A late dinner for Buenos Aires veterans

Veterans covering four decades of Reuters in Buenos Aires gather for one of their occasional dinners, this time with visiting colleague Michael Blair. 

They dined at Casa de Cataluna, Calle Chacabuco 863, in the artsy San Telmo district, Blair reports. “What a fantastic night we had. Dinner, consisting of two roast suckling pigs, started at 2200, in the typical Argentine fashion, and continued until 0100. Enrique Jara unfortunately had to leave at midnight so he could make tee time at the golf course at 0800. I’m not sure if he intended to sleep before tee time or just meet his golf mates at the first hole.”

Jara says “The group dinners are also attended regularly by Anibal Borderes, Carlos Pia Mangione, Roberto Morillo, Mateo Heras, Juan Miguel Casadumeq, Alberto Arebalos, John Richertz and Horacio Giudice, and are held about four or five times a year. On each occasion we test different food and wine while revisiting the good memories of our Reuters years.”

Earlier in the day Blair and his wife Vivien had lunch at the home of Tomas Pane (photo), 83​, who worked at Reuters for over 20 years and who has survived two strokes.

“Tommy, his wife Edurne, and his six children ‘adopted’ us when we arrive in Buenos Aires in 1969, and we had many happy times together," Blair recounts. "Unfortunately Edurne and oldest daughter Josune are no longer with us. Tommy, who is a deacon at the local Catholic church, says he is frail and cannot walk more than three blocks, but he has a firm handshake, a big smile and his customary laugh which has also survived the years.”

Blair’s visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of his two-year posting to Argentina in 1969. “We are staying in Buenos Aires for three weeks with side trips to Montevideo, Cordoba and Mendoza, and three days on an estancia where we will do some riding,” he reports.

Participants at the 6 November dinner were: Enrique Jara (Buenos Aires, London, 1970-1995), Gustavo Torrico (Buenos Aires 1987-1994), Antonio Pistoya (Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Caracas 1973-1996), Ricardo Torres (Buenos Aires, New York, Quito, Caracas, Nicosia, Cairo, Moscow 1986-2003), Ricardo Beceyro (Buenos Aires, Caracas 1985-1996), Patricio Malone (Buenos Aires 1988-1998), Alberto D. Gonzalez (Buenos Aires 1966-2005), Daniel Acuna (Buenos Aires (1977-1992 and 1996-2005), Norberto Emilio Heyaca (Buenos Aires 1980-1982, 1985-1992), Michael Blair (London, Buenos Aires, New York, Mexico City 1966-1985).

PHOTOS: Vivien Blair ■