Blake and Lindy

The Girls....................and Blake!

2008-06-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Blake put up with 3 girls for a week...he was wonderful!! He became our personal photographer.

Estancia Don Silvano

2008-06-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Estancia Don Silvano was very interesting. They had old fashioned farm equipment and carriages as well as buildings from when it was a working farm and homestead in the early part of the 1900's. We rode horses, ate an asado, watched a show (dancing and singing from different regions of the country), learned argentine tango, and saw horse/gaucho games outdoors.

Kelly and Heather's Visit

2008-06-19T14:35:00.001-07:00

Kelly, a long-term and very great friend of mine from PSU Dance Team, came down to visit with her friend from Tampa, Heather. Kelly's MBA program was traveling to Brazil, so she decided to come a week early to see us in Argentina before heading with Heather to Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. We have done many things around Buenos Aires, many of them for the last time....because Blake and I are leaving for Chicago in 10 days. The weather has been a lot colder here, since it is now almost winter in the southern hemisphere, but we have still managed to do some great things around the city. We visited the Recoleta Cemetary, Alvear Street (the richest and fanciest street in BA, where the Four Seasons Hotel, ranked in the top 5 in the world is located), Palermo shopping (boutique clothing stores), Florida Street (leather shopping), Belgrano (for our very own private showing of leather coats by a friend of Kelly's who works in the leather business here), San Antonio del Areco (a small city outside of the capital, where we went to the Estancia Don Silvano for a dia del campo--gaucho day), and San Telmo (for the market and a tango show). We have eaten and drank everything Argentine: medialunas, submarinos (hot milk + chocolate), cafe con leche, asado (beef on the grill), homemade pasta, empanadas, picada (meat, cheese, and appetizer tray), mate (herbal tea), vino tinto (red wine), and of course helado (ice cream/gelato). We have enjoyed doing our last trip through the city as tour guides for Kelly and Heather. Here is a photo of us at the Tango Show.

Our Photography and Artwork Website

2008-06-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

We have now compiled all of our best photographs and our completed artwork from this year into a website. The address is: www.novotnyartists.com
We hope you enjoy viewing it.

New Artwork Blake

2008-06-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Blake is working a lot on handmade paper with pen or acrylic paint. He also made a drawing of a church as a wedding gift for one of his English students who is getting married in August.

New Artwork Lindy

2008-06-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

We are trying to finish up some smaller artworks or "easily-packable" items. Here are a few examples of art that I have finished at the end of May and now in June. We are also trying to make several gifts for some of our friends here. The 3-part abstract panels are a gift for our friends who really helped us get comfortable here in Argentina.

Blake's Birthday in Palermo Parks

2008-06-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

Blake turned 31 on May 25, which happens to be a huge holiday here in Argentina. We spent the entire "autumn" day wandering through the Palermo Parks. These parks consist of several lakes, gated-in gardens, bike paths, event locations, etc. We had not really spent much time in this area before because it was always a long distance from our other apartments. We were able to walk from the apartment we live in now. We made a picnic and found a neat spot to eat underneath a vine-covered pergola.

Santa Teresa, Rio

2008-05-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Santa Teresa is a neighborhood located on a high hill in Rio. The streets are entirely made of cobblestone and have tracks for a still-running trolley system. We stayed in this area for one night and explored the area and its shops, restaurants, and unique buildings. We went to an old castle that had been converted into a park for tourists that was located at a great vantage point over the city. We rode the trolley and enjoyed watching the local kids jump on and off of it as it went up and down the steep, stone steps.

Salvador Beaches

2008-05-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

The Salvador beach is known for its sunsets. We were able to catch 3 sunsets along the beach out across the ocean. Amanda and Blake enjoyed feeding sand crabs pieces of coconut. We walked along the waterfront and watched surfers as well as took photos of the interesting and colorful fishing and recreational boats.

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

2008-05-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

We flew to Salvador after Buzios to see another area of Brazil. This area is called Bahia, the largest bay in Brazil. We spent time at the beach that was located right across the street from our hotel. One night they had an Aquathon--where athletes would run several miles in a loop on the sand and then swim about a mile in the water and then get out and run again. It was really enjoyable to watch. We spent a day wandering around the old area of the city, called Pelourinho. There were a lot of artisans, restaurants, shops, and chapels. This area of Brazil was very diverse and is known for its large "Carnaval" festival--the 2nd largest in Brazil after Rio. On the last morning we were there, they had a parade of people on stilts and in costume with loud music blaring down the street. It was entertaining to see all the people.

Buzios, Brazil

2008-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Buzios is a resort and beach town with 23 carved out beaches on an interestingly shaped peninsula. It became notorious for European travelers because the actress Bridget Bardot went there often. They even have a street in the small town named after her. We spent my 30th birthday in this town and ate a Thai restaurant along the waterfront. We spent 2 days sunbathing at the beach and enjoying the plethera of items being sold--sandwiches, fresh oysters, dresses, table linens, small toy boats, luggage, dish towels, fruit salad, etc. The pausada (cabin) we were in was on a hill that overlooked the ocean. The central part of town had cobblestone streets with many clothing shops and restaurants and was entirely pedestrian.

Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro

2008-05-20T08:30:00.001-07:00

Ipanema Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Brazil. It has white sand, great surfing and windsurfing waves, mountains in the distance and at one end, an island in the water, and palm trees lining it. The area and most of the cities we went to are infamous for their patterned sidewalks as well--using a mosaic-style stone in black and white. On the beach there were people selling everything imaginable---food, sunglasses, towels, jewelry, and even bathing suits (as seen in the photo above hanging from an umbrella). We drank coconut milk and carved out the soft areas to eat. Blake joined into a "futevolei" game, which is a combination of soccer and volleyball where you hit the ball with everything except your hands over the volleyball net. Blake was really good at it, because he hit the ball with his head.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2008-05-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Brazil and met my sister, Amanda there. We spent 10 days traveling between 3 cities. We first flew into Rio de Janeiro an enormous city nestled along the coast and in between mountains. We rode a cable/gondola up the mountain, Pao de Azucar (which means "sugar loaf") and got an amazing view of the whole city from above at night. We also visited a famous contemporary art museum in a neighboring town in which we rode a ferry across the bay to reach. We spent time on the beaches enjoying the unique culture, people, food, and amazing scenery. We were surprised at how different Brazil is from Argentina. It is much more diverse, laid back, informal, and athletic. The city has a large lake in the middle of it as well, where Blake got a chance to jog along the running/biking paths. Even though we were in the city at a "low season" there were so many people out and about. We also ate at a popular Brazilian Steakhouse, where they bring all the meat to you on a spear/stake and carve it right in front of you.

