Where the Rays of the Setting Sun Fall
In a place with as many cozy tea houses as freckles on my face today (thanks, Nelly the laundry lady for pointing out the quantity of ‘pecas’ that’ve exploded up in the alpine lately), I have a true favourites.
There are places you go for a copita de vinito and a picada. And others for something warm and something sweet.
Come late afternoon, most Argentines move from daily activity (work, reading newspapers, visiting with their therapists, being stuck in traffic jams, waiting in lines….) and on to the merienda, a late afternoon ’snack’ that typically involves yerba mate and some facturas (danishes and croissants). La merienda is key to bridging the long, hungry hours between lunch (usually between 1pm-3pm) and dinner, which this time of year doesnt really get going until after 10:30pm.
My ideal merienda includes a herbal tea and some steaming scones, topped by creamed cheese and local raspberry jam.
And of all the places to take the afternoon tea, my favourite place to do so at a rustic wooden chalet high up above Lago Lacar. On the old road south of San Martin de los Andes, this special place first won the heart of a true adventuress, and its thanks to her vision that I’m a regular here today, often driving an hour out of my way to make a stop.
In 1936, Renee Dickinson, a model and actress, came from England to visit her brother who was managing a ranch outside San Martin de los Andes.
During days of random wanderings the mountains of Northern Patagonia, she discovered a lookout above town.
She so loved this spot- where the last seconds of the sunset can be seen each night across the lake - that she decided to spend the rest of her life here.
She had, as they say, ‘found her place in the world.’
And she was determined to share this magical place. Renee got a permit from National Parks in Buenos Aires, and somehow got the materials and crew to mount a cabin on a rocky cliff well off the beaten path.
The cabin, it should be mentioned, was designed by legendary local architect Alejandro Bustillo. Built entirely of local cypress wood, and put together piece-by-piece by a German and two Chileans, Renee’s teahouse opened in 1939, with sleeping quarters upstairs serving as a lodge.
Tall, lean and with strawberry-blond hair, Renee named the tea house after the cinammon-barked local tree that so resembled her. Arrayan, of course, also means ‘where the rays of the setting sun fall’ in the Mapuche language. Her efforts paid off and her tea house soon became ‘the place to be’ in SMA. It’s a cozy, warm, friendly place serving homemade treats.
Her story turns tragic, however. After years of solitude, Renee finally married an English diplomat and the two set off on a journey through Bolivia, where she caught ill and soon died at only 31 years of age.
Today, I stop whenever I’m in the area for scones and un te-cito. Or maybe some tarta de manzana or a brownie.
A few years ago I had the good fortunate to spend a night at the lovely fishing lodge right next door, which serves breakfast in the tea house. I had a lot of time to think about Renee and her efforts and love for this place.
As the sun sets behind the Cordillera at the back of Lago Lacar, or the wind whirls across the mountains, it’s easy to slip into a timeless sense of peace and wonder here.
Little has changed since her day; this place holds true magic.