Spanish classes and Chacras de Coria

We've had a really great 10 days. Julie, Annabel and Rebecca have started taking Spanish classes two days a week at an international school in downtown Mendoza, and are starting to speak a little bit of Spanish. Our teacher, Senorita Analia, is very patient with us, and we have been taking copious notes.



Last weekend, we discovered the little town of Chacras de Coria, which borders our own town of Lujan de Cuyo. It, too, is surrounded by fincas and has adorable stores and restaurants. About a week ago, we went for a delicious meal with Hernan to a restaurant called El Palenque (The Hitching Post). We went back over the weekend to go to a crafts fair in the town square. Annabel and Rebecca rode ponies, and Rebecca claimed it was the highlight of the weekend.



Our own little house seems to be the best entertainment of all for the girls. We swim every day and play water balloons and soccer on the lawn. We have adopted the finca's cat and re-named him Tigre. In the past, we think that he has subsisted on mice and voles. We've taken to feeding him chicken and fish, and he now doesn't want to leave our side. Rebecca has started helping Pascual, the groundskeeper, take care of the parrots. Lalo, the blue and yellow parrot, dances when he is being fed. Maria, Pascual's wife, introduced Julie and the girls to the owners of the finca next door, Richard and Graciella. They have a horse -- Mark says its a mule --to which the girls feed vegetable scraps . Annabel and Julie have started taking morning walks around the vineyard, and Mark has figured out an ingenious way to get exercise in our tiny swimming pool by tying a rope around his waist so that he swims in place. The girls have discovered that Argentinians make delicious ice cream, and we go to the heladeria three times a week for Mousse de Limon and Cafe ice cream. Mark and Julie are thoroughly enjoying the Malbec wines and are cycling through the different ones from the area.



We are continuing to homeschool the girls, and we think they may have done more schoolwork than their friends in Morgantown, who we hear have had many snow days (we keep getting the email notifications). We're hoping to make a trip to the mountains soon and are beginning to plan for our trip to Buenes Aires at the end of the month.

Getting settled in Argentina

We have been in Argentina for just over a week. We arrived in Mendoza with 5 big suitcases (1 didn't make it from Santiago, but was later delivered) filled with everything from clothes, to batteries, ample sunscreen and lots and lots of books. Mendoza is beautiful. It looks a lot like Cape Town, South Africa, with the huge Andes Mountains serving as a backdrop to its dry but fruitful terrain. Mendoza is famous for its wine. Vineyards line the highway on either side as you drive in from the airport.

We are staying in a lovely two bedroom house on the finca. The finca is actually in the town of Lujan de Cuyo, which is about 10 minutes from downtown Mendoza. There are two parrots and four parakeets that live in a cage outside the front door of the house. They sleep when it is dark and wake at dawn, which is usually around 6:00 a.m. As the agronomist said, "The house is very peaceful...except for the parrots." One of the parrots speaks Spanish and greets everyone with an Hola, morning, noon and night. He also insults the groundskeeper calling him loco. They are an endless source of entertainment for us. We eat, work, and, of course, play outside. Mark, Annabel and Rebecca like to swim in the pool , and Julie likes to paint under the weeping willow trees.

The vineyard is adjacent to the house. It is 10 hectares of Malbec grape vines. The grapes are a deep purple and are very sweet. They will be ready for harvest in the fall (spring in the U.S.). We are all excited for the harvest. Annabel and Rebecca like walking through the vineyard and taking pictures.

Our first week was spent getting organized: arranging for a car, internet and phone service. We've gone into Mendoza practically every day and have enjoyed eating at restaurants, connecting at internet cafes, and just generally exploring. On Saturday, we went to Mendoza's big city park called Parque San Martin named after the Argentine general who helped free the Argentines from Spanish rule. We walked through the rose garden and had the opportunity to hear an Argentine rock band play covers from AC/DC. Next weekend we hope to go to the Mendoza zoo.

As the only Spanish speaker, Mark has had the daunting task of having to speak for us all. Julie, Annabel and Rebecca have signed up for Spanish classes which start next week. So, hopefully, within a few weeks, we will all be able to communicate. The Argentinians have been very welcoming, warm and helpful. The agronomist and manager of the finca have shown us where to go, what to do, arranged for internet service, helped us secure a car....without them, we would have had to rely on the parrots. And we're not sure yet whether they are friend or foe.