Traveling Tango

Leaving…on a jet plane.

My thoughts and emotions on leaving Europe are very mixed.

What an adventure the last 5 months have been. Many kilometers on planes, trains, buses, cars, electric scooter, and ferries.

It’s no small feat to remember leaving BsAs in late April.

We have traveled to Spain, Turkey, Greece, France, Andorra, Jordan and back to Spain.

Different cities with many types of lodgings and the vastness of the flavors of the foods eaten. The lamb, tomatoes, and eggplant in Turkey. The feta, fish, and yogurt in Greece. Beduin tea in Wadi Rum. The wines, croissants and breads in France and the Spanish omlettes, Iberaian ham, and tapas in Spain.

Each country has a unique blend of colors and flavors. Sometimes, an idiosyncrasy or two stands out.

We have danced tango in countries and cities, almost to many to list, but if I did it would make a very long list.

At these milongas, we have been welcomed and ignored. We have danced on most nights of the week, but I think Saturday is the most popular and the floors most crowded.

We have attended marathons, milongas, practicas, and a workshop camp.

From the first tanda at the Calliente Tango Festival, Antalya, Turkey to dancing the last night before leaving in Casa de Valencia, Barcelona, this experience has been insightful and a delightful time of exploration.

I still practice my Milonga habits I learned from my first Tango Momma, Christine, many years ago.[thank you momma!!!]

This is my standard practice that I apply to any milongas I go to.

When you arrive at the Milonga, put on your shoes, order your beverage, and then observe the floor and smile.

Then at the milongas the following questions of looking and listening arise.

How is that man embracing his partner? With respect and care?

Is he totally moving around on the floor without a concern for the surrounding dancers?

Is he listening to the music and leading?

Is he pushing her around, or are they equally moving together?

This is why, when we arrive at a milonga, Maximo and I sit out for a few tandas to get a feel for the crowd and the room.

Then we decide? Is the music what we want to dance to?

Disarli? Pugliese? Vargas? Miguel Calo?

Then we dance. We have gotten very comfortable dancing with each other but continue to try out new steps and remember older learned patterns. But we always have fun and enjoy laughing.

For me, tango is always a bit of drama, too, especially at the end of the tanda in which we usually end with a kiss.

After dancing in many spaces and places from very large ballroom floors to small bar rooms, in my observation, it’s the place, the people, and the music that make a successful friendly event.

I have wonderful memories of many embraces, cities, and their spaces, I truly can not say which was the best, but I can say this.

We will keep on dancing!!!

We will keep on traveling.

We will continue this journey of living and Tango.

These are the experiences that make us happy, enriching our lives and touching other lives. It’s always the people.

So yes, I will miss Europe and all it offers, the antiquities and culture but other adventures await us here in the USA.

Miami, maybe a road trip or two. Atlanta, Chicago?

And we return to Europe next year!!! Mashallah!!!

Abrazo y Besitos, Ruth

This is Tango Camp!

Am in my tent looking across my sleeping companion snuggled into the comforter as the sun has just become visible in my tent window. I sigh. I think. This week at tango camp in Begnac, France, with Liz and Yannick Vanhove, has been such a treat for us.

We have to get up. Shortly as breakfast is served buffet style from 8 to 10 am.

Then, at 10 a.m., the first class of the day begins. Both Liz and Yannick Vanhove are firm believers in excercises to both wake up the body and loosen up the motion of the body.

Then the lessons begin. We work on patterns. Connecting single steps together..a walk walk walk to the cross a forward step then a 8 step molineta into a cross for the follow.

My lead is my life partner, who is a wonderful dancer as he is a man. As we work thru these patterns, he recognizes them from his first tango teacher, Maria, in Buenos Aires. It’s great that he remembers, as we both agree we have danced these steps before.

And we continue with practicing until 11.30.

Great workout. And good clear instructions and demonstration
Both maestros are active participants in the observation and correction of our movements.

These tall, slim Belgians dancers are elegant dancers as we learn. They are also very patient and kind people with their students and have a great sense of humor!

