Sunday, April 27, 2008

Polo For Real


The stable outside my window



An overview of the polo grounds from the roof of our building



The Argentine flag and a city view from the polo field


We live behind the polo grounds in Las Cañitas in Buenos Aires. At least for the month!
I don't know much about polo. I once did catering for the Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. The club house was swanky, and the people were swell, and the polo players were mostly very cute Argentines. Sarah Ferguson's (the original Fergie) mother came one Sunday afternoon with the polo player she left the Duke of York for. That was an exciting afternoon.
Fast forward to horsey country in Lousiana, and once again I found myself among Argentine polo players who were the hired hands at a fancy horse ranch. This time the hubs and I were there to teach tango to the group, which is hilarious, because the two worlds of polo and tango never meet.
Now fast forward a little more, to my morning view out my 16 feet high windows, that overlook the back corner of THE polo grounds, where there is small stable of horses that very cute grooms exercise daily.
We've never been to a match. We once saw one being played as we walked to the supermarket, having to circumvent the huge playing field to get to the grocery store.
For the past few days our street echos the sound of horses' hoofs on the pavement. Over 100 horses clip-clop by with army guys riding astride. Apparently they were rehearsing for a big shindig that took place this past Saturday at the polo grounds. We heard military band music, and hot tailed upstairs to the roof to see what was up.
A couple of battalions of cavalry and grenadieres were involved in a beautiful ceremony. Later when it finished, the riders in full dress uniforms and regalia rode past our apartment house on their way back to the barracks, which is three blocks down the street. It was a fabulous thing to see.
I watched the polo matches in Greenwich, and couldn't really get the jist of the game.
But no matter, I always enjoy the view of a man who sits well on his horse.

2 comments:

Lisa (aka) French said...

How lucky to be able to live in a home away from home and enjoy the different culture! Sometimes I miss my days as a flight attendant, the travel, the cultures, the change of scenery! How I wish I was travelling now! I have so enjoyed all of your posts regarding this beautiful country! One of the places I have yet to visit but feel as though I am getting a personal tour through your eyes...thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!~~French;)

Visual Vamp said...

Hi french, I love to travel, but as you know there's no place like home!
Thanks for looking in AND commenting :-)