Marty's Big Adventure

[IWOmusic]

MORE STREET SHOTS

Wall murals are very popular

Soda is still sold in old-fashioned bottles

You can find a doll with its own guitar while antiquing

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[redjasper]

South American Manatee Look-Alike Contest. And the winner is...


The Sea Lion


Seriously though...
The Argentine coast is the world's principal refuge for the endangered mammal.

[redjasper]

I don't know if this is the national tree of Argentina, but it's very beautiful all the same...

The Palo Borracho is also known as the Silk Floss tree.

The original pampa had virtually no trees; today along roads or in towns and country estates (estancias), some imported species like the American sycamore or eucalyptus are present. The only tree-like plant native to the pampa is the ombú, an ev ergreen.

[redjasper]

The national bird of Argentina is the hornero.


The nest of the Rufous Hornero is a common sight in Argentina.

Meet Rufous Hornero

Ola! Let's party, Argentinian style!! You haven't seen anything until you see me tango!

[BBE]

Argentina.......well, you knew this was coming sooner or later....


Madonna, in the film "Evita".

Not into Madonna? Here's a really beautiful version by Lea Salonga:

[IWOmusic]

Very cool Nancy!
I remember seeing "Evita" a few years ago, it's been among my favorite musicals ever since! "Don't cry for me Argentina" was highly anticipated as you can imagine.

While the legacy of Evita Peron is mixed, her image remains an icon.

[IWOmusic]

El Ateneo bookstore in Buenos is located in the splendid old theater.
There are couches on the balconies to sit on with your favorite book.
How cool is that?

[IWOmusic]

Fifth Stop - URUGUAY

[IWOmusic]

Montevideo

Mercado de Montevideo

[IWOmusic]

Carnival Time

Mate drinks are like herbal tea

Parking Expired

Despite being a gray city overall, there are these shocking points of color. As the city finds a way to restore its older parts, they are beginning as well to paint the buildings with color.

[IWOmusic]

Los Dedos beach

[BBE]

This photo is making me think of the end of "Planet of the Apes". Yikes!!!

[jillywilly65]

Iwo, I love love love all the pics you have been posting. I love seeing
how the rest of the world lives. That bookstore at the old theatre is
Gorgeous!! I could spend all day in a place like that.....
Thanks for posting them
Nancy I see what you mean about that last pic...erie, eeewwwww
I think if it was me or my family there? One of us would have wanted to
re-enact that POTA scene, on all fours beating the ground. Why because
we are dorks like that..haha

[hammeredham]

Sept 12, 2008 21:07:35 GMT -5 IWOmusic said:

So, before we'll move to another country let's have a drink to toast this unbelievable adventure ....in a true fashion Chilean style!!!
We might contemplate a few choices here...

<snip>

Interesting Fact

Chilean Red Wine - Carmenere

The Carmenere grape variety was once heavily planted in the Bordeaux region of France. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find Carmenere in Bordeaux as a Phylloxera plague in 1867 nearly destroyed all the vineyards of Europe. Fortunately, this grape variety was imported into Chile in 1850, so it wasn't wiped out when the plague attacked. Until recent times, wine lovers had forgotten that Carmenere had survived in Chile. It was often mistaken for and sold as Merlot before its true identity was rediscovered.

Salute Amigos!

Iwo - thanks for posting the bit about the wine, actually knew that one and have had some when I can find it locally. VERRRRY good stuff !!!! Seems like it is often used in blends that create different versions or tastes and so far, I've liked them all. Don't recall if anyone sells a wine that is straight Carmenere here in the states - if you know one, pass the info along to us all.

HH

[hammeredham]

Sept 11, 2008 13:08:09 GMT -5 BBE said:

South America is the ancestral birthplace of potatoes and tomatoes, and corn seems to have originated across Central and South America (the exact origin is unknown).

Potatoes:
The birthplace of the "Irish" white potato that we eat today is in the Andean Mountains of South America, at heights of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The potato was cultivated more than 6,000 years ago near Titicaca Lake, on the border between Perú and Bolivia, where the greatest diversity of wild species can be found. The Aymara Indians developed over two hundred varieties on the Titicaca Plateau at elevations above 10,000 feet. The influence of potatoes extended throughout the Incan culture. Incas counted units of time related to how long it took for a potato to cook to various consistencies. Potatoes were even used to divine the truth and predict weather.
Potatoes have been one of mankind's most important food staples for the past millennium. So, Spanish Conquistadores didn't find the gold and silver they were looking for but they found a much more valuable treasure. Just think about how many people have been saved from hunger and starvation thanks to the amazing potato!
(from "The History and Origin of the Potato", on http://www.cantaremusic.com)

Tomatoes:
Tomatoes have their origin in Peru and were brought to Europe in the 16th century but it is not until 19th century that raw tomatoes were eaten. They were considered poisonous till then.
Although botanically a fruit, they are served and considered as a vegetable. (from http://www.dietobio.com)
Heirloom tomato varieties:

