Serenata 2010

The Serenata is a folk festival started in 1974 by a Arnoldo Etchart in honor of the Cafayate people and the most talented of artists that this area is famous for. Each year thousands of people culminate for this festival full of folk music and dancing, tradition, and harmony. My favorite part is when painters from Cafayate and the surrounding area paint the walls of the Serenata with different murals and sayings. This of course is just a small part of the Serenata, so if you are ever in the mood to exprience a spring break atmosphere with folk music and tradition, the Cafayate Serenata is a great combination!

Sun Dogs

I was at La Estancia de Cafayate at the Heath Club House and looked up and saw this amazing phenomenon, a sun dog. Luckily, my friend Cecilia had her camera with her. Now I had no idea what this was and why this would happen until Charlie told me, oh yeah -it's a sun dog. Now... sounds like a made up name to me but according to wikipedia, sun dog or parhelion which means "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.[1] (formed by ice crystals). What is not in the picture is the second ring nearest the sun that completely circled the sun. As I called everyone I knew to look up at the sun, many, including our employees, thought this might be a sign for the end of the world. I just thought it was one of those rare moments we at times get to experience in Cafayate. Hope you enjoy as much as we did - amazing!

Great Christmas Celebration

This Christmas Eve we decided to celebrate with friends and some great tourists visiting Cafayate. Cafayate has very limited options during the holidays for places to eat out. Most families and businesses close up and spend it with family. That leaves us and the tourist left with very few options. This year we changed format a bit and decided to put on a big family style, reservation only feast of some of our U.S. home favorites (these always turn out interesting as finding the ingredients or close substitutes is very challenging) plus a sampling of great local meats and veggies and Chef Charlie’s specialties (always a treat - my favorite was the pumpkin/squash soup with a rich nutmeg flavor). Charlie and I cooked all day and everyone arrived around 9:30. We began our champagne toast and big table family style dinner with wine, drinks, and lots and lots of food, plus some great company. We were sold out with visitors from Belgium, several from the U.S., Germany, and Canada. All in all, everyone had a great time. Our staff decided to help us out for a couple of hours even though we gave them the night off - (lucky for us, we could have never done it with out them). Anyway, by the end of the night, I was exhausted and happy as we had made a few tourist traveling alone on a holiday, feel as if they were part of our extended Cafayate family. So to all of you who shared the evening with us, it truly was a pleasure! It was so successful, we hope to somewhat duplicate it for New Year’s Eve! If you are in town, stop on by to make a reservation and bring in the New Year with us! Felices Fiestas!

Vacation

Charlie and I took a much needed break from Restaurant life as we have now been open for one year. We decided to visit friends in Mendoza, Santiago, Chile, drifted down to our land in Southern Chile (Puyehue), and then headed to Bariloche, Argentina for a few days of visiting with great friends and relaxation before heading back home. As always, we drove. Now, round trip that is almost 6,000 kilometers, all in all a long way for only 10 days. Although, tired when we got home, we enjoyed our trip immensely.

We have passed through Mendoza but have never spent time there. This time, we stayed two nights and went to some great restaurants, swam in the hotel, and tasted some great wine. If anyone heads to Mendoza before or after Cafayate, I highly recommend dining at Azafrán (Av. Sarmiento 765 - Mendoza - a few blocks off of the main plaza). The popular and relatively small restaurant was completely booked the first night so we headed back the next day for lunch. Lunch was much more peaceful. After reading the menu, we thought it had some interesting items but nothing completley out of the ordinary (when we travel we always seek something out of the ordinary). I ordered a stuffed chicken and Charlie ordered ceviche and a cesar salad. To our complete delight, it was one of the best meals and pretty extrodinary! This was the first time in a long time (even with our recent trip back to Aspen) where we truly felt that the chef was an artist. Also, if you would like to experience a great wine tasting, go to Vines of Mendoza (www.vinesofmendoza.com).

Traveling to Chile is always a delight, the photo is one of the passes between Argentina and Chile in the high desert with the most pristine looking lake. Chile has one highway from top to bottom so if you really want to get somewhere, hop on Ruta 5 and put it on cruise control. Gas stations every 100k with restaurants attached. The only downside, toll booths, but a small price to pay for easy travel.

Crossing back in to Argentina is another story. I'm not sure how planning was done when building the roads in Argentina. It seems there is never a direct route and there are no signs, well except after you have turned! After hitting dirt roads, getting lost in towns since the road you were traveling on suddenly ends and picks up in some unknown location on another side of town, and enjoying the various police checks on the way, we were wanting to head back to Chile. Although, when it is all said and done, Argentina is a large country with so many landscapes! How else would we see what really is going on then by diving in and driving cross country through the smallest towns and obscure roads. If you have time to enjoy, nothing can be better than meandering through Argentina.

