Flashback 3 years to driving down the motorway towards Auckland after attending my sister’s wedding in Tauranga. We were in a hired People Mover with Paul at the wheel, Mum, Dad, a five months gone heifer (me preggers with Dan) and a screaming Josh. He had the runs and was not a happy camper. Mum turned to me and said, “And you think you’re going to Argentina?” At that particular moment in time I must admit to thinking that I’d never leave Christchurch again let alone venture onto Evita’s home turf. Well guess what? We’re off and I have spent the last week warbling out Don’t Cry for Me Argentina each time I have gotten behind the wheel much to the boys delight.
Come Monday afternoon we wing our way out of Christchurch Airport via Auckland and then it is the dreaded long haul to Santiago. The flight is around 11 hours and I am relying on sweets and Magna-doodles to get us through it. Thanks to some advice from well travelled family friends, the Blighs, I have booked airport transfers and a hotel for our arrival as well as a half day city tour the following day. That’s as far as it goes though because for the rest of the trip we will be winging it. If the boys are enjoying themselves we will stay longer and if not move on. I am excited but at the same time apprehensive and under absolutely no illusion about the next 7 weeks being a holiday. Paul likes to describe it as a tour of duty and I am so very grateful that Argentina is a famous wine making country. Thank goodness for our Lonely Planet Guide Book because our Spanish is limited to the little gleaned from watching Dora Explorer episode. Hola!
Sadly I will miss the birth of my sis’s baby boy in November, not that I would have been at the foot of the bed anyway but it will be strange not being in the same country when my nephew Kaleb arrives. Rachel I will be thinking of you and raising a glass of red wine to you while crossing my legs in sympathy.
There is no chance of my power walking or jogging while in a foreign country (not that there was much chance of the latter anyway) so I plan on packing my Winsor Pilates DVD which I can play on our portable DVD player. From what I have read steak is the main fodder in that part of the world and the servings are enormous so if my Pilates doesn’t do the trick I shall do as Demi Moore has done (I read this headline in a supermarket queue last week and decided to adopt the phrase as my own) 'embrace my new curves'.
Now for those I haven’t told my slow living fantasy is going to realized on our return – no I have not been having fantasies about Paul as an old man - we have decided to stay in Oxford. The plan is to rent for a year to see how we settle in and how Paul finds the commute. While he's driving up and down the Tram Road I will be growing herbs, cooking slow foods in my crock-pot and allowing the red wine to breath – oh and looking after my children too of course - mind you Mum and Dad will only be five minutes away... Remind me to put my makeup on and get out of my trackies girls!
It has been lovely being back at Mum and Dads and with it only being for 11 days Mum has been more than happy to do our cooking, washing ironing etc. It’s fab though I think I might be out of luck when we set up base camp permanently. We have managed to catch up with friends and family and I finally got to give my friend Emily’s new baby boy, Charlie a big cuddle he is absolutely gorgeous.
Anyway I think I have exhausted all my news and I must dash. Copious amounts of body hair to remove with my epilator before our hols! And on that note I shall love you and leave you.
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1 comment:
Good luck Vernals! I shall look forward to ramblings of your adventures with bated breath.
Lots of love
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