What a Lovely Surprise to the Start of the New Year

After all the celebrating on the La Margarita over Christmas with our guests from Norway and then a full house of guest over New Year from Argentina, England and Brazil I thought that the champagne bottle opener would be put away for a little while . Just shows you how wrong you can be.

A day or two into the new year we had Louise and Jignesh on La Margarita from Ealing London (just a few kilometers or so from where my parents live) This lovely young couple came here because Jignesh wanted to have a gaucho experience and luckily choose La Margarita to do just that . On their first ride out there was no doubt that they were nervous however, Lalo had chosen a couple of very calm horses for them and off they went excited but nervous on their first ever ride on la pampas. That night I spoke to them and asked how it was and they both enthusiastically decided to have another go the next day. This time with fewer nerves they started to enjoy what the estancia offers best - great riding across the famous pampas.

At the same time as they were with us we had Anna and her husband Mikhail arrive all the way from Moscow (our first visitors from that exotic country). That night I dinned with them all and we had a great time drinking lots of malbec wine and eating steak from La Margarita – a classic for sure. The next day our new friends from Russia left La Margarita and headed off to Mar de Plata for the last few days in Argentine. They did write some words in our commentary book but to be truthful my Russian is not what it was and who knows what it says – let’s hope its nice things!

That night Louise and Jignesh had La Margarita to themselves (apart from the staff of course) since our next guests weren’t arriving till the weekend. When they were eating (well this is what Jignesh told me) he asked Louise if she thought their stay on La Margarita was and would be the highlight of their stay in Argentina – apparently Louise said yes and with this perfect setting Jignesh went down on his knees in the living room and asked Louise to marry him . When Raquel came into the living, even though she can’t speak English she knows a wedding proposal when she sees one and promptly called me and Daniela, Rachael assistant to crack open a bottle of champers and toast the really happy occasion. It was so great for me that Jignesh chose to ask Louise to marry him on La Margarita – it’s such an honour for us when this happens– even though I think the estancia has something magical it so lovely when guests confirm it to me. After toasting the happy couple we left them to make their plans for the future – needless to say they didn’t make it up in time for horse riding the next morning - they had other things on their mind no doubt

This a bloggy I wish you Louise and Jignesh all the very best for the future - you are such a nice couple and who knows if the church you want to marry in in the UK isn’t available why not consider La Margarita!

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho of to count how many bottle of champagne we have left – you never know what’s around the corner