La Isolina - heaven IS a place on earth

Racing to the bus station, trying to keep Mum and Vicky calm. 'Chillax, it's Argentina - the bus will be late'. We get to the bus station with 15 minutes to spare. No sign of our bus, until we see a bus from the company we've booked with leaving the depot. Off to customer services, who eventually ascertain that the bus is late. An hour and a half late. No matter. We're on the bus soon enough and six hours later, we arrive in Olavarria.

The lovely Maria meets us at the bus station and takes us to the estancia, La Isolina. We are immediately wowed. It's stunning. We're invited to take a seat and have a glass of wine and some nibbles before going in for dinner. Maria's family are staying too, and they are absolutely lovely. The food is to die for and Mum spend the entire trip pestering Maria to write a cook book.




La Isolina







Maria's beautiful family (with apologies to Eugenia for not being in this photo!)

The following morning, we're up and about for a leisurely horse ride across the pampas with Jorge, Maria's husband. Jorge speaks French, as does Bonne Maman, so they get on famously. I ride Chimanga, who will become 'my' horse for the duration of our stay and he is brilliant, but my god, he loves to eat!









We ride out every day, most days twice a day, topping up our tans, going faster and faster as we get more comfortable on the horses and spending the interim period eating and lazing by the pool.


On Saturday, we have the most wonderful barbecued lunch, where we all help ourselves to various pieces of beef and sit under the trees. The black pudding is to die for.












On our last afternoon, we all gallop back to the estancia and have our pictures taken on horseback on the lawn, before Mum and I go for a walk around the grounds and get some last minute hammock photos. Chimanga has a tear falling from his eye as I say goodbye to him, and this nearly sets me off as well, he's been such a good horse.












Sadly, all too soon it's time to say goodbye, after four amazing days of riding, eating, and properly relaxing. We head back to Buenos Aires for the final part of Vicks and my grand adventure. Jorge and Maria have been the most wonderful, attentive, inclusive hosts, and we have had the best time at their estancia. I hope to return again soon!