April Artwork

2008-05-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Between visitors, during visits, and after....we have been able to get a few pieces of art completed. Here are several of our newest images. Blake's artworks are the illustrative, colorful images with silhouetted figures. One series is of an old man at a cafe and the other 4 images are from photos taken in Peru. My works are the emulsion pieces with a photo/oil paint combo, the drip paintings of doors in Peru, and the acrylic ironwork.

More Artwork....

2008-05-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

More Artwork.....

2008-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

More Artwork....

2008-05-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

More Artwork....

2008-05-02T14:06:00.001-07:00

Boca Game

2008-04-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Blake and Jason got a chance to go to a Boca Juniors soccer game. This is the craziest and most infamous team in all of Argentina. They saw them roll out a banner--the size of an entire section of the stadium. There were fireworks, chants, and lots of people. The entire experience was truly memorable.

Cute Photos

2008-04-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Pinamar

2008-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed our "cabana"--apartment in Pinamar. There was a very cold pool--that everyone except Jack and Lindy did "tanderbeyers" into (Jack's pronunciation of "cannonball"). We found a miniature bowling alley too--with small bowling balls and small pins. We again enjoyed the ice cream and walked around the shopping area.

Pinamar Beaches

2008-04-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

We lucked out by finding this great beach town, Pinamar. We spent 3 days on it, enjoying the sun, the waves, the sand, and the snails. We collected around 50 shells, and then Maeve and Jack would watch as the alive ones would crawl away. Because it is the off-season, we practically had the beaches to ourselves. Blake and Jason did a great job of entertaining the kids, by digging a huge hole in the sand and putting them down inside of it. We were able to eat a cafe right on the beach and the next day at a Mexican restaurant, which we all loved--a little change in palette.

"The Smoke that Choked Buenos Aires"

2008-04-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

There was a food strike that happened in the beginning of April--where the farmers refused to allow trucks to pass on the highways because the export tax of soy increased.... The city was devoid of most fresh vegetables/fruits, meat, dairy, etc. for about 3 weeks. The government and the farmers came to a truce for one month--an agreement to stop the stoppage on the roads. A week later, over 300 square miles of grassland caught fire and raged for 2 weeks. The north winds swept in and carried large amounts of smoke into Buenos Aires and "choked the city" for 6 days. On the second day of eyes watering, coughing, and dry throat we all decided to go on an adventure. Blake found a rental truck/van--small, which we affectionately named "the peep". We loaded up whatever clothes and food that we could and headed south to escape the smoke. The photo of the road with smoke is after we had already driven 3 hours outside the city. We drove 5 hours to the coast and found an adorable beach town called Pinamar. Here the kids are enjoying fresh air after we arrived in Pinamar. We found an awesome, 3-story, apartment with an outside grill and a full kitchen.

Children's Museum

2008-04-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

We had the wonderful opportunity of taking care of Maeve and Jack for four days while Jason and Keely went to Mendoza (wine country) on the other side of Argentina. They traveled there to celebrate their 10th year wedding anniversary. We had a lot of fun exploring the city more and going to the Children's Museum. This museum is very incredible because it has miniature versions of everything--boats, McDonald's, grocery store, subway, bus, bank, brickyard, auto mechanic, etc, etc. Maeve and Jack were able to pretend "to be adults" by going shopping, to the store, using a crane to load a boat, talking on the radio or at a television station. It was a really neat experience for all of us. (This was the kid's second time visiting the museum, so they were able to show Uncle Blake and Aunt Lindy around. We also took advantage of the great ice cream around the city and went for a "treat" one night.

Coastanera Hike

2008-04-26T14:35:00.001-07:00

We spent one Sunday afternoon traveling down past the port out to the coastanera nature reserve. We took a hike and finally saw the ocean/river--very brown and dirty unfortunately. We took a picnic with us and found a neat lookout to sit down and enjoy our food. The kids were able to use some view goggles to see the back side of the port and all of the new buildings. Maeve and Jack played on some of the interesting playground equipment including a strange cable-type spiderweb, which Maeve climbed to the top.

Piriapolis Beaches

2008-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Piriapolis is a small town located on the Uruguayan coast with beautiful beaches. We were there during the off-season, (because all the students are back in school) so we had the beaches completely to ourselves. The weather was in the 80's and blue sky everyday. The kids played in the sand, collected seashells, and broke waves with Jason and Blake. We were all pretty tired each day from all the fresh air and saltwater intake.

Quebrada del Castillo

2008-04-12T10:39:00.001-07:00

Our hotel was set up in the remnant buildings from a Castle and farm owned by an Armenian family in which the town was named after, Piriapolis. The Castillo had several play structures and a zip line for the kids to play on. It was a working farm, so they had over 60 horses and lots of colts (only 4 months old). We went on 2 different horseback rides in the mornings. We each had our own horse including Maeve (Jack rode with Jason of course). The second day we even got the opportunity to wash down the horses after their saddles were removed. Maeve did most of it but with Jack's help. We had breakfast and dinner at the Castle and enjoyed our back patios off of our rooms to gaze at all the stars. The sky and evenings were so clear--we saw more stars than we had ever seen before, including the Milky Way.

