Dec-2015

Anna is a tremendous success.  On the first night at the milonga on Plaza Dorrego she just went and stood provocatively on the edge of the dancers, and within a minute she was dancing (impressively well), and hasn’t looked back since.  She has been adventurous, going to various local milongas on her own, and is really fitting in with the local scene.  We go to bed at 11pm, and she goes to bed at about 2 or 3. No worries at all about keeping her entertained.

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Anna in 40, and is a talented letter carver (cf Eric Gill), and is the daughter of Dave Bowen (who played clarinet in the same King’s College jazz band as me) and Bridget, teacher/gardener/beekeeper.  She has boyfriend Piotr who is a violinist and whose mother lives a couple of streets from us in Acton.

Went to Mainumbi on the Friday, back on the Tuesday.  Mainumbi is 400km from Buenos Aires, near 9 de Julio.  (there is also a place called Open Door nearby).   It is an English style country house with 8 bedrooms, in about 10 acres of lovely tended gardens with lawns, flower beds, beautiful large trees.  It was built in the 40s on (then) open pampas ground by Toya’s grandparents, who liked to entertain.  Toya and Andy were introduced to us by Diana Mason, but it turns out there are various contact points between their family and mine.  Toya’s brother Nick and wife Vivienne live there all the time.  Nick is mad about butterflies, and Vivienne about dahlias.  As well as we 3, there were 10 other family members staying, making 17 in all.  We wandered about, read, swam in the pool, played tennis, picked masses of boysen berries and cherries, walks with 6 dogs, had a marvelous asado, and a dream time.

 

Julie and family are going to Peru on Monday.  After a couple of days they will fly Cuzco, stay in the Urubamba valley for 2-3 days, then to Macchu Picchu, back to Cuzco, and Lima.  We will meet them there on the 23rd.  Much excitement, as Rich and Tom are great fans and season ticket holders of Bournemouth FC, and they beat Chelsea at Chelsea last week, and this week they beat Manchester United at home.  Tom had been elected to be the flag bearer as the teams marched onto the pitch.  What joy and pride!

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It has turned warm at last (34 deg now), and the aircon is pressed into service.

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Cruz and Juan and Oak and Ines and Arlo are well ensconced at St Andrews Rd.  Cousin Faith seems to be doing very well, now has daily NHS visits, and a young Aussie girl who is doing teacher training will live there after Xmas.