Day 22 - Moving to Mendoza - March 20, 2013

We had been invited to a breakfast on the back porch of the big house at 9:30AM, which was a bit late for us.  We arose and packed our things, getting ready to move on.  About 9:20 Julian told us breakfast was served.  The cleaning woman had laid out a huge spread - bread, biscuits, jams, fruit, cheese, ham, coffee, tea, raisins, and nuts.  It was very relaxing and delicious.  The cleaning woman noticed the dogs begging at our table and chased them vigorously away with a rolled-up newspaper.  Spuds, ever-creative, found his way back quickly, so she lured him inside with a treat and closed the door.  Ten minutes later he was back.  We ignored him and finished our meal.  Julian called a cab, and about 30 minutes and US$10 later we were at the door to our new place, Casa Lila, in Mendoza town.  The two cleaning ladies greeted us and offered cappucino, tea, water and the like.  We were a bit early, at 11AM, and they hurried to finish the room while we sat in the common area with some cold lemon water.  Olivia, the resident animal, quickly found S to be an acceptable new addition to the home.

 















We did a leisurely walking tour of the town.  Mendoza had been effectively leveled by an earthquake, so all subsequent construction is 3 stories or less, and the streets and walks are very wide to provide evacuation routes in the future.  There is a large central square with four satellites a few blocks away off each corner.  The blocks are small and square, and walking pretty much anywhere from Casa Lila is a breeze. 

Later in the afternoon we snacked on some empanadas and water, then did a wine tasting at The Vines tasting room.  They offered various flights from their own cellars, and our hostess was thorough in describing each one's varietal and specific origins in their vineyards.  My friend Craig would have been delighted, as our wine hostess is also a big fan of history in general and General San Martin in particular.  With my encouragement, she used the wine region maps to both show the wines and also the details of San Martin's preparations and 5-pronged attack against the conquistadors in Chile.  Having studied at military school in Spain, San Martin knew exactly how the Spanish armies would react, and planned his supply and attack strategies accordingly.  A truly brilliant and yet humble man.  Our B&B is also two blocks from the park commemorating San Martin - a stunningly beautiful place. 

We came back to the B&B and rested in preparation for a traditional Argentinian evening meal.