Traveling in Uruguay

2008-04-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

This week we traveled to Uruguay from Argentina. We took the Buquebus (ferry boat) across the Rio La Plata to Colonia, Uruguay. We spent time in the colonial town and explored the old rock wall and lighthouse. Maeve and Jack are pictured here in an old car that is set up as a table for a restaurant. They were pretending to drive. We also picked up a rental van, that we affectionately called the "Van Diesel" the whole trip. The best part was that it had "Thrifty" stickers all over the entire vehicle--so we looked like a driving advertisement. We had some laughs and some definite looks from people as we drove through the small towns. We drove 4.5 hours to an Estancia called Quebrada del Castillo (the creek of the castle).

Market Days

2008-04-12T10:21:00.001-07:00

We spent the first week that Jason, Keely, Maeve, and Jack were visiting around Buenos Aires. We went to several markets around town, San Telmo and Recoleta. The kids got an opportunity to walk on elastic bands strung between trees at the Recoleta Market--Blake held their hands--but they held their balance well. They found neat little treasures and saw so many things. Jason and Keely bought a cow bell to ring for dinner time. Maeve found some interesting rocks. Jack found ice cream. During the San Telmo market at one point there was a parade of horses and riders along with a marching band. They were all dressed in old-fashioned "british-looking" uniforms. There is always a lot going on and we saw most of it.

Newest Artwork

2008-04-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

Over the last 2 months we have had many visitors and have been traveling again, therefore we have not had a lot of time to work on artwork. These few images are some of the newest things we have worked on. The images are inspired by our trips to Peru, Ecuador, southern and western Argentina. During April, Jason, Keely, Maeve, and Jack (blake's brother and family) are in town. They are renting an apartment just down the hall from ours. They have also created a blog to document their trip here. The site address is: www.familynovotny.blogspot.com, check it out if you get the chance.

Gaucho Day or Dia del Campo

2008-03-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

We spent a day in a town about an hour and a half outside of Buenos Aires called San Antonia de Areco. We went to a large estancia/farm where we had a whole day to enjoy the grounds as well as a meal (Dia del Campo). We took a cart ride, ate a huge meal called an Asado (all traditional grilled meats and salads), and watched a show of dancing and singing styles from the various provinces of Argentina. After lunch we watched traditional gaucho games, where a man rides a horse very quickly down a dirt track and attempts to put a small wood stick through a tiny ring hanging from a string. We then got the opportunity to ride a cabalgata--a long horseback ride. We toured through the city and parks of the small town and were able to walk, trot, and gallop on the horses.

Iquazu Falls

2008-03-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

We flew with Ben and Shannon to Iguazu in the north east part of Argentina, tucked between Paraguay and Brazil. We spent two days exploring the unbelievable spectacle of the Iguazu Waterfalls. There are over 200 falls in one location. We were able to see them via many walkways and scenic lookouts as well as by boat. We took an excursion via an open top truck through the jungle and down to the river where we loaded into a motorized large raft-like boat. They took us up-close-and-personal with the falls. We were completely soaking wet from the mist and water at the base of the falls. At one point they drove us right up almost underneath one of the largest falls. We took a train ride out and around to what is known as Garganta del Diablo (the throat of the devil)—the largest horseshoe-shaped falls. We were able to view them from above and look down into the gushing water below.

Ben and Shannon's Visit

2008-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ben and Shannon came down to visit us for a long week—on Ben’s “Spring Break”. We explored the city and the markets on the weekend as well as the cemetery and the port area. We found some new, interesting shops and unique places to eat throughout the city. We went to a traditional parilla-style steakhouse, a super modern wine bar/restaurant, a tango show, and a modern art museum—the MALBA.

Bellavista Cloud Forest, Ecuador

2008-03-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

We took a trip into the rainforest area on the northern border of Ecuador. The mountains are so high and so much moisture exists here that the areas are known as cloud forests. In this area we saw a lot of hummingbirds and took long mountain hikes. We called it adult camp, as we had a little lodge of our own and met in a mess hall for meals. We had a really great time and enjoyed relaxing in the hammock and reading when it rained.

Quito, Ecuador

2008-03-22T07:18:00.001-07:00

After returning to Cusco and enjoying our last night in Peru we set off to Ecuador. We landed in Quito in the afternoon and headed out to explore the city. Ecuador, especially Quito, seemed much more modern and developed than Peru, a lot less geared for tourism and better set up for business. In Ecuador they use the US dollar as their currency, making us feel somewhat at home, but in a strange way. We saw some amazing old churches and city architecture. The military presence was very obvious in Quito due to some recent run-ins with Columbia and the FARC on their northern border. Here are a few images of Quito and the people of Ecuador.

Sol y Machu Picchu

2008-03-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

We came down from WP and got back on MP soil. At this point there were a lot more tourist groups and regulars that had arrived. We had a great sky and sun all day. We had another amazing dinner with our “personal” chef and feel asleep easily that night! Here is a few more shots.

Climbing Wayna Picchu

2008-03-22T05:41:00.002-07:00

Wayna Picchu is the mountain peak in the background of many photos of Machu Picchu. At 7:00 every morning they open up the trail to willing climbers. We of course were 5^th and 6^th in line. By 7:15 we were in the lead and by 7:50 we had reached the summit first! This strenuous climb allows for sweeping and breathtaking views of MP. We were there early enough to see the fog break and slowly reveal MP. While up top we “discovered” a small cave-trail that lead to higher ruins. Here we relaxed a bit and ate our lunch (at 8:45 AM). We also met a nice Australian couple that we later had dinner with. Here are a few images from our climb and from the top of WP.

Foggy Machu Picchu

2008-03-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

The town of Aguas Calientes doesn’t have much to offer, just tourist restaurants, drink specials and hostels. We fortunately found a hotel with a great little private kitchen and enjoyed some of the best food that we have eaten this entire year. We were the only ones eating and had a great conversation with the Peruvian chef. We went to bed early in order to make the 5:30 bus and be the first to arrive to Machu Picchu in the morning. When we arrived the sun had barely risen and the area was covered with fog. We were in a nearly empty Machu Picchu and were fortunate to have the site almost completely to ourselves. Our first view of the layout through the mystical fog brought gasps of amazement. Here are some images from the early morning.

