This year we continued our tradition of having a picnic in Puerto Madero. This area is full of expensive restaurants and hotels that ask exorbitant prices for their New Year’s dinners, but we have all the fun of the music, fireworks and company by having a picnic, facing the beautiful Puente de la Mujer.

Unfortunately, we lost two bottles of Malbec when an unexpected gust of wind picked up the picnic table and they rolled off before we could rescue them! Disaster! We had champagne, but we wanted to save that for midnight, so Viviana and I went over to one of the restaurants and paid through the nose for a replacement! It was disappointing at first, but we soon got over it, and it’s one of those incidents that will feed “Do you remember when…” stories in years to come.

Thanks for your company and the delicious food Cecilia, Venetia, Viviana and Sally — and especially Cecilia for bringing the table and all the extra stuff that made the picnic so festive! Check out the video and share the fun.

Happy New Year from beautiful Buenos Aires! I spent the most amazing New Year’s Eve, welcoming 2017 with a picnic with four friends, in 30 degree temperatures, under a sky filled with fireworks and the sound of laughter!

My Argentine friend Cecilia had previously looked into going to one of the restaurants in the post Puerto Madero area, but the prices were prohibitive. But that’s where the best fireworks display is, so we decided to do it our way — and Cecilia outdid herself!

She brought a fold-out picnic table and chairs, her Christmas table cover and a ton of food. She even brought battery-driven lights we could drape around our picnic spot! We brought wine and champagne.

We set up right beside the river and had the best view possible. We took turns walking around the area, soaking up the atmosphere. Linda and I danced along the row of restaurants, taking advantage of their music without paying their prices.

The fireworks started just before midnight, and at the witching hour we cracked open the bubbly. What a fantastic way to bring in the New Year. I think I’ll do this every year!

Here’s a compilation of the photos and a couple of videos of the fireworks.

All the best for a wonderful, happy, healthy, success, prosperous 2017!

Helen