Afternoon Tea at Cheddar's
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
1
53
165
Trip End
Ongoing
Llao Llao,
Argentina
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Bariloche came as a rude surprise, a world of bustling visitors intent on making the most of their summer holidays
01 Looks like a good spot for lunch
. Its natural location on the south side of the lake is superb, but it has long since been overbuilt with condos and tourist apartments to accommodate the ever increasing throngs. We stayed only long enough to admire the proliferation of garden gnomes and infinite variety of handmade chocolates for which the town is famous (Well OK, so we did buy a few tempting treats as well!). Further around the lake we came across the luxurious Hotel and Resort Spa at Llao Llao set amidst its own manicured gardens and golf course, nestled under the protective hills. In July and August the hills would all be snow-capped and the area becomes a major ski destination. We decided that no matter how tranquil, this would be a little beyond our budget for the night - but it's always interesting to see how the other half lives! The area is named for the fungus that grows on the local coihue trees, forming the galls known as "Indian Bread".
We would have expected Llao Llao to be called "Yao Yao", as of course the double "ll" in Spanish is pronounced as a "y". However, one of the special peculiarities of Argentinian Spanish is that "ll" is instead pronounced as "zsh", so it becomes "Zshao Zshao". At this point it might be appropriate to apologize to our friends Peter and Janine in Ottawa, as we laughed at them (in a nice way, of course) for asking for "polo" when they wanted chicken for supper on a recent visit to Buenos Aires (chicken in Spanish being pollo i.e "poyo")
02 Thistle tango
. Now we find out they should have been asking for "pozsho", so the last laugh is on us!! Maybe, when we finally make it to BA we'll find that some local dialect gives it a totally different twist! Later in the afternoon we made two serendipitous discoveries to complete the day. Rounding the bend on a tranquil country lane we came upon the Meli Hué Lavender Farm, with fields of this stunningly scented herb in a spectacular setting high above the shimmering lake. We spent a delightful hour wandering the gardens soaking up the ambiance and aromas that were so evocative of the Herb Garden....and we didn't have to weed a single border or bed!
Our next stop was for afternoon tea at the Cheddar Casa de Té, a rustic tearoom in another idyllic garden setting overlooking the bay. We decided that we would forgo dinner, and opted for the complete high tea menu. Our table was loaded with toast and three varieties of luscious home-made jams, toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, waffles with caramel sauce, and a selection of pastries including moist chocolate brownies and cream-filled shortbreads. To top it off a home-baked pastry shell filled with whipped cream and deliciously fresh raspberries, strawberries and blackberries laced with fruit syrup. What a treat!
Instead of finding an official campsite for the night we headed further on around the lake and found an off-the-road spot in a secluded bay
03 How the other half lives!
. We watched the gleaming steel blue water quieten with the evening calm, and the setting sun gradually gave way to a sharply etched silhouette of the distant hills. One by one the stars lit up until eventually the Milky Way stretched in a massive arc from horizon to horizon in such profusion that even our constant companion Orion was almost obscured. We ended this special day with a command performance of Franz Bielb's beautiful "Ave Maria" and a selection of other sacred choral music sung by the Trinity Choir of Boston, on their CD "Radiant Light: Songs for the Millennium". What a day!Many people have been writing to say that they would gladly take part of the burden of our sorrow and pain if only they could. We thank you for your loving care and concern, and we want you all to know how much your reaching out to us has been appreciated. On days like this we know that we are finally getting ready to let Mike go, and cherish his memory within our hearts as he travels with us in spirit.
A poem this time suggested by our very good friends Ruth and David Sword in Kanata:
I'd Write For You A Rainbow
If I could, I'd write for you a rainbow
And splash if with all the colors of God
And hang it in the window of your being
So that each new God's morning
Your eyes would open first
to Hope and Promise
04 Llao Llao, Yao Yao or Zshao Zshao
.If I could, I'd wipe away your tears
And hold you close forever in shalom.
But God never promised
I could write a rainbow,
Never promised I could suffer for you,
Only promised I could love you.
That I do.
Ann Weems
from Reaching for Rainbows
The Westminster Press