Ollyentaytambo, Peru

2008-03-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

After an amazing dinner, spicy Mexican food and tasty fruit shakes, we walked through the old stone Incan streets at night, truly a magical experience. The next morning we set off into the ruins, arriving early to avoid other tourists. The ruins were nearly empty and we took advantage of the great morning light. In the afternoon we caught the train towards Machu Picchu and the town of Aguas Calientes. These are images of the town, night, and ruins.

Pisaq, Peru

2008-03-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

We woke up in the morning in Cusco and hired a taxista, Francisco, to drive us around the Sacred Valley and take us to our next destination, Ollyentaytambo. The politically opinionated Francisco drove us to many of the key sights in the sacred valley and also informed us of the centralist tenancies of the Peruvian government, very interesting. We went to the town of Pisaq and got our first taste of true Incan ruins. All of the Incan ruins in Peru were started, constructed and abandoned within 125 years, incredible! We had a beautiful day in Pisaq and spent time in the town at a local restaurant and a market. We stopped in a number of other small towns along the way and finally reached Ollyentaytambo in the late afternoon.

Cusco, Peru

2008-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

We flew into Lima and arrived late in the evening, the next morning we caught a quick flight to Cusco, the starting off point for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Cusco is an interesting old city, nestled in the mountains of Peru. We met up with our friends Robert and Susannah who were leaving Peru later that day. They were off to Buenos Aires and moving back to San Francisco, they will be missed in Buenos Aires! We had two different nights in this city on either side of visiting Machu Picchu. This is the town where everyone who is traveling has to gradually get adjusted to the extremely high altitude and tiredness. We visited a Pre-Colombian museum that was very nicely curated with artifacts and artwork (especially ceramic) from the Incan period as well as neighboring tribes of that time and before.

Deportes Argentinos

2008-03-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

While Robin and Becky visited we had a chance to go to 2 different sporting events. The ATP tennis tournament "Copa TelMex" was taking place here in Buenos Aires, and of course the weekend soccer matches of the "Clausesura" are also taking place. During the tennis match we had seats front and center and watched the eventual champion win in a tough match. We saw the River Plate contra San Lorenzo game, a big rivalry here in BA. The stadium was packed and the fans were crazy. Both were very memorable experiences!

La Figura Estancia

2008-03-04T05:15:00.000-08:00

We spent 2 nights and 3 days at an incredible Argentine ranch, called an Estancia. La Figura was built by a former president of the country and is over 150 years old. The property included a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool, fields for cattle and horses. We relaxed by the pool, rode horses, went on a cart ride, played golf, tennis, croquette, and ping pong. The Estancia had an amazing chef who prepared a very traditional Asado (lots of grilled meats) and many delicious meals and deserts

Tango Show--El Viejo Almacen

2008-03-03T14:49:00.001-08:00

We had dinner at one of the most famous restaurants and tango clubs in San Telmo. We had a fabulous show where we saw typical tango styles as well as musical styles of the northern region of Argentina--more traditional-style instruments. We had great seats very close to the stage and were able to capture some interesting action shots.

Robin and Becky's Visit

2008-03-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Blake's mom, Robin and friend, Becky came down to visit us in Buenos Aires for 2 weeks. We got the opportunity to see a lot of the city and experience some interesting sites. We went shopping around the Recoleta area as well as explored the cemetery in the rain. We dodged the heavy drops by hiding under the small overhangs of the chapels. We went to the Evita Museum and bought leather items on Florida Street, a famous shopping district. We ate out at some great restaurants with Argentine-style food and found several interesting furniture stores with unique, rural iron and wood pieces from Argentina.

El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier

2008-02-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

After traveling to Tierra del Fuego we flew to another small city nestled next to the Andes Mountains. This area has become a popular tourist destination because of the large number of impressive glaciers. We visited the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is one of three that is still growing in the world today. It is very unique because every 4 years it has moved enough that it hits a land mass, peninsula and blocks off water forming 2 lakes. The strength of the lake waters rising eventually break a hole through a section of the glacier and it eventually wears away enough that it forms an ice bridge between the glacier and the land. This bridge breaks away in a dramatic way in the late summer/early fall. We were witness to some "calving", ice falling when we were there and could see how the glacier had hit the land--probably this March the bridge and fall will occur. Blake, Russell, and I all did an expedition of "mini-trekking" on the ice and wore "crampons" on our shoes for stability and easy walking. The blue coloration of the glacier is caused by a particular bacteria that grows in the ice. The lake color is then formed into a blueish-green color that looks almost like a cloudy swimming pool color.

Penguins and Sea Lions

2008-02-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

We took a 6 hour boat trip out into the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia at the base of Tierra del Fuego Island. We were able to get very close to the islands that were home to many sea birds, sea lions, and our favorite...penguins. These penguins are the Magellenic species and are very small, only about 15 inches high. The teenagers were in the middle of losing their fur--molting--and getting ready to swim up along the coast of Argentina to warmer weather in the fall and winter. They only live on this particular island for a few months of the year to make their nests, have their babies and then learn to swim and fish before moving northward.

Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego

2008-02-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

The second week of my parents' visit we traveled to the southernmost tip of Argentina to the southernmost city in the world called Ushuaia. The island that is at the tip is called Tierra del Fuego, which means "land of fire" from when the early explorers first discovered the area and thought they saw smoke coming off the land (it could have been smoke from the early natives' fires or the fog and moisture surrounding the island). This area of the world is referred to as "the end of the world" of fin del mundo. We rented a car and drove the one road on the large island along the coast, stopping along the way to capture the unique landscape of wind torn land, marshes, bay, coast, and mountains. The wind swept trees are very distinctive and recognizable for this area because of the high amounts of wind from the collision of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans at the tip. We rode a train, called "tren del fin del mundo". It was originally established as a way to transport prisoners from the penal colony of Ushuaia to the logging areas and back to town. We went to 3 different museums where we learned a lot about the shipping, discovery, natives, prisoners, and history of the area.

