La Barra is undoubtedly the best restaurant Christi and I have experienced on the trip to date and we are eager to return tonight. Until then we wander aimlessly around Mendoza. We do not manage a particularly early start to the day, however, as Christi is feeling a little delicate. We amble along some beautiful streets lined with tall trees and big houses until we find ourselves at the entrance to Parque general San Martin. It’s a gorgeous open space reminiscent of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco (if you ignore the trash). We stroll through lush meadows and around a splendid lake. There are joggers aplenty and some serious rowing eights and individual scullers speeding through the water. I feel as if I’ve been transported from South America to Oxford or Harvard.
Naturally, all the walking builds up a considerable appetite and since we’re not wining tasting today, we explore more of Mendoza’s gastronomic delights. We enjoy a wonderful lunch back on Sarmiento Avenue: croissants and real butter, fresh OJ, exquisitely-cut ham sandwiches, and organic vanilla ice cream, before succumbing to a siesta (damn that thing is addictive).
As I lay dozing on my bijou bed, Christi suggests another wine tour by bicycle, this time to Lujan. However, this involves a 90-minute bike ride just to reach the wineries (this must be the wine talking) and my butt is damned sore after our adventures in Maipu yesterday. I shoot her idea down immediately and return to my peaceful nap.
We’re excited to finally return to La Barra for dinner. This time we share a succulent bife de chorizo (it’s a massive sirloin steak) with garlic potatoes and mixed greens. And perhaps just one or two glasses of wine. Hair of the dog and all that jazz.
Blog Post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale
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