Areco is proud of it's old gaucho tradition, still alive and well in the surrounding country side, and celebrated with aplomb each November, when not a single one of the few hotel rooms can be rented unless booked months ahead. Also famous for fine silversmithing, weaving and leatherwork, the town has many small craft shops and some notable museums to show off the local artisans and provide good excuses for treasure hunting.
Being midweek, it was an easy task to secure a room - a living breathing functioning antique - in Antigua Casona, an old 'townhouse' with a secluded courtyard, about five romantic rustic rooms, and dining room and kitchen which seem unchanged since a hundred years.
Here we have a Parilla restaurant right around the corner from Antigua Casona. Shuttered tightly during daytime, it opens its doors at Argentinian Dinner time, which starts at 9:00 p.m.
to accommodate early birds - which are for the most part visitors from countries with 'decent' dinner hours - and quite a number of local youthful diners, fortifying themselves for the real evening to start.
Small, rustic, filled with antiques, the restaurant 'Almacen de Ramos Generales' offers parilla, pasta, Postres Caseros (home made deserts) and an extensive wine list. Quite the gourmet eatery...One may enjoy 'regular' meat dishes, but real beef addicts may splurge on sweetbreads, intestines, glands, tongue and kidneys. Half a liter of house wine sets one back nine pesos, the equivalent of $2.50.
Areco is - of course - gaucho country> Gaucho paintings, gaucho indumentaria (clothing and asseccories for their work) and saddlery items are available in many stores through town.
Public 'Room service' phone beside the kitchen entrance in the courtyard of Antigua Casona. The most expensive item was a small bottle of Chandon bubbly at 22 pesos.
Most of the furnishings in Antigua Casona date back to times, when toilets were still flushed with these contraptions...
Even soap and water glass holder would have predated some of our great grand parents.
Letter slot in an intricately carved door of one of the city houses, some of which are meticulously maintained, others somewhat faded and decrepit - all adding to the undeniable colonial ambiance of Areco.
San Antonio de Padua, the local church, has the only clock in town, that actually shows the correct time, with churchbells chiming punctually to prove it. Time does not appear to be of major concern here anyway, everything seems slowed down to a different sleepy pace. Stores open late, if at all - if closed, ring the bell. Restaurants, boliches (bar/pub) close their shutters over lunch - except for the restaurant Esquina de Merti, the only game in town - and do not open again until 'sometime' late afternoon.
A ray of sunshine illuminates a side altar....
What else to do but stroll towards the Puento Viejo, the old bridge, where the Areco River is swollen to a fast running debris laden brown soup, almost overflowing its banks. It had flooded the surrounding grass lands, streets and parks during the 'tormentas' a week ago, and shallow lakes covering paths and roadbeds gave witness, of how much this little river may rise.
Siesta or not, kids are out riding their horses like city kids would ride their bicycles - unencumbered by safety gear or helmets, or even unwatched by worrying parents. They do not seem any worse for wear despite the lack of protective efforts.
Areco has woken up to the fact, that their historic architecture, their antique 'almacens' and 'boliches', stores and pubs, are worth protecting from progress and development. Many a 'lugar signitivativo' - significant location - is now protected by municipal law.
Once the old shelves and wooden counters would be ripped out; antique cash registers and scales, chipped but shiny tiled floors and brick and beam ceilings removed, the old store keeper would just be another convenience store attendant. Now, surrounded by history, he is himself history and proudly tells his tales, to whomever shows interest.
Even the most humble and decaying old house has beautiful detailling, slowly rusting away, but still preserving an air of country elegance.
Young men learn from old masters, and traditional artisanship is transferred from one generation to another.
Beats a Canadian Tire particle board tool holder anytime. Everything in its place and ready for use....orderly stored on a artistically carved wooden board
Workshops are part of the stores, and villagers get together to chat and mingle, work goes on, and customers are free to wander about to purchase, watch or join the conversation.
Hand crafted leather stirrups...
In the Museo de Plateria Draghi, located in another historic casona on the main plaza of town, works of the most famous silversmith of Areco, Josef Draghi, provide an insight to the highly developed artistic skills of Arecos craftsmanship.
Gauchos still adorn their mounts on festive occasions with silver headgear and saddlery items. Here a hand hammered silver halter...
Chest and noseband adornment....
Solid silver stirrups....
The workshop of Plateria Draghi - one maypurchase their pieces of art crafted here - is a museum piece in it's own right...
Wall paintings, tiles, posters, drawings of the most prolific artist in Areco, Garriti, can be found all over town. And, of course, a discerning visitor may take one of his masterpieces home - for a reasonable price.
Kitty corner from Antigua Casona, my hotel, is an old gaucho tavern/store, where to this day the 'regulars', dressed in estancia clothes, boots and hats, sit together for a couple of bottles of wine and a few hours of gossip.
Some of the merchandise has not moved in a hundred years, and layers of dust cover slippers, laundry soap, coffee tins and whatever else has populated these shelves since decades.
A frazzled poster, designed by Garriti, advertises a long gone Dia de la Tradition. It assures gauchos, that 'safe accommodation' will be provided for their tropillas (horse teams) whilst they are staying in town for the fiesta.
And the work is done, a long hard life on horseback working land and cattle, has written a few lines into this retired gaucho's face...
