Ah my friends in the Northern Hampshire are getting their gardens ready for another year. On instagram I see pictures of friends gardens and all that blooms. So beautiful.

Then I look at the plants on my terrace. There is some type of flowering tree from Brazil, 2 large spider plants and the bane of my existence. Almost endemic in Buenos Aires are red geraniums. Okay I admit it. Yes they are pretty and some of them even have pleasant fragrance, but for me these flowers are not my favorite, especially here in the city, as they are prone to so many diseases because of the city’s high humidity.

When I first moved into this apartment last September I thought they were pretty and blooming gangbusters. Then slowly over the next couple of months, yes they got scrawnier and less blooms. I looked closely and discovered little white bugs. Then armed with insecticidal soap and a sprayer, those geraniums were sprayed a couple of times a week. This went on for a month, meanwhile they were looking so forlorn, former tokens of themselves. I tried. I pruned off the infected parts, getting the leaves directly into the garbage. This went on for about 2 more weeks. I.think 6 or 8 weeks in total.

Then I did it. I finally did it. I yanked out those geraniums. So proud of myself for pulling out those damn geraniums. Whew !

Took a while I let those empty planters sit a while. I was enjoying not being obligated to plant or water. Until finally I decided to plant again. This time I chose fragrant plants, lavender and rosemary in one planter and in the other planter 2 flowering jasmine plants. We shall see how I did, but this gardening project was a metaphor for me.

I have now lived in BsAs for one year and 5 months. Not being able to leave the city itself, was my geranium. I kept thinking it would all work out. I tried all sorts of different walks. Luckily this is a flat city. Walked every day, looking for new places to see. I have seen and discovered many different places, shops, restaurants and cafes. I have not been able to leave the city, because I do not have the correct document.

My visa has been automatically renewed as the Quarantine has been extended. We are now on day 419. Living here in some respects is easy. Its beautiful. In other instances where government paperwork is required, the wait period for responses is very long and complicated by the pandemic and all offices that are working remotely. Breathe. Patience. Stand in a line.

That said, last week I finally received a certificate that allows me to travel within Argentina. This is so exciting for me…as last year prior to pandemic I told myself. Stop dancing and go out of town. And I never did go anywhere other than a boat ride up the Rio Plata to Tigre.

So at the end of the month, am going with a friend on a road trip to Mar de Plata. A beach town about a 6 hour drive south of the city on the Atlantic.

Call me crazy, but going out of season to the beach is the perfect antidote to all the city life I have been living. Lots of sand and water and a big beach town. Ahh am getting in a bit of a travel adventure. Something I have not experienced in a long time. Wahoooooo.