Ana Travels
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Lisbon, warts and all
We met with a bunch of friends in Lisbon to celebrate the New Year. Here are some of my impressions on this city. What I absolutely adored: Pastéis de nata! These custard tarts are the most delicious pastries I’ve eaten in a long time. They can be found in pastelarias (pastry shops), cafes and restaurants. … Continue reading
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Every city has an area that is so touristy that is generally avoided by locals. La Boca is one such place. La Boca (Spanish for “mouth”) is situated at the mouth of the Riachuelo, a (polluted) navigable river that flows into the River Plate. Until the first half of the 19th century, the area was … Continue reading
Recoleta Cemetery truly feels like a city within a city with its grid street plan and mausoleums that resemble small houses and churches. It was opened in November, 1822 as the first public necropolis in the city of Buenos Aires on land that belonged to the Franciscan monks. What I find interesting is that a … Continue reading
As my country does not belong to the Commonwealth or fought in either of the World Wars, I had no idea that a poppy was worn on Remembrance Day (11th November) as a tribute to the fallen in battle. I learned about it a few years back when we were in England. Sean had dropped … Continue reading
Here are a few fun facts about the second biggest state of the Union- or biggest continental state, up to you to choose the one you like best. Just remember that everything is bigger in Texas! Once upon a time, Texas was its own republic. The Congress of the Republic of Texas was established in … Continue reading
This gray, rainy Sunday made me think of graveyards, I’m not sure why. I have this love-hate relationship with them, you see. I hate to think about the degradation of the flesh and that sort of thing, but, on the other hand, I’m drawn to the names and dates on the headstones. Who were they? … Continue reading
Our next stop was Memphis. Texas, of course. We were greeted by a scene from The Twilight Zone. There was almost no car or pedestrian traffic on the streets. Like in most towns, the courthouse (a beautiful old building) dominated the centre. There was a kind of fundraiser going on which consisted of four stands … Continue reading
We left on Friday after a fantastic lunch of brisket tamales at Emelia’s in The Colony. Our first port of call was Mineral Wells, described in the guidebook as a “winning town.” I beg to differ. Its first impression was that of a rundown, depressing place. The welcome committee was made up of boarded-up houses, … Continue reading
We need to get out of Dodge Labour Day Weekend was fast approaching. We needed to get out of the scorching heat and humdrum of Dallas. Since we didn’t want to fly, planning a road trip was the next logical step. Which way? We started by choosing a cardinal point: west. Then I scanned a … Continue reading
The second installment in this series explores the history of one of the most popular sports in Argentina today: football. It can be said that the railway plays a key role here too since many clubs were founded by railway workers in the late 1800s. Alexander Watson Hutton (10 June, 1853 – 9 March, 1936) … Continue reading
Would you eat a friar’s balls? Probably not unless you are in Argentina and have a sweet tooth. Facturas are, hands down, the most popular pastries in Argentina. They come in different sizes and shapes and with different fillings – dulce de leche, quince paste (dulce de membrillo) and custard (crema pastelera) are the most … Continue reading
On my recent trip to England I realised that some areas or buildings reminded me of my own country, Argentina. Even my Argentinean friends, who were on holiday in London, too, made similar remarks. One of the aspects that caught my attention was the architecture of railway stations. Waterloo Station put me in mind of … Continue reading
A bit of history The pub is a time-honoured English institution. The word pub derives from the phrase public house, a drinking establishment. Its origins an be traced back to the times of the Roman occupation of Britain. The Romans established a network of tabernae, or inns. After the Romans left, the Anglo-Saxons took up … Continue reading
Here are some of the highlights of our recent trip to England. Although it was family-centred, we managed to visit some interesting places. I’ve always wanted to see the Temple Church. My first attempt was a few years ago when I had a few hours to kill in London before my flight back home, I … Continue reading
Recently my friend Katie wrote the following comment under my post on Chichester: “I love the photo of the tomb with the couple holding hands. Isn’t it amazing to walk among such history?” Her words inspired me to revisit those places where I’ve come face to face with History while in England. I recently read … Continue reading
I left the train station and followed a few people who looked like they were going to the town centre. I had no choice because I didn’t have a map or guide. Then I followed the signs to the Tourist Information Centre, a shop on South Street. I bought a guide in the form of … Continue reading
I was nominated by Ruth from Tanama Tales to participate in the “My 7 Links” project. I’ll be honest and say that I’d never heard of that project until Ruth included me in her list, but upon reading her post I got excited to participate. It all began when the folks at TripBase set the … Continue reading
