Great expectations....

Happily, our uneasy coexistence with our uninvited flatmates will soon be resolved by a bit of expert fumigation. It can´t happen soon enough for my liking.

Since the last blog, it was recommended we take a daytrip to the coastal town of Tigre. The tourist information was, helpfully, closed (but probably about as much use as an open one - they seem to hand you anything just to get rid of you!)

On exiting the spacious, clean station, the first thing we noticed was a McDonald´s strategically placed on a pretty riverside, lined with willow trees. Felt very European and reminded me of the Thames at Shepperton lock! Noisy motorised catamarans ferried tourists up and down the Delta. The town itself had an air of desolation and I couldn´t help thinking we must be missing something.

To console ourselves, we joined the snap-happy river crew but were soon corralled onto the boat equivalent of a National Express coach. Such a beautiful day and we were to be contained indoors.

The Delta´s silt islands boasted an array pretty stilt houses but not really worth getting the camera out for - bar one exception. The ex-president´s holiday home was one of the weirdest things I´ve seen, having been hermetically sealed in a glass box!

We´ve explored some more of the city´s fantastic parks. Parque 3 de Febrero is home to an expanse of lush green palm trees and boating lakes. It´s much like Central Park but the many parakeets and lovers embracing or practising Tango, give it a distinctly Latino feel.

Sunday is San Telmo market day. It´s so different to Palermo and most other barrios in the city. Beautiful crumbling buildings, cobbled streets lined with trendy shops, antiques and music on every street corner were a sharp reminder of Brighton´s North Laines. I loved it and admit feeling a pang of homesickness.

Later the same day, we were invited to a friend of a friend´s house for Mate. Mate is to the Argentine what tea is to the British. Everywhere you go, you´ll see locals carrying Thermos flasks sharing small cups with silver straws. Definitely an acquired taste, the bitter Mate leaves are reminiscent of brewed poor quality home-grown.

We´ve also started teaching and being taught. Our landlady´s son Federico - who bears a striking resemblance to Noel Gallagher - comes over on a Monday so we can frighten each other with our respective verb forms.

We were really looking forward to today - our first day at the language facility of Buenos Aires University but we sat in the room like a bunch of rabbits stuck in the glare of headlights. Didn´t understand a bloody thing! Not looking forward to going through it all again tomorrow....