Colonia with the Poes

2008-02-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Uruguay for one, very hot day to a little town, called Colonia. We rented motos and rode around the countryside, stopping at interesting places like an old bull fighting stadium, antique shops, the beach, and a golf resort. We enjoyed looking at all the old buildings from the Colonial period when Spain occupied Uruguay.

Russell and Vicki's Visit

2008-02-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

My parents, Russell and Vicki, came down for 2 weeks to visit. We spent the first week touring around Buenos Aires and seeing the markets and unique neighborhoods of the city. We have met another couple here and met up with their family for brunch one morning. My parents rented their own apartment for one week of their stay, so they could feel what it is like to "live" in Buenos Aires. We walked a lot between places and enjoyed the warm weather, it is still in the 80s here everyday.

More...art

2008-01-31T10:22:00.001-08:00

Here are some of our most recent items. We are enjoying finding lots of wood in the streets (left out as garbage) and unique items to work on as our surface for our art. Here Blake worked on a series of floor slats and I worked on a small wood scrap.

2 Series of 9

2008-01-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Blake and I both enjoy working in series with our artwork. These are 2 of our most recent series of works. Blake painted 9 faces of people from Argentina and I painted as well as combined photographs of the Recoleta Cemetary.

More New Art for Blake

2008-01-25T10:48:00.001-08:00

Blake finished the 3rd of his large panels of wood with illustrative images of people from Argentina. He has also oil painted a tree image on four strips of wood collaged with book pages.

More New Art for Lindy

2008-01-25T10:32:00.001-08:00

These images are more experiments with new techniques. The copper leaf looks very much like the gold one I did a few weeks ago. The black and white images are photos of wires (telephone, cable, etc) on little canvases mounted on wood. The last thing (3 diagonal canvases) is an experiment with paint, vellum, and varnish.

Blake's Newest Artwork

2008-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Blake has taken advantage of many found objects including 3 large wood pieces that were the lids for wooden crates at a car dealership--he has done 2 large, very detailed paintings of people in Argentina. Here are some detail photos as well as a drawing on handmade paper.

Lindy's Newest Artwork

2008-01-17T07:35:00.001-08:00

We have been spending all of the month of January working on new artwork in our apartment. We have been able to find several wood pieces on the street (discarded from stores and buildings) that have worked well for creating interesting compositions. The gold leaf piece shown here is a piece of wood from an old bakery--it was an orangeish/red shelf that I covered in gold leaf and added the black silhouette of ironwork. 2 other pieces are wax encaustic over book pages and photos. The drip paintings are 2 examples of a series of 8 that I have finished.

New Apartment--Palermo Viejo

2008-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday we moved ourselves across the city to another neighborhood called Palermo Viejo. This area has tree-lined streets, lots of boutique shops, and restaurants. It does not feel as "urban" as San Telmo where we had our first apartment. We will be in this location for the next 4 months and then one more move to another apartment for the last 2 months. It is a very unique apartment because it is split off into 3 small levels. On the 1st level we have a combined kitchen, dining room, and living room plus a terrace with an umbrella table and chairs. On the 2nd level we have a bathroom and a bedroom and another small terrace off our bedroom. The 3rd level is entirely outside, with a brick, charcoal grill, a table and chairs on an open terrace. There is a covered section with an outdoor sink and some storage too. We are really enjoying the outdoor space since it is the middle of summer here. One of our favorite aspects is the ivy covered walls on all of our patio/terraces.

La Boca

2008-01-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

This neighborhood of Buenos Aires is known mostly for its brightly painted buildings and the beginnings of Tango (as it is danced, sung, and played in Argentina). There is often a very busy market there on the weekends filled with artisans and dancers. La Boca, means "the mouth", because it is located at the mouth of the Rio La Plata. Early and mid-20th century it used to be a very busy and working port. It has since fallen into disrepair, but remains an area where people visit to see Tango and to get a little history of BA.

New Year's 2008

2008-01-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

We returned to Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 28th. We celebrated New Year's with some American friends, Robert and Susannah, whom we met right before returning to the U.S. for a month. We made dinner and watched fireworks displays around the city from our balcony. It has been really hot here, ranging from about 95-100+ degrees everyday and high humidity. It was quite different being in such a hot location for New Year's--but we really enjoyed it.

10K run and Mataderos Market

2007-11-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

Blake and I participated in a 10K run around the port region of Buenos Aires near our apartment. The run supported the Italian Hospital and raised money for children with cancer. Later that day we went to a famous market on the edge of the city called the Feria Mataderos. It is located in a neighborhood called "Nueva Chicago" because there are a lot of slaughterhouses there for all the cattle (named after Chicago in the U.S.). The market had live music, traditional dance classes, food stands, lots of artisans, and gaucho races. The gauchos (Argentine cowboys) rode their horses full speed down a street covered in sand and tried to put a small stick through a ring (the size of a bottle cap). If they got the stick in the ring it would release from the string hanging on a support above them and everyone would cheer. It was really entertaining. The gauchos ranged in age from about 14-older and were dressed in very traditional clothing. We are headed back to the states for a brief time to see our families. We will be back again in January until the end of June.

Wineries

2007-11-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

We spent a day traveling through wine country and visited two wineries for tours and a third one for dinner. We started by visiting a family-owned, boutique winery called Roberto Bonfanti. The 2 Bonfanti sons run the winery and gave us an incredibly detailed tour of the vineyard, the cellar, and the fermentation rooms. The entire tour was spoken in Spanish and we followed pretty well. We had to stop periodically to translate in English and make sure we knew what was going on. They spent a long time explaining how to properly pour, see, swirl, smell, and taste the wine. We bought some of their Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their entire production is done by hand including putting the labels on the bottles, corking them, and wrapping them individually in tissue paper. They were very proud of their product. They only sell by word-of-mouth and therefore not through distributors or restaurants. The second winery we visited was a large production company called Norton. It is a mass producer of wine distributed around the world. It has an incredible view of the Andes and excellent estate, one of the oldest in Mendoza. We took a tour, this time in English, of their facilities and had a tasting at the end. We bought one of their special wines made from the grapes picked at that location called Perdriel. They have many vineyards around the Mendoza area and now in China. We had dinner at another large winery called Tapiz in the evening.