The week long camp we attended has 7 other couples from Belgium. We were the only couple who did not speak Flemish. Liz and Yannick are fluent in not only Flemish but English and speak excellent Spanish, too.
Classes were taught in 3 languages.

The age group is mostly over 50 years old, and people who are able to take a week out of their normal lives to practice and dance tango.

The location is a marvelous small village in the french countryside surrounded by farmlands and vineyards.

The air is clean, and at night, we are able to see the Milky Way and watch the satelites overhead.

The accommodations are very cozy and comfortable. We stayed in a tent 6 with great beds and warm down linens. There was a fan and electrical connections for phones and lamps. Each tent had a separate bathroom equipped with a sink, toilet and shower, and plenty of space to store your stuff and plenty of towels, too.

Then there is the afternoon class at 17 that goes to 18.30

Dinner starts at 19 and again is a buffet with delicious foods that are healthy and flavorful. If you forgot to buy wine or beer, it is available for sale on the farm.

We had a couple of evening milonga. That was so much fun.

And a campfire too with S’mores…the Belgians don’t really get that one.

This farm, Simply Canvas Farm has been in business for 15 years. The space has been used for family retreats to meditation retreats. The owners are a delightful couple of people named
Sandra and Santi.

Imagine a week of this. Between the food, the location, and the classes was a fantastic experience.

One of the nicest aspects of this experience was that you had the choice to explore the surrounding area for your lunch. There are a few beautiful villages nearby with many markets and shops to buy anything you have forgotten.

So not only do you get to be a bit of an explorer, but the experience of classes with Liz and Yannick Vanhove will stay with you for a long time.

What a pleasure!!!

We want to do this again.!!!

Www.liz-yannick.com

Www.simplycanvasfarm.com

Tango in Petra, Jordan

What an amazing place that is Petra.

The landscape strerches for miles filled with red rock formations. Some are very rounded forms that were pounded into softer shapes by the mileninial forces of geology and the wind. There are very few places with sharp peaks, but occasionally a few pyramid shaped rock mountains.

The elevation is 850 meter [2700 ft], the air is very dry with very fine particales of dust. The heat of the day sun can be intense, its important to stay in the shadows.
There are days when the wind blows then the air is cooler but dirtier.

And the tango was amazing.

Tangeros from many places in the world gathered at this beautiful location.

The organizers, Fantasia Arts with Waheed and his partner, Marina are based in Dubai. This was their first tango marathon event they produced.

They were meticulous in their planning the event, all the staff members were highly effective in problem solving and masters of logistics. [A big shout out to Waheed & Marina and all helpers]

For me, visiting historical places and dancing tango are a great combination.

[There are quite a few marathons at amazing places, Ephesus and Pamakkale, both in Türkiye and Lesbos and Somos, Greece to list a few events.

The accommodations ranged from outdoor tenting shared public bathroom to deluxe modules that contained a bed and a bathroom. After all that’s all we really need.

The camp location of Little Petra Beduin Camp was close to the main area of big Petra, about 15 minute ride away.

The milongas were held in a pavilion close to the open fire pit area. At the pit area, tea was served nightly by the camp staff wearing beduin or desert costume clothes. This tea area was great for nightly socialing before the milongas. The tea was delicious.

In the evenings,when the weather cooled down substantially, the warmth of the tea was wonderful. The only thing missing was a bit of live music.

The pavilion for the milongas was an oval shaped glass enclosed building with touches of the beduin life, ie carpeted walls and floor pillow seating areas, and then tables and chairs for the milongas.

The tango djs were marvelous in their music selections especially DJ George from Cypress and Eray from Ankara. Fantastic music to dance to.

With 2 Milongas a day there was dancing from 3 to 7 and then a dinner break from 7 to 9 and then the milonga from 10 to 4 am. Breakfast was served daily from 8 to 11.

The food was delicious, lots of salads and meats.

Pretty varied assortment of food for being in the middle of the dessert!

What a joy to have so many talented and delicious tangeros gathered together for 3 days in the dessert.

Can’t wait to do it again.

Traveling Tango

Leaving…on a jet plane.

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Tango in Petra, Jordan

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Traveling Tango