New Year's Eve in Argentina

Well after Xmas Eve, we had an idea what NYE might be like ...
 I'd been told that the private fireworks displays were usually double that of Xmas Eve, because NYE isn't for the kids, it's more for the adults. Huh?

Around the 'hood, business had been quiet all week during the festive season, though about half the businesses were operating. We'd stumbled upon an interesting place with a charming courtyard garden at the front street entrance, filled with lounges & large, low, wooden tables that week. It's nearby to lots of other businesses we frequent but it's so low key that you can easily pass by & miss it completely. Being the curios person I am, seeing the gate open I entered & took a look around this beckoning space. Beyond the courtyard is a traditional BA single-story house (known as "P.H.") that's been very tastefully restored & decorated in a simple antique way in sympathy with the house. There's a high, long, solid wooden bar that is central to the main room & the ceilings are 16 feet high.  It turns out it is a french restaurant, run by a female french ex-producer & only been open a year ... with a special NYE menu. Reservations began at 9:30pm. Perfect! Great solution = 10pm dinner with bubbles/set menu; out in the 'hood for any fireworks action;  & walking distance home afterwards.

All relaxed from our Xmas gift massages, & having polished off a bottle of our duty-free Mumm champagne at dusk whilst making & receiving skype calls from Europe - where it was midnight, hence the toasting - we ambled around to La Maison in an optimistic mindset indeed! Gorgeous setting with candlelight greeted us. Professional waiters too. But what a wonderful meal! WOW! It turns out that (quite appropriately) it was largely seafood based to match the included bottle of bubbles. Husband was very happy to have found a 2nd restaurant in BA that has a chef who knows how to cook seafood properly (a rare find in southern Latin America.) We soon befriended another customer dining alone nearby, a very charming 40-something, multi-lingual Porteno (local man) named Juan who joined us for the rest of the evening's revelry.

Like clockwork, a few minutes before midnight there was a flurry of topping up of glasses & everybody began to make their way outside & onto the street. Ok, we followed suit. HOLY SHIT! From every direction there was a cacophony of explosions with overhead eruptions of colour! The many local B&B hotels all seemed to be putting on their own mini shows from their poolgardens or rooftop gardens plus at most intersections there were groups of young adults who'd sort of set up their camps there. Right in the centre of the intersection itself they had set out circles of portable chairs, their eskies & bags of 'stuff' which I soon realised was the fireworks stash! We made our way towards the closest intersection along with loads of others, all with a glass in hand & toasting everybody you meet :) There were about 180-200 people at our intersection & as far as you could see along the roads in all 4 directions it looked like a pattern at each corner. The crowd seemed to be made up of 1/3 residents of the street & 2/3 hospitality patrons. I noted about 15 different languages as I mingled. The vibe was just WONDERFUL! It was not just FUN but it was extremely welcoming to everybody, an atmospheric mix of a very palpable sense of generosity combined with great optimism. Several rockets were zinging sideways just above the treeline before disappearing into distant backyards. Few people seemed bothered by this. hahaha! Uh oh!

After I realised that I'd not seen husband or Juan for some time I wandered back inside the La Maison courtyard, fireworks still going on though less often, to find out it was almost 1:30am & deserts were being served. Of course! Another bottle of bubbles. Much conversation. Much laughter. The volume went up & soon several patrons were dancing in the courtyard. Then Elvis. WELL! Suddenly the owner & a patron were up doing the Twist on the bar, beneath the large chandelier, still with plenty of headroom to spare. 1 great song after another, everybody letting their hair down. At some point when I went to the loo, which is outside in the courtyard, I noticed that the large door to the courtyard entrance had been closed & bolted - good idea I thought! Then back to the (private) party!

We saw the sky was no longer dark. Time to go. Leaving the group still partying, we & Juan left for home. It was 5:45am. We were in bed by 6am.

Again, together with all of BA, we slept through till around 5pm, got up for a few hours to eat a light snack & watch the BBC World news of NYE celebrations from around the world before retiring again back to bed. And no hangovers either. We like New Year's Eve in Argentina :))

This has been 1 of the best New Years' Eve in many years. I take it as another sign that this move was destined for us.