Puente del Incas

2007-11-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Along the way we stopped at one of the most impressive sights, Puente del Incas (Bridge of the Incas). This is a naturally forming bridge over a rushing river that is constantly changing because it is a series of sulfur springs--you can see from the coloration (orange, browns, and yellows). We were not permitted to cross the land bridge but could see a lot from across the canyon. There was a hotel built under the bridge in the early part of the 20th century, that is no longer functional. You can see where the sulfur has covered entire sections of it. While we were there, the company NIKE was in the process of filming a new commercial. There were about 40 horses and an army of men dressed in "Civil War"-looking uniforms. They repeatedly filmed them running across the old train tracks as if they were chasing someone. Watch for the commercial sometime in the U.S. We traveled almost all the way to the Chilean border and then turned around. In order to cross at that point you have to set up an appointment in the town prior to arriving and pay $100.00 US dollars fee/each to enter the country.

Through the Andes toward Chile

2007-11-17T11:05:00.001-08:00

We spent a day in our rental car driving on a very picturesque road through the Andes Mountains toward the Chilean border. There were a lot of colors in the mountains and several unique stops along the way. We were especially fascinated by an old passenger train track that had metal/tin tunnels built around it. They were originally there to protect from the immense amount of snow and ice and to prevent rocks (that fell from the mountain sides) from blocking the tracks. Unfortunately the plan didn't work, because the tin tunnels were destroyed and barely standing in many places. There was still 3-4 feet of snow inside of them. On the road we traveled we got much closer to the highest point of the Andes, Aconcagua--but only about 2,900 meters. Sadly, there is a cemetery along the way where people who attempted to climb to the top have been buried.

Mendoza

2007-11-17T10:49:00.001-08:00

We traveled with Roger and Debbie to the "wine region" of Argentina. We took a bus for 14 hours across Argentina toward the Andes Mountains. We stayed in a beautiful guest-house on a property called Casas Glebinas, shown in the picture. It was located in a small wine-making town called Chacras de Cobria. The casa had 2 baths and 2 bedrooms and all original pieces of artwork. The property had a total of 5 homes, 3 of which they presently rent out to guests, and it had wonderful gardens and a swimming pool. Mendoza is lined on the west by the Andes Mountains and is located in the shadow of the highest point called Aconcagua at 6,959 meters above sea level. The city of Mendoza is filled with tree-lined streets that form a canopy over everything. The flowers were in bloom, so the city and its large park were very green. We got a recommendation for dinner one evening from the owners of our guest-house. The set up a reservation for us at an incredible restaurant where there were 5 courses. It started with a vegetable, meat, cheese, and bread buffet and followed with 4 more courses including dessert. There is a photo of the spread of food that we had. It was very delicious!

and more...

2007-11-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

New Artwork

2007-11-08T15:21:00.001-08:00

We have been traveling, so we have not produced as much artwork. These are some of the most recent paintings and drawings.

Buenos Aires Marathon

2007-11-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Blake ran in the Buenos Aires International Marathon. It was 42.2 km or 26.2 miles through the city. He ran very well and made it under his goal time 3:46 hours. We were really proud of him!! His dad, Roger, and wife, Debbie, were here to support him. The weather was around 50 degrees and there was a little wind. This was Blake's first marathon.

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi

2007-11-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

From Bariloche back to Buenos Aires we traveled on a bus for 24 hours. On our way we traveled through a huge national park and an area of Argentina called Patagonia. We were able to get some really interesting photos of the area and its diverse landscape.

Bariloche, Argentina

2007-11-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Once we traveled through the Andes mountains we arrived in a ski resort town called Bariloche. This town was one of the most picturesque places we have ever been. It is a town at the edge of the 2nd largest lake in S. America and is completely surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It was really cold and windy here and not really high tourist season. The city is popular as a winter destination for its skiing and sledding. In the summer people vacation and utilize the lake. It is a very "German-style" town because of the number of German settlers that immigrated to this location. It reminded us of Vale or Aspen in Colorado. We took a ride up to the top of the mountain in a gondola. At the top there was an incredible view of the skiing mountains and the lake as well as the city below. They have a restaurant that circles very slowly, 360 while we were eating. We took a really long hike back down the mountain. While we were in Bariloche, the country voted on their next president, Christina Fernandez. She is the wife of the current president. So now both Chile and Argentina will have female presidents.

Cruce del Lagos

2007-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

We took a whole day to travel from Chile through the Andes Mountains to Argentina on a trip called Cruce de Lagos. This trip took us on a series of 7 buses and boats through the incredibly serene lakes of the Andes, past volcanoes, waterfalls, and completely uninhabited locations of these two countries. The air and weather was very cold, because we were in the still snowy region of the mountains. The roads that we traveled by bus are impassable about half of the year because of the amount of snow and muddy roads due to the melt off. It was an adventure. The water in the lakes was an emerald color due some natural coloring from the evergreen trees that covered the mountains. At one point we got to see an avalanche actually occur. A large chunk of snow fell from the top ridge of one of the cliffs and cascaded down to the water like a waterfall.

Chiloe Island

2007-11-08T12:18:00.001-08:00

We rode a ferry over to the largest island in Chile, called Chiloe. It is known for its interesting beliefs and stories that are used (almost like mythology) to explain happenings and occurrences in the people's daily lives. We drove along the coast and through several small towns. The primary industry of the region is fishing so we could see this lifestyle penetrate everything as we drove around the area.

