winery based a line of wines on tarot cards, which I found fascinating. I don’t know very much about tarot, but even just the design of the labels would convince me to buy a bottle (our group did end up buying a bunch of wine from this winery, as well as some cute earrings they sold).Â
We ended our day with a meal at a cute restaurant next to a brook. The food (more steak, of course) was delicious, but the highlight for me was the little dog who kept running around wanting scraps. He was apparently the neighbors’ dog, but we decided he would be called Steve. He thoroughly enjoyed the fat I cut off my meat that I snuck him. On the way back to the hotel, our guide showed us an overlook where we could see the mountains stretching out and a mini replica of Christ the Redeemer. It was the perfect way to cap off the day.
At the hotel, nobody was hungry for dinner, so we enjoyed a bit of the wine we had bought. We also sampled the wine the hotel provided, but it was so bad that my godfather poured it in the sink. I think we got a little spoiled from all the winery tours.Â
The next morning, we flew back to Buenos Aires to spend the last couple of days of the trip together. We took a guided tour all around the city. While many of the sites were familiar to me already, I still learned new things and enjoyed showing my family around. And there were still a couple of surprises. For example, we visited a beautiful old church I hadn't been to before and got a guided tour through Recoleta Cemetery, so I learned even more than when I had been there the first time.
The day after our tour, we explored a cute craft fair we discovered on the tour, and for dinner, we ate at the world-renowned Don Julio steakhouse. It was the best steak I have ever eaten— it was so juicy and flavorful. I could have done without the descriptions of the cows the meat came from, though. That just made me sad. The steaks were so huge that nobody finished theirs, and they gave me all the leftovers. Suffice it to say that I will be having many steak meals at my apartment.Â
That morning, my parents visited di Tella to see where I go to school. We then toured the Teatro Colón, a beautiful, still-functioning theater, before we finished the trip off with some more window-shopping. I found a fabulous hat that I loved, but it was over $100, which I absolutely could not justify. Then it was time to say goodbye. My family’s visit really sped by, and it was harder than I expected to say goodbye to them knowing I wouldn’t see them for another three or four months. Nonetheless, I’m so glad they visited, and I would recommend Mendoza (or at least wine from Mendoza) to anyone.