Buenos Aires is a lot more livable than most other big cities I´ve been to, but sometimes you still just need to get out of town. I realized as much last month when the heavy urbanity of the capital started to really weigh on me. Now, I´m a city girl and have only lived in cities. But for me, sane city dwelling must be interjected by quick jaunts to clean air and open skies. And so it was last weekend that I found myself at Retiro station boarding a bus headed for San Antonio de Areco.

It’s a two hour journey to Areco, which is just enough time to watch the scenery turn from concrete urban density to the classically flat green lushness of the Argentine campo. When my husband and I got off the bus, we instantly felt at peace. Walking the few blocks from the bus station to the center we were so pleased to breathe the clear air, and our pace slowed as we released the city rush and accomodated to the much slower rhythm of the pampas.