San Juan 

Life after the earthquake

We arrived at San Juan's capital after our ride along the brand new route 150, with its tunnels and colorful hills.

The entrance highway surprised @tripticity_. It was a very good start to what ended up being a very nice stay in general.

That spring day we were still waiting for the first great wonder, to meet the huge Alfredo Morales and his gastronomic proposal, Pal Pueblo. 

Delighted and happy, we set off for Marale Wines, a boutique hotel located in Media Agua, in the south of the province. We really enjoyed the comfort of its rooms, after an arduous night in Baldes del Rosario, which allowed us to get to know the Valle de la Luna and take its night tour.

Marale is a wine tourism project that offers lodging and gastronomy. We regret not having tasted it because of the huge lunch that Alfredo, orchestrated that day, but we appreciated the hot shower, the comfort, the peace and harmony offered by their small hotel, so much so that we tempted ourselves with a yoga practice looking at the vineyards.

In addition, that September afternoon the sun put on a show at sunset, just when we were tasting the wines of the winery. Those sunsets that @tripticity_ values because they are pricks to the spirit, those that generate the feeling of gratitude. After enjoying those colors, the only thing left to do was to leave grateful to regain strength.

In the morning we left for the other relaxing stop, the Graffigna Yanzón Winery, located in the heart of the Pedernal Valley, for another relaxing stay after so many kilometers of driving. Completely rested, we then set off for the capital to tour the modern city, rebuilt after the horrible earthquake of 1944.

We decided to stay at the El Refugio apart hotel because of its strategic location, very close to the main attractions we wanted to see.  

Before arriving, we decided to make a detour to visit two wineries in San Juan.

First we headed towards Zonda to visit Finca Sierras Azules, which in addition to being a winery offers a restaurant on weekends. After getting some bottles for @tripticity_'s cavita, we headed to @tripticity_'s cavita, we headed to Merced del Estero, where we were attended by Agustín Roberto, a lovable former soccer player nicknamed the "Animal" with whom we talked at length. Although we arrived after hours, he did not hesitate to receive us with great cordiality and made us take the best impression of the winery. Of course, he also tempted us to buy a bottle of his gran corte wine.

Once in the city, we remained with the desire to have a snack at Juana House. Perhaps the only bar in the world that closes at 14:00, or that does not accept customers at 13:50 as was our case.  

We did a quick check in at our lodging so as to leave for the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts Franklin Rawson, which is housed in a building of contemporary architecture, right in front of the beautiful Parque de Mayo.

Then we headed to the modern and impressive Teatro del Bicentenario and its square to take some pictures.

Next was a stop at La Madelaine, a French-style cafe and bistro that actually operates in the Alliance Française.

After a snack to recharge our batteries, with powerful coffee and cognac in our bellies and heads, we arrived at the Museum and Library Casa Natal de Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (Museo y Biblioteca Casa Natal de Domingo Faustino Sarmiento).

The visit is short but very entertaining. The building is in very good condition and there are recreated everyday scenes of the time and exhibited personal items of the hero and his family.

From there, just a few blocks away is the main square and the modern San Juan Bautista Cathedral, whose bell tower stands out for its height and design.

A building that captivated us is the Museum of Urban History, Museo de la Historia Urbana, although not yet open to the public, stands out for its curious green facade, full of life. The same is true of the Aldo Cantoni closed stadium. We only spent one day in San Juan and it was enough to enjoy its architecture and the kindness of its people.

That night, a great banquet awaited us at the hands of Miguel Martin, in his phenomenal restaurant La Jamonería (enter to the complete chronicle of this avant-garde mecca of flavor).

After a well-deserved rest, we left for Villa Unión, in neighboring La Rioja, to visit the Talampaya National Park and Laguna Brava, on this great tour that we made through western Argentina in the spring of 2022.