ESTANCIA DOS TALAS
A traditional ranch in the Pampas

It is impossible to describe this estancia without a preliminary explanation about Argentine history and culture because the family that laid its foundations, built it, refurbished it and maintains it for more than five generations is closely intertwined with it.
It was founded by Pedro Luro, first pioneer of the province of Buenos Aires, whose name is commemorated in avenues and monuments, in the year 1858.
In the year 1893 his daughter Agustina builds the palace you see above where her descendants, the De Elizalde family, live with their four children. This is where they lodge visitors in two suites and two double bedrooms.
At present the estancia is 1,500 hectares big; 60 hectares of those are occupied by an impressively beautiful park laid out by famous French landscape architect Charles Thays, who combined local botanical species and European sculptures to produce a masterpiece.
In the limits of the park a chapel was built in the year 1918 by Agustina in memory of her daughter Julieta, deceased in Paris as consequence of a car accident. The chapel is a copy of Nôtre Dame de Passy, in Paris. The materials are still there as they were eighty years ago: a florentine altarpiece, the altar in Carrara marble, Venetian ornamental tiles, French vitreaux. Visitors are surprised by the neighbouring bamboo reedbed.

Another interesting part of the residence is the private Pedro Luro Museum.
The legend says that this wealthy family used to entertain and lodge numerous friends in the residence originally built by Don Pedro, but when the depression also hit the family they decided to demolish the building, a way to cut on expenses and disguise financial difficulties.
Nevertheless, the room occupied by the founding father was saved as a museum and many antique objects are exposed therein: furniture, paintings, scultures, photos, letters and books.
The residence also boasts a library of over 3,000 volumes, many of them unique and autographed by the authors, who had solid friendships with many members of the family, who were authors too.
Many of these books used to belong to famous heroes of Argentine history like Bernardino Rivadavia or foreign celebrities like Norah Lange, Hermann Keyserling and Spanish authors Federico García Lorca and José Ortega y Gasset.
Famous chapters of Argentine literature were written within the boundaries of these walls; author Ricardo Güiraldes, master of local creole literature, wrote here his famous "Don Segundo Sombra", translated as "Shadows in the Pampas".

ACTIVITIES AND LOCATION
Our Dos Talas main house, one of the most historic in Argentina, is surrounded by grounds laid out by the 19th century landscape designer, Charles Thays, in his inimitable aesthetic style. The house was built by the estancia founder, Don Pedro Luro, a French-Basque who settled in Argentina, and has remained in family hands ever since (five generations).
Around the landscaped grounds, we have 1,500 hectares of pampa dedicated to cattle raising - and which are ideal for horse rides to take in the immensity of the pampas, and the classic scenes of cattle ranching. Within the grounds are several tree lined avenues. At the end of one such avenue, lined with century old oaks and gum trees, is the chapel - a
smaller scale replica of the chapel at Norte Dame de Passy in Paris. The chapel was built in 1914, in memory of the tragic death of the founder's daughter in France. Indeed, in discovering the history of Dos Talas, you also come to experience the transition in Argentina's own culture, society and customs.

Inside the main house is an extensive library, with volumes in Spanish, French, Italian and English. Every room has large windows that look out onto the park, and there is a large terrace on each floor with panoramic views of the grounds and the pampas beyond. It was here in 1921 that Ricardo Guiraldes (one of Argentina's most famous authors, and one of the two most celebrated writers on the Gaucho tradition) wrote a chapter of his classic novel Don Segundo Sombra. He had just returned from a horse trek to the crab beaches of Lavalle, and at the estancia he penned the related chapter in his book based on his experiences there. Time passes, economic conditions change, but the house is unperturbed, a monument to the unfettered affection of five generations, and full of items from each
generation to live there.

Attended by the owners, who live permanently on site, Luis de Elizalde and Sara Angelinetti de Elizalde, with their children, the visitor can enjoy culinary delights such as the midday "asado" hosted by Luis, offering fresh flame grilled beef, lamb, suckling pig and sausages, prepared with ecologically produced meat from our own farm, and home-made desserts by Sara - all made with the help of the children. Our vegetables are all from our own gardens, as is our honey, and our jams. We offer a standard menu, and some of the more traditional desserts are chocolate souffle pie, giant "dulce de leche" biscuit desert (dulce de leche is a sort of locally made caramel, with a taste uniquely found in Argentina and Uruguay), old fashioned lemon pie, apply pie with ice cream, profiteroles, and dulce de leche pancakes. Your accommodation is in the bedrooms of the main house, or in our cottage in the woods, and all meals are served in the main dining room. Prices are per person, for daily lodging and all meals, and range from US$180

Other activities are cycling (the establishment provides bycicles), and guided walks visiting the beautiful park and old-fashioned pigeon loft.
Dos Talas is located near the town of Dolores, some 200 kms. away from Buenos Aires.
Only 15 kms. away you can fly gliders at the Aeroclub, practice kayaking or sailing in the lagoon; also visit the Museum or the Park.
Those who wish to stay in the residence can use the large swimming pool in the middle of the park.

BASIC PROGRAM BUENOS AIRES

DAY 1 - Arrival to Ezeiza Int. Airport and transfer to hotel. 03 nts of accommodation with breakfast

DAY 2 - Traditional City Tour, visiting the best of Buenos Aires: La Boca, San Telmo, 9 de Julio Avenue and the Obelisk, Colon Theatre, The Congress, The Governor House called "Casa Rosada", Puerto Madero, La Recoleta...

DAY 3 - Excursion to a traditional "Estancia" or farm in the Pampas. Meals and Activities included. This excursion is usually called "Fiesta Gaucha"

DAY 4 - Transfer to airport

This is a basic program to visit Buenos Aires. Please visit our tour list to see more tours combining this area and others place in Argentina and Chile

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