Carlos Keen is a small country town located less than 90 kilometres west of the city of Buenos Aires (see map here). The nearest big town is Luján. Carlos Keen is known for its restaurants and is an ideal place to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon ambling about, checking out the goods at the arts … Continue reading
The view of the basilica, with its looming spires, never fails to impress. It’s Luján, Argentina’s epicentre of Catholic faith, where miracles are prayed for and where thousands go on pilgrimage every year hoping that Our Lady of Luján will hear their pleas. This time round we skipped the basilica and headed to the History … Continue reading
My friend Katie from Seashells and Sunflowers threw down the gauntlet and we took it up: an international alfajor challenge. Three Argentinians and three Americans tried different traditional alfajor recipes from Argentina for a group post. An alfajor is a sweet treat similar to a sandwich cookie. Depending on the regional recipe, the cookie can … Continue reading
June 21st marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. In 2008 we went to a lovely solstice festival over St. Ouen’s Bay in Jersey, Channel Islands. A Brazilian band was playing on the sloping terrain while we picnicked on top of the cliffs. The idea was to welcome the summer with music and … Continue reading
Literature and film have a great influence on people’s lives and also in the way they travel. Some people follow in the footsteps of their favourite authors or characters and plan trips around their adventures. I have been to places described in books I’ve read and films I’ve seen and loved every experience. Although this … Continue reading
We searched high and low for the elusive Eiffel Tower. We drove around Paris for a good while, navigating unknown streets, scanning the horizon, trying to follow the GPS directions. At long last we saw it in all its 65 foot high glory. And a red cowboy hat on top. Welcome to Paris, Texas, the … Continue reading
It is a known fact that Argentina won two FIFA World Cups (1978 and 1986). But did you know that Argentina won the World Blind Soccer Championship twice too (2002 and 2006)? With an enviable sense of humour, the national blind soccer team call themselves The Bats (Los Murciélagos.) All the players except the goalkeeper … Continue reading
We lived in this great country for about a year and a half and had the opportunity to visit many wonderful places, like Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Southern Ontario. Here are a few things I learned or discovered during out time there. The photos are my own. Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This French colony … Continue reading
Every time I go to Buenos Aires, my parents take me on day trip to the country. On my latest visit, we went to the town of Suipacha. It is located 126 kilometres west of Buenos Aires and is an important dairy centre. Let me rephrase that: it’s cheese lovers heaven. Recently, local dairy and … Continue reading
Did you know that… The president of the Republic is the godparent of the seventh son born to any family. However, it is the edecán (aide-de-camp) who attends the christening on behalf of the president. It is said that this tradition began in 1907 when a Russian immigrant asked President José Figueroa Alcorta to be … Continue reading
I’ve decided to change the name of this blog to Ana Travels. The URL remains the same, for now. More changes are under way. Stay tuned!
I’ve been cooped up at our house in Buenos Aires for a over week now because I have to let the electricians and plumber in. There are a few things that need repairing. As we haven’t moved in yet (and won’t for a while), the place is still unfurnished except for a rocking chair and … Continue reading
After meeting a friend –and former colleague- for lunch, I stroll down Avenida Santa Fe in Buenos Aires. I need to speed up to keep up with the other pedestrians or I risk being pushed or bumped into. These are busy people walking with a purpose. I used to be one of them, now I’m … Continue reading
It’s not the lack of ideas or the lack of time (I have way too much of the latter) that has caused this “draught” in my blogs (all three of them). I just don’t have the energy to sit down and write. I feel drained all the time. And really, really homesick. Maybe that’s it: … Continue reading
1) My first time in Paris. I felt the city belonged to me. There weren’t enough hours in each day to explore the city. It felt like finding my soul mate. 2) Long, leisurely drives around the southwest of France in my husband’s bright yellow 1965 Alvis. People waved at us and took photos of … Continue reading
It took us less than six hours to reach Buda, a town south of Austin. Not bad, considering the driving conditions for the first half of the way. We checked into the hotel and drove to Lockhart for a barbeque dinner with our friends. We woke up to a gloriously sunny morning and hit the … Continue reading
Maybe the Mayans and Nostradamus are right. Maybe the end of the world is drawing nigh. An ice storm followed by a snow storm in Dallas left the city covered with an inch thick sheet of ice and a foot of snow on Super Bowl weekend -or maybe even thicker. This was the weekend we … Continue reading
