Argentina in a nutshell

Week 26 – This week we crossed for the last time the border between Argentina and Chile. Over the last 5 months we have spent 80 days in Argentina, the country of beef and parillas (barbecues), but there is a lot more than that and it is the ideal moment to review it!

I will begin with my “coups de coeur” as there have been some superb discoveries in this gigantic country:

Buenos Aires: the capital is magnificent! Its architecture, its many museums, cafes and restaurants, its very distinctive neighborhoods are a superb ensemble and offer an infinite source of visits! We stayed for a week but I could go back a month without ever getting bored! I have nostalgic memories of the little café La Poesia that was right next to our apartment and where I had my cream coffee and medialunas every morning.

Puerto Pirámides: completely opposite to the dynamic Buenos Aires, this village located at the entrance of Península Valdès is a small haven of peace from which we were able to observe with pleasure the ballena franca austral (whales) play with their babies, teach them to jump out of the water and do saltos showing us the tip of their fins at regular intervals. Little magical moments!

Ushuaia and the Tierra del Fuego: mystical, incredible “end of the world” (Fin del Mundo)! We had to drive a crazy amount of kilometers to reach the tip of the tip of this island, Tierra del Fuego, and its main city, Ushuaia. Wind, cold, rain for sure but also amazing skies, mountains covered with dark forests and snow-capped peaks, the Beagle Channel and its history, proximity to Cape Horn and departure point for the Antarctic. All these ingredients have made Ushuaia an unforgettable stop!

I also loved the north of the country, the provinces of Salta and Jujuy, where we discovered the delicious empanadas salteñas accompanied by white wine Torrontes, the beautiful historic and Andean city of “Salta, the beautiful”, the incredible red and ochre landscapes of the Quebradas and the small salt desert Salinas Grandes.

Argentina is an incredibly large country that is long and tedious to travel through, lost in its Pampas. We sometimes drove hundreds of kilometers without crossing a village and even meeting a living soul. Our shock absorbers and our tires have been suffering a lot on the roads that are not always in good condition, especially the roads of the north and the famous Ruta 40 in Patagonia!

Finally I will conclude by saying that the Argentineans are absolutely adorable and their little Italian side, heritage of their past immigration, gives them a lot of charm!

I nearly forgot: I discovered here my love for the lemon pie, a real delight!