Corn (maize):
Perhaps as early as 1500 BC, maize began to spread widely and rapidly. As it was introduced to new cultures, new uses were developed and new varieties selected to better serve in those preparations. Maize was the staple food, or a major staple, of most the pre-Columbian North American, Mesoamerican, South American, and Caribbean cultures. (from Wikipedia)

Getting hungry now?
Here's a recipe to celebrate these yummy foods, all together in one dish:

BRYANNA’S POTATO, ROASTED CORN, AND BEAN SALAD WITH TOMATOES (from http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com)
Serves 12

4 lbs. new boiling potatoes or red-skinned potatoes, peeled (cut into same-sized chunks if too large to cook whole)
2 c. shelled frozen edamamé (green soybeans), or baby lima beans (or use shelled or frozen baby peas)
4 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and soaked in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes, then drained
NOTE: I only had regular onions, and this process makes the taste much less strong. If you want the onions really raw, use a sweet onion instead.
1/4 c. cider vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. minced fresh tarragon (or 4 tsp. dried tarragon)
2 medium ripe, firm tomatoes, diced

CREAMY VINAIGRETTE:
NOTE: If you prefer not to use the starch mixture, use the broth from cooking chickpeas instead.

1 c. COLD vegetarian broth
2 tsp. cornstarch or potato starch
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 c. mayonnaise

Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until they are tender, but still firm. (OR micro-steam them for 10 minutes.) Drain in a colander and peel them with your fingers under running cold water (or leave the peel on, if you prefer-- I did because I like the color of the pink-red peels).

Drain them again and cut into medium dice, or thick slices, as desired. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with vinegar, onions, tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook the beans in boiling water to cover for about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain well again. (NOTE: If you use frozen baby peas, just cover them in boiling water and let thaw, then drain.) Fold the beans into the potatoes.

Spread the corn (thaw the frozen kernels in boiling water, then drain first) on a cookie sheet sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer. Spray the top of the corn with a little more oil. Broil just until the corn starts to brown and char a bit around the edges and on top.

To make the Vinaigrette, stir the starch and broth together in a small saucepan. Stir constantly over high heat until the broth thickens and clears (cornstarch has to boil; potato starch does not). Whisk in the vinegar and salt. Add the mayonnaise and blend until smooth with a hand immersion blender (or blend in a blender or food processor).

Pour the mixture over the potatoes and beans and stir gently, sprinkling with pepper to taste. Add the diced tomatoes and stir gently; taste for salt. Place in a serving bowl and refrigerate until serving time. Serve on crisp romaine lettuce leaves, if you like.

Nutrition (per serving; made with my homemade Tofu Mayonnaise):
223.6 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 328.0mg sodium; 1120.5mg potassium; 49.4g carbohydrates; 5.8g fiber; 2.7g sugar; 43.6g net carbs; 7.2g protein; 3.7 points.

Fascinating! Thanks for the food history lesson - seeing how I love different varieties of potatoes and how much I enjoy corn, getting a little background was a great idea. And the recipe could be tasty, have to look at that some more. The somewhat checkered history of the tomato might be good reading; exploring the superstitious and ignorant mindsets of the past, perhaps?

Nice job on the research!

HH

[IWOmusic]

You welcome guys! I'm really having fun doing this
Here's something to have for dessert in Uruguay...

This is a peach chajá. It is a cakey dessert covered with crumbled meringue cookies on top, a layer of cake on the bottom, and a custard with fruit in the middle.

[dawn]

Wow - that looks yummy!

Iwo & everyone who's helped with this thread - thank you. I've enjoyed travelling all over while sat at my desk bored at work.

Jilly - I agree with you about the bookstore, I'd never leave!

[IWOmusic]

Sixth Stop - BRAZIL

The Brazilian flag was officially adopted on Nov. 19th 1889, four days after the Republic was proclaimed.
The green color represents the Brazilian fields. The yellow losang represents Brazilian gold - and, by extension, the wealthiness of the country. The blue represents the sky of Rio de Janeiro on the night of Nov. 15th 1889; each star represents one of the Brazilian States.
The white strip contains the inscription "Ordem e Progresso", meaning "Order and Progress". The phrase is attributed to the French positiviste philosophe Augusto Comte, who had admirers in Brazil.

[IWOmusic]

Look up metropolis in the dictionary and you'll probably find a picture of São Paulo. It's one of the world's largest cities, and the population of greater São Paulo is expected to reach 25 million by 2025. São Paulo is the financial capital of South America, and the paulistas (natives of São Paulo) are best known in the rest of the country for being serious workers. São Paulo has arguably the best restaurants (thanks to its ethnic diversity) and nightlife in Brazil.

IPIRANGA MUSEUM

[cfbj01]

IWO these pictures are wonderful - thanks.

And I'll have one of those desserts in post 55 please