Mi Porteño Cumpleaños

Buenos Noches,

So it was my quarter century birthday on Saturday. My first birthday away from home and my family. Oscar told me that birthdays don't count when you're overseas and so I wouldn't get a birthday this year. What a lier! I got ridiculously spoilt, surprised and felt very loved :) Although I must admit that it did feel a bit strange and sad to be spending my first birthday without my beloved dog Hunta - he passed away earlier this year and Osc and I have been missing him a lot.

Missing my pup

Love <3

Anyway, my birthday weekend(!) started off with a lovely surprise from our beautiful friends A&F! Cake, wine, chocolate en Rama, Taylor Swift and being sung Happy Birthday in 3 different languages - what more could a birthday girl want?! Thanks so much chicos! Oh and apparently my 'present' is that I'm going to be dragged to a pole dancing class with A. Not so sure it's the best idea (me being the most uncoordinated gringa) going to any sort of dance class with South American women who can really move - let alone pole dancing! Haha can't wait -.-

Vino, torta y regalos!

My favourite - lemon meringue pie (from the bakery I've been drooling over for months)

Saturday started off with my favourite - an Almond Croissant from the best French bakery in the world (ok ok maybe the best in BA). I had a great lazy day at home and was spoilt with a beautiful ring from Oscar (no not an engagement ring) made from pink Argentine Rhodochrosite. It was handmade by a local guy selling at the Recoleta Artisan Markets. I was also completely surprised with a sneaky flower delivery from my padres!

My beautiful ring

Birthday flowers!

That night Osc took me to 'We Are Tango' - a three course meal (we both had steak, of course), Argentine cocktails, a constant flow of wine, live tango music, tango dancers and a tango lesson! It was held in a little basement tango club and they only allow a maximum of 20 people in the audience so everyone gets a front row seat and it was a very authentic, intimate show. We also met a nice Aussie couple there - the first Aussies that we have met in the almost 3 months we've been here so it was nice to hear a familiar accent haha! The tango lesson was challenging, apparently I need to 'stop dancing by myself' and learn to let Oscar lead. Although it was a lot harder than the dancers made it look, it was great fun - and Oscar couldn't stop dancing! He was spinning me around our apartment building lobby when we got back. (Coming soon - photos of us attempting to tango).

Elevator selfies on the way out

A bit deceptive, there's a giant hunk of steak hidden under those veggies

Dessert

The band 

The dancers

Front row seats

This morning we were so excited as McDonalds here just brought out hotcakes, my favourite brekky (I think we will always be Maccas addicts - it's in our blood). Disappointingly, in true Argie style, there was no delicious whipped butter and hotcake syrup but only copious amounts of dulce de leche (#firstworldproblems). 

So apparently my fam had been sneakily colluding with Osc to surprise me with high tea at the ridiculously fancy Alvear Palace Hotel this afternoon. Conveniently just across the road from our apartment, the Alvear Palace is well known as one of the most elegant hotels in the world and is apparently where all the famous people stay when they're in BA (to name just a few according to google - Walt Disney, Sofia Loren, Donatella Versache, Pamela Anderson, Prince Charles)! So we were lucky enough to sit in the amazing salon surrounded by chandeliers and marble, have our tea (selected from an extensive tea menu) poured by men wearing white gloves and tuxedos, and eat delectible petit fours while listening to the sounds of an great pianist on the grand piano. I was so stuffed after we finished our tier of cakes, savouries and pastries when the waiter came around with the cake trolley from which we were expected to pick another big piece of cake! Lucky we could get it para llevar (to take away) so we have more treats in the fridge for snacks tonight...yeahhh buddy!

The Alvear Palace (from outside our apartment)

Sah fancy!!

Check the pinky

First chai in three months

Anyway, that was my fantastic birthday weekend - thanks to everyone for making me feel so special and less sad about being halfway to 50! In other breaking news, Oscar is starting to go grey and Basil isn't doing so well.

I may be 25 now but at least I don't have white hair!

Basil - not doing so well

We're off to the Australian embassy tomorrow morning to vote. Then on Thursday we're off to Bariloche to catch some snow! I'm a little nervous as I've only been skiing once and everything is harder in Spanish - also remember I'm the most uncoordinated person in all of the land. However, I love to see Osc in his element snowboarding, I love the hot chocolates and mulled wine that accompany the snow and I am very much looking forward to seeing a little bit of the beautiful Patagonia and the Andes. You'll hear from us soon I'm sure.

Besos y abrazos,

H