Punta del Este, Uruguay

There is simply so much to say about our wonderful, amazing week in Punta del Este visiting Paul's fabulous friend Sara and her lovely family... I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I had never even met Sara and I knew almost nothing about her, other than the fact that she had moved with her husband Thomas and their three kids to Uruguay from London about 9 months ago... Paul kept joking that she would be probably be living in some castle by the sea and guess what??? Sara lives in a massive castle by the sea, overlooking a pristine beach on the southern most shores of the Rio de la Plata, where the river empties into the Atlantic ocean... our room overlooked an almost deserted white sand beach; we fell asleep each night listening to the sound of waves softly breaking right outside the windows... The rest and relaxation was exactly what we both needed, an quick and easy escape from the endless noise and pollution of Buenos Aires... Punta has a mellow, relaxed, beach-town feel, far from the hectic, pushiness of the city... it kept reminding me of La Jolla for some reason... The town itself is best known as a posh vacation resort for rich Argentines, practically doubling in size during the summer high-season months of January and February... Visiting in November was ideal: perfect weather, empty beaches, quiet restaurants, and lots and lots of breathing room. The "castle" is located just outside of the center of town, on a long stretch of beach that is just now seeing mass development... Gorgeous new houses are going up at a furious rate; the empty plot of land next to Sara's place is sure to be home to a few hundred time-share units or condos within a few years time. (although the family won't be there for long, as they have just signed on a new house closer to the center of town... They'll be moving in a month or so...) We spent our days lounging around on the beach, playing with the kids and the cute dog Maxie, and hanging around with the constant rotation of visitors from around the world: during our short visit, I ate and drank around the kitchen table with new friends from Uruguay, Canada, Ecuador, France, and Brooklyn, NY... such a fantastic mix of creative and interesting people. Sara's kids are getting such great exposure to a wide variety of characters, lifestyles, and cultures; the older two boys effortlessly switch between French, English, and Spanish without hesitation. Amazing. Both Sara and her husband were fantastic hosts, the right mix of helpful without hovering, but I can imagine that they are becoming a bit weary of the endless stream of house guests wanting to take full advantage of the huge house and idealic location... I would certainly be. We spent some time at the Pilates studio where Sara is working part time, and I even had the chance to teach one of her clients! It was really nice to teach again after such a long break from working in the studio... Paul gave me and Sara a great class on the Cadillac wall-unit and I learned some new stuff... always good. Returning to BA on the ferry last Wednesday, I was a bit sad to leave such a bucolic beachside setting... Here's hoping we can return one day! xxx Jason