La Fiesta de la Hispanidad.... Celebrating Hispanic descendency

the central fountain in the Plaza de España

I didn't arrive until 11pm (my friend Naomi from WashU was leaving Mendoza and so I went to the bus terminal to wish her safe travels.... this after a weekend full of just-missing each other all over town we finally got to talk!! Even if it was only for 30-ish minutes on the bus *the conductor was very nice and let me hang-out on deck until they had to leave)
But even at that late hour people were still arriving... the paella fires (yay seafood!!) were still burning bright and the flamenco, folclore and tango concert were just starting. The fiesta de la Hispanidad was in celebration of Spanish culture, its influence in/on Mendoza and the descendants of Spanish migrants.
Walking along the four sides of the plaza.... there were vendors selling wine, cheese, sangria, ice cream, fresh bread and various desserts. Small tents also showed off beautiful wooden house-hold and kitchen items as well as multiple shops selling hand-worked leather and jewelry set with semi-precious stones.

Bagpipes!!

And Catalan folk dancing...

Flamenco!!

Chasing Dawn.... en el parque Central un domingo tipo 7 de la manana

Tadahh!! [Fernando, Jose and Juampi (who we all call Cabezon)....Denis and Gogo had already been dropped off on our way back from the boliche. Another night with the guys.... this is starting to feel like Chattanooga!!]

Profiles....

.... and superheroes?? epic fail in that category =D

The boys were confused as to why on earth I would want to take "fotos artisticas" .....

....When they were available to model for fantastic pictures such as this one!
Gee. I wonder why?

Best Jose-face EVER!

Fernando's balancing act... Jose and Cabezon (Juampi) must have square quads or something because they did it without flinching... of all talents to possess. really boys?

Big Blue sky

And the perfect vantage point from which to enjoy it...
yay accessible rooftops!

so I realize these are terrible fotos if you actually want to know what the house looks like, but I'm sure I'll get around to those eventually.... in the meantime..... have I mentioned that I actually ENJOY the process of hanging my clothes out to dry?

perfect for snooping into other neighbors business....

I truly do like my bathroom window

my "light reading" of the week was a 120 page poem be Fernan Gonzalez written in 1658 (roughly) .... don't envy me.

itty bitty closet space :) So glad I'm good at improvising!
And so thankful to have closet-space at all!!!

promise those aren't rabbits eating my feet over there on the left...
though I've been asked plenty enough times here haha

Familia Argentina: cumple de la Ana

I had practice until 9pm, but the family was nice enough to ignore the fact that I came into do dinner in a slight state of disarray.... I offered to skip, but Ana wouldn't hear of it. The good news was that post-practice I almost always have a whopping huge appetite after volleyball practice (especially since it takes me anywhere from 20-35 min to get home from the Uni). Oh the joys of public transportation :)

 

la torta de dulce de leche.... caramel cake with dulce de leche. Ana was quite specific ;-)

Diego, Ana, and Flor (Florencia)

The three generations of Oro women.

Federico (el esposo de Flor/Flor's husband)

Ceci (la novia de Diego/Diego's gf) and Ana... caught in an unfortunately awkward moment.

Cumpleaños de Gogo

And this..... would be the birthday boy : Rodrigo Gogen (Russo). This is a VERY normal facial expression for him.... This is also part of why we love him

Guess who invited all the girls??

Agustina y Gogo en la cancha de basket

Argentine guys posing "macho".... do we believe them?

Champagne for the birthday boy (i think.... all I know is that it was old and expensive)

  

The master baker attempting to whip up a couple batches of banana bread from memory.... didn't turn out half bad =D (haciendo pan de banana sin receta... que lio no?)

Denis working his magic on the parilla. Pollo al disco

Which we then annihilated!!!

The three musketeers (Jose, Gogo & Denis)

Feria de artenesales: artisan fair

wish you could have been there with me Nate..... you would have really enjoyed the festival!

acid sketchings of a wall and window

in addition to the saying: Not made by hand.

the Bob Marley faction

the brass was excellent!