A day at the country

By Guillaume Monneau

After a long workweek in Buenos Aires, nothing is better than to get fresh ideas during a day by leaving to the country. That’s why with three friends we left one Sunday morning, direction the estancia Don Silvano. We thus went to the place San Martin where a small bus waited for us there. During the road which lasted one hour up to the estancia, our guide spoke to us about Argentina, about its habits and its customs, The purpose was to make us discover the country of a cultural point of view. Then we had the opportunity to have a lesson of how to make a mate, the way of drinking it as well as all the legends and the rites which turn all around.

We so arrived to the estancia where a breakfast composed of empanadas and wines waited for us. Following that, the owner of the place dressed with a gaucho's suit (who explained us the origin of it) welcomed us to visit the main house and to tell the history of his family as well as some anecdotes on the cattle raising like that every member of the family possesses its own iron to mark animals.

Later we had free time to make the tour of the domain. We thus took time to take a turn and to discover a small zoo with rabbits of Patagonia and lamas. Then we went to make a small ride supervised by the gauchos of the estancia.
Then the lunchtime came. All the persons present met in a big room to share an asado prepared by our hosts. We were convinced to heat a delicious meat accompanied with a musical entertainment. So we have during this meal, crossed Argentina through its songs and its folk dances.

This meal ended by an equestrian representation where the gauchos showed us all their ability on a horse through several spectacular tests and the story of these, which was told to us by the owner in the same time.

This magnificent day ended by the tasting of a maté and the purchase of some souvenirs.
At the end of the day, with the heart lighted and the spirit rested, we returned to Buenos-Aires to attack a new workweek.