Made my Day

We were lucky enough to have a great group of people (almost 100) last week in for almost the entire week celebrating the grand opening of the Golf Course - Estancia de Cafayate. Our restaurant was hopping with reservation only room - after almost a year of being open, it showed us why we were here and doing what we are doing. From most comments I was told and overheard, it was a very successfully weekend for all around and people really had a great time visiting our little paradise. One of the biggest questions we were asked from everyone to the property owners to the prospective property owners.. is why? Why Cafayate?

Well, after working for 16 hours a day, braving employee issues that comes with any business, food shortages, the ever increasing need for expansion, the million ideas of other businesses swirling in my head, oh and being tired and 3 months pregnant - I had almost forgotten myself. Although, telling our story really reminds me of why we are doing what we do and then today... as Charlie is laid up with an thrown out back (his only way to take an afternoon off) and I'm on the shopping rounds buying supplies for the restaurant - usually Charlie's job, I stop in the, what I call, "everything store" for some garbanzo beans (I finally found taihini in Salta and can't wait to make hummus!!) I call it the everything store because you never know what you are going to find! It looks like it's the oldest store in town, right off the plaza across from Banco Macro. It has items that are recognizable like beans - white, black, colorful - seeds, beer, artistic items made out of wool or cactus - and then there are the unrecognizable items like the very top shelf mystery wine bottles that seem to have recently exploded. There's a layer of dust that could have reached back for 10 years, although given the amount of collectible dust in this town, maybe just 1 year, the ceiling is high with products stretching to the top and a bar that looks like it belongs in a western movie- spices that you aren't sure of where they come from or what they are... Anyway, I hope you get the idea. This place is also a great local hang out - today, I walked in and there were 6 men - that could have been a bit, under the weather, mind you it is 11:00 a.m. on a Monday and they all have old Salta beer cans in their hands and were all enjoying each others company. And as I asked for my kilo of Garbanzo beans, one of the older gentleman had an accordion and started to play a wonderful tune that I've heard so often in Cafayate and then one of the gentleman started dancing as they all gathered and clapped, apparently for my entertainment as they were trying to get me to join. Now, I've seen the dance before, a local folk dance that even the 3 year old boys know and the 17 year old boys proudly dance and I wish I knew the counterpart because it put the biggest smile on my face to see how these men enjoyed their culture so much and had such a peace of mind to truly sing and dance on a Monday. Especially when everyone back in the States is in the middle of their Monday morning meetings, catch up emails, and project plannings, and me with a never ending running mind and tendency to forget why I truthfully live here and revert back to my U.S. self... this is why I'm here - the good life and daily occurrences like this remind me of this. Life is good here and that is why I choose to live here. Now, off to siesta!

Colorado Amber Ale Has ARRIVED

After several months of anticipation and waiting, our very first micro-brewed beer is ready to enjoy. I hate to be one to brag - but it is excellent! A good mix of fresh, full taste and a wonderful lightness. A beer you will enjoy from beginning to end- again and again!!! Also, a huge success with our customers the first night as we sold out of everything in the fridge - not to mention our own tastings helped the beer disappear. The goal will now be not to drink all the profits! If anyone is in the area, stop by for a taste, now is the perfect time in the desert heat to enjoy a cold one! Restaurante Colorado: Belgrano 28, only a half a block from the Plaza right next door to the bus station - El Indio. Cheers!

El Milagro (The Miracle)

Tuesday, the 15th of September, culminates as one of the largest and most important religious holidays in the Salta area. Over 50,000 people with devout faith journey from all over to gather in Salta Capital and celebrate this blessed day. As the story goes, in 1692 there was an earthquake that shook the city. In an effort to stop the terrible earthquakes, they carried el Señor del Milagro and an image of the Virgin Mary (later called lady of miracle) out in to the streets, prayed, and the earthquakes eventually stopped. El Señor del Milagro is a sculpture of a crucified christ. There are many facets to this story, that I haven’t quit gathered or understand. However, the most amazing piece is how it effects the entire valley, especially Cafayate, today. On September 9, the people of San Carlos, Animana, and Cafayate gather for a pilgrimage of 5 days to Salta (198 kilometers). People from ever hill side from the farthest reaches of north, south, east, and west walk to join the masses in Salta and celebrate El Milagro. One hundred and fifty people from our area, walk during the cool of the evening and rest in the heat of the days, it takes 5 days to arrive in Salta. Next the caballeros (horseback riders) leave two days before the 15th and journey to Salta and the third are the bicyclists leaving the day before. In all, 50,000 faithfuls join in the procession on the 15th of September, a site to see, and a devotion I have never experienced, quite amazing.