The town where time stood still

Truth be told, when we arrived in town yesterday, we somewhat wondered what all the hoopla about this town was. It looked a bit rundown, yet, it is a highly regarded place. Last night we checked out some videos and then it became clear. San Antonio de Areco is a town where time stood still; one of the few places on earth where life of a century ago is still real. You can feel it everywhere. In the old buildings that line the streets, inside every establishments. The past coexists with the present. Everything that we would consider passe’ has been saved; not upgraded, mind you, but in its original state.

Today we delved into the history of the place (founded in the 1700s). The names of the founders are still the names of the inhabitants today. Lamentably, due to the pandemic, it is suffering from a lack of tourism, although we are told that on weekends, troves of people from the city congregate here to de-stress. This is the most peaceful place both Diane and I have ever experienced when not in nature, and we came to appreciate it and love it. The people exude utter tranquility and warmth. Certainly no photo can convey the tradition, nor the quaint and peaceful atmosphere that envelopes it, but hopefully some of these images will convey more than just some run-down locales. San Antonio de Areco is a true gem.

We began our day with a stop at the old train station in Vagues, the minute village where we are housed. It was closed; unless trains run only on certain days, we did not hear a single train come through since we arrived. But the station is still there, a bit older, but still as it looked in its day. Near it, a junk yard of some kind has been taken over by chickens, ducks and geese.

The town itself was especially quiet today. Many museums and other places of interest were closed, and even though we missed some of the highlights, perhaps this was the best time to see it. The old buildings really came alive, as did the parks, the Old Bridge over the Areco River, the artsy vibe, the wonderful restaurants, inside of which you will find all realm of antiquity.

No stress

It's real, and they use it.

We ate at a place that was recommended by the owner of our cottage, and it was spot on. At the Almacen de Ramos Generales, I had a dish of homemade gnocchi that even Italians would appreciate.

We walked into the studio of a locally acclaimed painter, one Mr. Gasperini, a simple and most kind man, whose voice was most soothing. We happily purchased a small painting from him.

The singing of the many birds flying overhead or hopping around on the ground was added music for the soul. The area is full of parrots. They can be seen coming in and out of giant nests the birds built for themselves. We also saw several hawks. Guinea pigs run wild in the countryside as do untold numbers of hares.

We returned home by early evening to partake in the horseback ride to tend to the cattle, but very dark clouds in the sky announced the inevitable storm, which soon broke out, as expected and turned the soil into muddy yuck. We have postponed the ride until tomorrow. Taking a page off the lifestyle book of the locals, we did not despair, but acceptingly, we turned to sitting on the porch of our cabin with a good book in hand and the company of a wonderful cat that I named Ciccino. No stress. Love it!