By Jill Lofchie

I have now been in Argentina for one week. I must say that my Spanish skills have improved tremendously. For the most, I feel very much at home here. Surely it is a challenge to speak in Spanish all the time, but everyone has been very patient with me.

During the first week I have been to various museums, toured local wineries, learned about the history of Mendoza, tried out various restaurants, bought some clothing, won a little money at the casino, and of course, studied Spanish every morning (and in my mind, all day long). Although I am not used to going out at night I could not refuse the offers to go out with all the locals here in Mendoza. They have some great bars here. So much nicer than the ones I know. They are like casual cafes with board games and hippy art work on the walls. Night life does not start until around 2 in the morning and never ends. Crazy in my opinion, but lots of fun!

Last weekend, I travelled with my host sister. We went to Tupungato and met up with her friend there. It is a gorgeous area about an hour and a half from the city of Mendoza. We had a wonderful time exploring the wineries, dining on delicious typical foods, and riding horses throughout the mountains. The most memorable part of the journey was the short quake that occurred while we were underground at the winery. First I thought we were being bombed and then I thought we might be swimming in wine! Then I learned that Mendocinos –people from Mendoza, are accustomed to this kind of short quakes. Another thing is the pain I felt after riding a horse for 6 hours on rocky paths! Yet, overall, a beautiful place to travel and an unforgettable weekend.
For those who knew that I was freezing at the beginning, all is better now! I have some warmer clothing and it is not too cold. I wear my host sister’s coat, and also wear her clothing when I go out at night.

By Claire Fromme former COINED participant

There is a multitude of places to go and things to do around Córdoba. Towns like Carlos Paz and Alta Gracia are close and easy to visit. Villa General Belgrano is the same in these aspects but one weekend in July has something that other cities don’t – chocolate. Lots and Lots of chocolate! Every year the town hosts a Chocolate Festival and this time over 30 COINED students attended the festival.
Once we arrived, most people took their time seeing the city, strolling down the main street full of shops, restaurants and pubs. At the festival (held in a sort of community center) there were many stands for souvenirs, trinkets and of course, chocolate. There was also a puppet show for children that set the mood for a fun day.

When we returned to the bus, everyone was loaded with gifts and souvenirs (mostly relating to the strong German influence in the town), and tons of chocolate!
If I had enough
Even though I’ve had enough chocolate to last a lifetime I would definitely recommend the same trip to everyone.

Kavanagh building, placed on the Plaza San Martin in downtown Buenos Aires, is a famous art deco building from the 1930's. This apartment building shows a reminisce of neorationalism and it is a lively example of typical architecture in Buenos Aires.

The building owes its name to Corina Kavanagh, the woman who invested all she had inherited to build her own building. By the time it was finished in 1935, it was the tallest building in Latin America with 120 meters built entirely in concrete. The building has 30 floors and on the 31st floor it has a viewpoint. The building offers an amazing view of the coast of Rio de la Plata, Retiro train sation and Florida pedestrian street. Another possible view from the building is San Martin square. It has six wings where there are 105 dwelling units.

Kavanagh building Outline
Height: 120 m/394 ft with 30 stories
Approximate weight: 31,000 tons
5 Stairs with 1,700 steps
12 elevators
Pipeline: 90 km
The building has 10 shops in the ground floor and 105 apartments.

The Kavanagh building stands out in the Retiro busy area in a towering form. The Kavanagh does not only attract architects from all over the world, it also catches the attention of anyone walking by as it located in a busy and tourist area of Buenos Aires.
In 1939 its facade was awarded by the American Institute of Architects. Nowadays The Kavanagh building is a national historical monument that still keeps its impact against the modern skyline of Buenos Aires.