Thursday, April 2, 2009

Project Buenos Aires!

Envy has been dripping from my pores ever since I heard about the gaggle of YA authors who planned a writing retreat in a castle in Ireland. In my head I've been planning my own writer's getaway. We can dream, no? While castles in the British Isles do have a certain allure, I'd also like a place that has really really great food and wine. And nice weather. And an excellent bookstore. So when I saw this site that shows photos of the most interesting bookstores in the world, I knew it would be Argentina. Just look at this photo!

Isn't it the most exquisite site in the world? Acres of books! Acres!

Plus, Buenos Aires (known as the Paris of South America) figures prominently in Book Two of my series, so I figure it's meant to be. We can rent Jardin Escondito, Francis Ford Coppola's villa in Bueno Aires.
We'll write like fiends all day (with breaks for dips in the pool and tapas, natch) and then talk books and writing over scrumptious food and great local wines into the wee hours of the warm, Argentinian nights.

Who's in? Say 2011-ish when we're all wildly successful? Vaminos!

23 comments:

Suzanne Young said...

Oh, count me in on the retreat! I swear, I don't snore :-)

For now, we can take a road trip! To Powell's.

Casey Something said...

That site is awesome!!

Have you tallied up the estimated expense per writer for this retreat?

:p

I'm curious! And yes, totally jealous!

Rebecca Anne said...

I could go to that bookstore and never be found again. EVER.
That looks amazing, you could have a writers retreat in just one of the acres and no one would ever leave~
Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Hey christy
As you know me and my mom went in november. It was awesome! Got the ticket on miles and once I got there everything was so reasonably priced it didnt hurt the pocket book too much. Great wine at a sidewalk cafe is 8$ a bottle! I highly reccomend checking VRBO site for places to stay :) We had an beautiful 2bed/2bath place in reccoleta for only 1400 for 8days. Also the Estancia's are fantastic! Maybe i can just come and open bottles of wine and dulce de leche for everyone ;)
Suz

Christy Raedeke said...

Come one, come all, even if you DO snore!

Suz S - Love the idea of you coming as social coordinator/wine operator! Every writers retreat need one of those! And you might just accidentally write a book while you're there...

Anonymous said...

Every house party needs a housemother, one who will remind you to get to work in the day and to bed at night (and who could tidy up after you!). I would happily volunteer for that job, and I could be a sous chef and bottle opener for Suz. What do you guys think? I do read all your blogs. :-)
Carol (christy's mom)

Katie Anderson said...

Oh that looks delicious!!!!

Anna Claire said...

Writing, talking books AND good wine? I'm so, sooooo in if you don't mind an unpubbed writer tagging along. Also if this trip is magically free.

Christy, you should plan writers' retreats as a side business.

Kimberly Derting said...

Okay, that would rock! Plus, I've watched A LOT of Dora the Explorer, so I can totally say "Happy Birthday" and "We did it" and "Let's Go" in Spanish.

I just hope it's someone's birthday when we go...

Barbara Slaton DRE#01855977 said...

Hey, I want in on this too!

I can make myself useful during the day filling your water glasses, tending to the music and serving Empanadas.

At night, well that is an entire other subject -- dinner isn't until 9:30 or 10:00 so you'll have finished pages and pages of writing by then. No guilt.

The Malbec is fantastic, the beef melts in your mouth and I will take you to my favorite restaurant -- Brasserie Petanque!

check it out -- www.brasseriepetanque.com

Suzanne is right, you MUST take a day off from your writing and visit an Estancia...nothing like galloping across the Pampas on a Stallion to whet the imagination for vivid writing.

jberk said...

Oh OK I'm in, if you don't mind a dude creeping along to make things all awkward and weird. My specialties! Seriously though: just the thought is so awesome to think about.

And that picture makes me think of this great list of pictures (can there be a list of pictures? that's basically what it is) of mind-bogglingly awesome libraries. You could call it library porn if that didn't have other weird connotations (well to me it does anyway). http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=78

BTW, Hi Aunt Barb!

Anonymous said...

oh let's go! I wouldn't even mind if all our resulting books bore an uncanny (and Argentine!) resemblance to each other afterwards! :)

Christy Raedeke said...

Well that was easy! It's on!

Berk, your library porn is of the very highest quality! If Argentina doesn't work out we must retreat in St. Gallen, Switzerland - the Abbey Library is breathtaking. And who knew that Baltimore had such a stunning library?

Ah, books!

Christy Raedeke said...

BTW, Kimberly, I keep laughing at your Dora comment. You crack me up. "We did it!"

Irene Latham said...

Christy, looks like a great place to go! Excited about your Argentina setting!

PurpleClover said...

OMG it reminds me of when Belle goes to the Beasts castle (yes I have to refer to disney) and I fell in love right along with her!

There are actually some wicked pics online!

Anonymous said...

I draw your attention to the April 2009 issue of Outside magazine for an article entitled "Me Myself and Ribeye", one man's quest for the perfect steak in Argentina. (not yet available online) Since reading it 3 days ago, I am obsessed with beef, even in my dreams.

dgbowe

Unknown said...

I am SO in !

Anonymous said...

i think that bookstore makes me drool a bit. i want to be there...

Jennie Englund said...

hey christy,

great seeing you yesterday. party was so much fun. right after you left, kids organized themselves into hilarious relay race.

hope your dinners were as amazing as that couscous you made!

i'm trying to attach my dumb picture. you know it's a challenge. technology. blugh.

Angie Frazier said...

Oh Christy, this whole idea is AWESOME! My contemporary YA is set on an estancia in Argentina so this would be the BEST kind of research!! I am in! I'm not joking, seriously, if this thing goes down I'm there.

And Josh, every retreat needs a creepy dude tagging along :-) Or was that a creeping dude? Ha!

Peggy said...

can non writers attend? i can cook, clean and entertain or at least rally some entertainment! and take you fly fishing and scout out the best restaurants. oh pretty please!

Unknown said...

I also like good books and eating!
I've been in Buenos Aires twice and food there is amazing!
I remember a place near my Buenos Aires rent that had a great menuu with delicious food.