Region of the Lakes

2007-11-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

In the southern part of Chile the coast turns to a series of thin slices of land amongst a series of lakes. Even further south there are series of islands that can only be reached via ferries. We traveled by bus about 14 hours south along the only highway--#5 (the same north/south interstate that travels all the way from Alaska through Central America and ends in Tierra del Fuego at the tip of S. America). We stayed in another port city called Puerto Montt. This was the starting destination for tourists to see the volcanoes and lakes of the region. We rented a car for 2 days and traveled around these lakes and saw some amazing waterfalls. The winter snow is in the process of melting so the streams and rivers were filled with bright blue, very cold, fresh water. The entire area is known for its micro-climates of fog, rain, snow, and then sun. We saw several rainbows as we drove in and out of rain, haze, fog, and sunshine. The entire country of Chile is also covered with a yellow flowering bush. Apparently it is a very invasive and "hard to get rid of plant" that the Germans brought to Chile 150 years ago. You can see this plant everywhere because it blankets the landscape. We happened upon an area where there were many forts built to protect the coast hundreds of years ago.

Valparaiso, Chile

2007-11-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Valparaiso, a port city on the Pacific Ocean about two hours away from Santiago. This town at one time was the largest port on the Pacific Coast of South America. Once the Panama Canal was built it lost a lot of its business, however it is starting to revive itself now with shipments and imports from Asia, especially China. The buildings here were built entirely on the side of the mountain. There were communities where homes appeared to be built one on top of the other. We hiked many hills, very steep inclines, and stairs to explore the city. The area in which we stayed at our bed and breakfast is known for its colorful buildings and famous murals of graffitti. The city hired local Chilean artists to paint the large retaining walls of many of the buildings with scenes of life in Valparaiso and Chile. We were fascinated with the architecture, because it was so different than other cities we have seen so far. In order to travel up to their homes, the people use incline rail cars. They are located all around the city and are used daily by residents and tourists. Next to this city is a resort town that we rode to on a coastal train for 5 km. It is called Vina del Mar and is a large tourist destination in the summer for beaches and vacation homes.

Santiago, Chile

2007-11-08T11:36:00.001-08:00

We traveled to Chile for about two weeks. We began our trip in Santiago, the capital, which is located in the mid-north of Chile. We then continued to travel down the coast and eventually across the Andes mountains to Argentina again. We particularly liked the food in Chile because there was a lot of fresh seafood and more variety in spices and food styles than in Argentina. We toured the city antique, flea, and fish markets and hiked in the city park. The park is very large and has a lot of hiking/biking trails as well as a zoo and tram up the side of the mountain. At the top there is a large, ominous statue of the Mary overlooking the city. The weather was really warm in this part of Chile. We noticed that the sun feels hotter here and that we get sunburned easier. The city architecture in general was not as "European" in appearance as Buenos Aires. Surrounding the city, 360 degees, are the Andes mountains, so the entire city sits in a valley.

Mas Pinturas y Dibujos

2007-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the drawings and paintings that we have most recently finished. Other than consuming ourselves in art-making, we are also taking private Spanish lessons 3 times a week. It is helping us be more "conversational".

Argentina vs. Chile Futbol Game

2007-10-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the Argentina versus Chile soccer game. This game was a First Round World Cup 2010 Qualifier for South America. The stadium was full with crazy and very loud Argentine fans all dressed in their light blue and white. The colors signify the colors of the sky--celeste.

Blake's Artwork

2007-10-08T15:49:00.001-07:00

Lindy's Artwork

2007-10-08T15:37:00.001-07:00

Artwork

2007-10-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

Over the 3 months that we have been here, we have spent significant time working on our artwork. We are using imagery and inspiration from Argentina and Uruguay and will continue to travel around South America over the next 9 months. Recently over the last 2 weeks we have been completely engrossed in our artwork. We have several mediums of work including drawings, paintings, and collage images. We have also taken 1000's of photos during our time here as you have seen examples of in our blog thus far. We have worked in the following mediums: oil paint, acrylic paint, pen/ink, collage, gold/copper/silver leaf, photography, and digital manipulation using Photoshop and Illustrator. We hope you enjoy a sampling of our work.

Garganta del Diablo

2007-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

This spot was amazing, we found it along the way to Cafayatte. Garganta del Diablo means the "throat of the devil". The mountains have natural cut out areas created by the rivers and snow melt off in the Andes. This cut out was especially picturesque because it formed a huge gorge space and canyon. We hiked up inside of the space until we reached the back wall. Incredible!

Cachi

2007-09-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

This town was even smaller than Cafayatte, but is also a tourist stop along the winery route. It was quite a challenge to get to however. It took us 5 and 1/2 hours on dirt roads that were very curvy and had no guardrails on the edge of the mountains. We stayed in a very pretty hotel on the edge of town. We went into the cathedral that is entirely made of cactus wood, because it is the only thing available to build within that part of the country. It is a very rural area with a lot of mud homes with bamboo roofs, built on the side of the road and down in the river valley.

Cafayatte

2007-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

This small town is known for its wineries. We visited 2 wineries for tastings and wandered around the town. We stayed in a quaint hotel with a beautiful patio space in the center.

Salinas Grandes

2007-09-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

We continued traveling past the mountains and down into an old lake bed that is now salt flats. They were unlike anything we have seen before. They were dry and extremely windy. The cut out areas are where they mine the salt. They cut away chunks and carry them by truck to mills to make salt. The ground cracks naturally into pentagon and hexagon shapes. It was a very interesting space.

Pumamarca

2007-09-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

This area of the country is called "Colorado" for its amazing mountains--there are seven colors visible in the rock formations of this area. We took a long drive in the mountains and enjoyed the amazing coloration.

Tilcara

2007-09-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

Tilcara is a small town in the north region of Jujuy, which is known for its markets with local artisans and crafts. There is a pre-Colombian settlement outside of town that had been excavated and shows the original foundations of some of the buildings.

