A Great Day

While we were at work yesterday, our friends, Gary and Reva Allred, who are serving a mission in the Area Offices at the Capital called and invited us to join them and some other couples who were going to lunch at a restaurant that they said "served the best Argentine steak in the country." No way were we going to miss that. We have wanted to taste some really good beef or steak that makes Argentina famous.

After going over our options of getting there, since we don't have access to a car, we decided against taking a remise all the way up there. We wanted to be adventurous and try going on the train. We have talked about going up to the Capital on a train and then finding our way to the various sights to see, but have never taken the time to do it. Well, today was the day!

We left home and walked to the train which is only about 4 or 5 blocks from our apartment. We got on the train at 10:30. We weren't sure how long it would take, but it was only about a 35 minute ride, and the fare was 70 cents for the two of us. As lunch was at 1:00, we had two hours to kill and we planned it that way, because we wanted to check out the area and find our way either by walking or by colectivo. So we headed out with our map in hand, and asked questions along the way. We were meeting our friends by a cathedral located across the street from the Casa Rosada. It was about 10 blocks away and since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to walk instead of taking a bus. Glad we did because more can be seen on foot that whizzing by in a bus.

We could see the large Argentine flag waving in the breeze in the distance, so we knew we were almost there. The Casa Rosada is the government house of Argentina, built in 1894. The political pulse of the nation begins here.

There are several reasons why it is painted pink, but the most credible one is that it was the only alternative to white in those days. The special tone was actually achieved by mixing beef fat, blood and lime. Tours are conducted, but we didn't have time for one this trip. We'll return.

The plaza around the Casa contains statues, fountains, grass, and benches for relaxing.

A statue of San Martin is placed close to the front of the Casa. He was the general in charge of the army that liberated Argentina from Spain.

We met our group without getting lost and we all hopped a bus to take us to the restaurant. The name is Des Nivel.

It wasn't a fancy place like we ate at last night with the Argyles, but the steak was unbelievably good. It was so tender and juicy and cooked just right. We were all impressed. One couple had been there before and he was complimented on such a great choice. We were seated at a long table upstairs. From the crowd, it looks like a popular place.

Served with the steak was a tossed salad, rolls, and baguette bread. A tossed salad in Argentina is lettuce, tomatoes, and slices of onion. Some ordered a side dish of potatoes, or empanadas. We were stuffed and happy.

A group photo consists of Leckies, Burkes, Fuquas, Petersens, Kroffs, and Allreds.

Before going our separate ways back to our homes, we walked a short distance to a park where a flea market was in progress. The vendors set up shop every Saturday and Sunday to sell their wares. These are found all over in parks and plazas throughout the spring and summer months. I found a few Christmas gifts to send home at this one.

The Tango is the national dance of Argentina, and this couple was entertaining the crowd. They were good, and their display of dramatic moves and turns demonstrated their obvious ability to show off the dance.

We caught a bus (62 cents for two) to take us back to the train station. Why would we pay a remise $10 to drive us to San Fernando? We were proud of our savings today.

We had a personal invite from this family to attend the baptism of little Genesis. Domingo and Rita Mansilla are members of the San Fernando ward, and although we don't go there anymore, we still are remembered by the wonderful people there. We were glad our outing with the other seniors was an afternoon affair. It was imperative that we get back to attend this baptism.

Sister Mansilla is from Peru and her husband is a convert of about 2 years. They have been sealed in the temple. Isn't their family adorable?

We had another baptism to attend right after this one. Our office elders were responsible for the baptism of a teenage young man. The elders asked Elder Kroff to give a talk on the Holy Ghost. No picture?? What's up with that? President and Sister Argyle attended this baptism.

What a wonderful "P" day we have had. Argentina is growing on us.