The Slower Road

This weekend, I received two more (final?) updates from Jill on the CAA group’s visit in Argentina. You can read about Saturday here, and about Sunday in tomorrow’s post.

“After a leisurely breakfast at El Rosario (such a peaceful and delightful place to stay), we set off on a short drive to Estancia San Luis, belonging to Prudencio Hernandez and his wife, Isabella. We were met at the gate by three carriages and all of us alighted the van and got on a vehicle for a short drive around the estancia. If we had tried to invent the weather, we could not have done better than today! Sunny with a pleasant breeze. WOW!

“The Hernandez daughters, their husbands, and their children joined us all for refreshments and then a wonderful lunch of a typical Argentine stew, served to each of us in a pumpkin … which we enjoyed while sitting outisde on tables under the trees. As is the custom, we took our time over lunch. Then, once again, we boarded the carriages for a much longer drive through this beautiful estancia, with a stop half way for a “picnic” (well, after all, it had been more than half an hour since we’d eaten!). Then it was back to the stables, where we were served an afternoon tea under the trees. 

“The day went so very fast, and the hospitality shown to us was simply amazing.”

Jill also sent these photos, all from the group’s visit to the beautiful Estancia San Luis:

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

 
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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

Remember the first photo Jill sent from the CAA group’s visit to Argentina, the view from the back of Estancia Bella Vista?

Here’s a view of the house itself:

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

Earlier in the week, the CAA group went to Estancia La Invernada, owned by the Gibelli family. Jill had already sent a few photos from that visit and then sent a few more on Friday:

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the main house at La Invernada (photo by Jill Ryder)

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a Hackney horse being shown to the group (photo by Jill Ryder)

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getting ready to go for a drive (photo by Jill Ryder)

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(photo by Jill Ryder)

Jill’s managed to connect to the Internet once again, and has sent the following report:

“For the last two days, we’ve stayed in the delightful town of Pejuaho. We have had the chance to enjoy the town’s many shops, and we’ve become something of celebrities, with people coming up to us in the street or shops and asking where we’re from, how we like Argentina, etc.!

“Yesterday, we drove a hundred kilometers northwest of town to La Adela, the estancia belonging to Carolitits Lattuada, a young man who inherited the large estancia about four years ago following his father’s death. The weather was PERFECT and once we arrived and were warmly greeted, we loaded up three pickups and were taken around the estancia to see the llamas, the cattle, the crops and, of course, the Hackney horses. This estancia was at one time (and still may be) the largest breeder of Hackney horses in the world.

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part of the llama herd at La Adela (photo by Jill Ryder)

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some of the Lattuadas' Hackney horses at Estancia La Adela (photo by Jill Ryder)

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“Following the fascinating tour, we enjoyed a lunch and then a walkabout in the thirty-hectare Park (or garden). Fantastic. This estancia still has its own chapel and school and other outbuildings.

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Milagro Lattuada (third from right) and her son, Carolitis (second from right), pose with the dancers & musicians who entertained the group during lunch (photo by Jill Ryder)

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enjoying a walk in La Adela's extensive park (photo by Jill Ryder)

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“Then two pairs of horses were produced so that people could drive or ride in the carriage, after which it was time for tea in the main house.

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getting ready to go for a drive with a pair of Hackney horses (photo by Jill Ryder)

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in the harness room at La Adela (photo by Jill Ryder)

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“We had a full and wonderful day with the Lattuadas and returned happy to our hotel after a twelve-hour visit!

“Today, the town of Pejuaho continues the celebration of Tradition Day with a carriage display in the town square. We have the morning free to explore, as the estancia we were to stop at today for lunch was too badly damaged in the strong thunderstorms of this week. We are making our way today to Areco and the Gaucho Festival.”

a portion of the carriage collection at Dr. & Mrs. Gibelli's estancia (photo by Jill Ryder)

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during the CAA group's visit to the Gibellis' estancia, Elizabeth Ashbridge (on the left) chatted with Dr. Gibelli (second from right) and two of his children, Delfina and Mathais (photo by Jill Ryder)

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one of the Gibellis' Hackney horses that was shown to the visitors in the CAA group (photo by Jill Ryder)