Wanderlust: Alta Gracia... take two. ACTION

The province of Cordoba offers free admission to all museums and historical sites on Wednesdays. Armed with this wonderful newfound knowledge, my friend, Will, and I have dedicated every Wednesday to a cultural adventure of one sort or another.

Last Wednesday, we started with Alta Gracia. Now for you diligent readers, you will remember that one of my first weekends here, we went to Alta Gracia for the World Fair. However, we didn't see much of the town itself. Plus, the bus ticket there is $7 pesos argentinos. That is, just over $2 USD. It's about 40 minutes to the south of the city and is a marvelous little town.

The center of the town is a small lake... glorified pond really. Not to discount it, for it provides a beautiful fall backdrop this time of year.

After walking around the lake, we found the
tourist office and set to work. The friendly woman at the office outlined a quick tour of the town for us. It was a quite circle around the town ending at the bus station... "from where you can leave," she told us in a very matter-of-fact way. I would venture that Alta Gracians don't appreciate the day tourists too much, but put up with them none the less. Or maybe it was just this woman. She also thought Will looks like an Argentine doctor. No, better said, she insisted Will was an Argentine doctor. I don't see it... but tell me what you think:

Regardless, map in hand, we set off for an adventure.

Now for the less linguistically inclined of my dearest readers, Alta Gracia directly translated means High Grace. Not knowing the origins of the town, I assumed it had a religious significance. It undoubtedly does, but I believe it also refers to the many hills the town possesses. Sure, maybe it is a place of grace, but you will have to be up pretty high to receive it!

Our first stop is probably the hallmark of Alta Gracia--Che's house. Formally, it is the old residence of Ernesto "Che" Guevara--the communist revolutionary war hero. This house (where he actually only lived for about 10 years) has been converted into a museum celebrating his life and legacy. (See post titled El Che)

Che's house...

Manuel de Falla...

Next, we ventured to the house of Manuel de Falla, a Spanish composer who spent his later years in Alta Gracia. I've been absolutely in love with classical music lately and I think he is a great composer. His works ebb and flow beautifully and are just a joy to listen to. Check out El Amor Brujo, one of his best known works.

Tired from all the hills and culture, we sat at a nice outdoor cafe and had a tabla--a wonderful little snack. Tablas consist of various finger foods which are great with a refreshing beverage to relax in the afternoon. Usually, tablas have peanuts, cold slices of ham, bread, cheese, olives, and other treats.

After this, we felt rejuvenated to tackle the Jesuit Estancia in Alta Gracia. Estancias are a fancy words for a home or compound. A bunch of Jesuits lived and worked here back in the day. It was full of interesting old things, including a buffet that was over 12' tall... apparently they were giants back then. Unfortunately, I didn't plan ahead, and my camera ran out of battery before I could snap a photo. Regardless, it's always nice to learn more about the Jesuits, as they have influenced Cordoba so much.