We left on Friday after a fantastic lunch of brisket tamales at Emelia’s in The Colony. Our first port of call in our West Texas road trip 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…
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)…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Read more Alfajores de maizena for the international alfajor challenge
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…