San Lorenzo

2007-09-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

San Lorenzo was a small city outside of Salta. We went on a horseback ride for 3 hours, called a calbalgata. We had our own guide, a gaucho (the name for cowboys in Argentina), his name was Omar. We rode through the mountains and hills and could see the two towns from a distance. It was really neat experience.

Salta

2007-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

We traveled to the northwest region of Argentina. We rented a car and drove around many of the most picturesque regions of this country. We photographed many of the areas to show the vast coloration of the landscape and the diversity of the culture. Salta is known for its spicier food and access to the mountain regions for tourists. We stopped off in many small towns and stayed in several places along the way. In Salta, we enjoyed their multiple cathedrals, painted quite elaborately, and the cable car ride to the top of the mountain. The weather is quite different than BA, because it is much hotter and drier. The vegetation and the terrain looked very much like a combination of Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico to us.

Punte del Este

2007-09-16T18:39:00.001-07:00

Montevideo

2007-09-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Colonia

2007-09-16T17:59:00.001-07:00

Amanda's Visit and Uruguay

2007-09-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Amanda came to visit this week for 10 days. We explored Buenos Aires a lot and then went to Uruguay for 4 days. In Uruguay we went to 3 cities: Colonia, Montevideo, and Punte del Este. We took lots of photos of all the different places. Colonia is a very old, Spanish settlement. They have maintained the "old" part of the city as a historic preserve with lots of art galleries, shops, and neat restaurants. We rented motos and rode all around the city and coastline. Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and seemed very much like Buenos Aires. It is a large city with an old section called, Ciudad Viejo. We stayed in this section down by the port. We traveled by bus to another city called Punte del Este (point of the east). This is a very popular tourist destination in the summer months. The wealthy travelers from S. America, N. America, and Europe come here to go to the beach. We rented bicycles and rode around the shoreline and inland areas--that aren't as touristy. Since we were there in the off season, we basically had the peninsula to ourselves. It was beautiful with so many large homes and lots of new construction of condominium buildings. We had an amazing adventure. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Teaching English

2007-09-02T08:55:00.001-07:00

We have started teaching several private students in English. We each have two students, twice a week. We are teaching them how to speak proper conversational English. They all work for a U.S.-owned company and will eventually be required to speak English to the U.S. business-people that come down and do work in Argentina. They are each at a different level (intermediate and advanced), but all speak fairly well. It is enjoyable talking and learning more about Argentine culture and BA with the students, while teaching them customs and traditions of the U.S. culture.

Puerto Madero

2007-09-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Puerto Madero is a newly renovated port area that has lots of restaurants (Porteno-style--large Parilla grills with lots of meat being cooked over large fire pits all day long), condominiums, and new international businesses. Beyond the port is a coastal region with walking/biking trails and a nature preserve area. Often times fog rolls in off the ocean and blankets this area. Blake runs out in this area because he is training for the BA marathon in November. We went for a long walk and took some neat photos of this area with the fog.

River Plate Soccer Game

2007-09-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

We have been exploring Buenos Aires more. We just recently went to a River Plate soccer game. They won against Estudiantes 4-2. We got to see the crazy fans of Argentina--crowded together chanting, singing, and jumping as they cheered on their team. At the end of the game, no one (from home side) was allowed to leave the stadium for about 30 minutes. All the visitors exit the stadium via a separate exit and then the home fans are permitted to leave. It was a way of preventing fighting or conflict between the two sides.

Cordoba Countryside

2007-08-22T15:55:00.001-07:00

Cordoba

2007-08-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is doing well. We have begun taking intensive Spanish classes. We are meeting for 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week. We will do this type of class for 1 month, take a break and then get back to it for another month. We laugh because we have been here for 6 weeks and been in class with homework for 5 weeks already. I suppose that we are students for life. This past weekend, 3 days because of San Martin (Libertador), we took a bus trip to the 2^nd largest city, Cordoba. The busses are the way to travel in South America. They are large double-decker busses with semi-cama, cama (bed), and suite options. We were in the front of the 2^nd level, so we had large panoramic windows to look out. The bus stations are insane, people shoving and pushing, and also about 10,000 other people who just seem to be standing around eternally. We enjoyed the city of Cordoba a great deal. We also rented a car for a day and traveled down to Villa General Belgrano, a German city in Argentina. The town looked very German. We ate fondue and had a Warsteiner while communicating in Spanish, it was a surreal experience. It was great to get out on the open road and away from the craziness of BA for a while. We are still loving it here. It is amazing that school and sports are already starting up and we are not there! You all are missed. Thanks for keeping up with us, and we would love to hear from you all.

More of San Telmo

2007-08-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

San Telmo Market

2007-08-10T16:39:00.001-07:00

Our neighborhood, San Telmo, is one of the oldest in the city. It has a lot of character. One of the things that is the most unique is the market every Sunday. Thousands of people come to walk the street to Dorrego Plaza. The market is about a mile long and filled with vendors of all types, Tango dancers, and other performers.

Plaza de Mayo

2007-08-03T20:22:00.001-07:00

Very close to where we live in San Telmo is the Microcentre, where the Casa Rosada and the Cathedral are located. The president and his wife (who is now running for president) live in the "pink house". Plaza de Mayo is the large plaza outside of the Casa Rosada and the center of the city where the SubTe-subway system begins.

La Plata

2007-08-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

We visited a new city last weekend, La Plata. It is about an hour south of Buenos Aires. We rode the train down to the city and toured around the center region. There is a beautiful cathedral and large park. We went to a festival outside of the large cathedral, lots of games and kids playing. We continued on to the park where there is a zoo, a lake, and a beautiful Natural History Museum, which we visited on Sunday. The city is designed on a perfect grid with 4 diagonal streets coming from the center. All the street names are numbers either Avenues or Streets depending on north and south orientation. It has a lot of very old, beautiful buildings, because it is actually the capital of the province of Buenos Aires. We rode the bus back to Buenos Aires. They are really comfortable and clean with reclining seats. It was nice to get our of the big city and see a little of the countryside of Argentina. We began teaching the advanced level of English learners this week in our TEFL program. We have one more week of training.