The air in the mountains was fantastic — I still have the smell of the perfume from the plants and flowers in my head. Each day there was some new adventure to be experienced, and it was a perfect escape from our normal life in the city. Cordoba is a wonderful base for excursions to places of spectacular natural beauty — the Andes to the north and the Pampas to the south. Each year, we would go to a different location, renting a house that we shared with another family. The houses were enormous — with maybe 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms — just like the house of Che Guevara’s girlfriend in the movie The Motorcycle Diaries.
At 17, I stopped going away with my parents and went instead with the four boys who are still my closest friends. For six years, we had the most unbelievable times together in Brazil, where we would rent a house for a month. Each New Year’s Day, we would be in a swimming pool somewhere. Because we kept going back, we got to know many different places — Sao Paulo, Rio and Fortaleza, in the north. We shared everything, respected each other’s cars and never quarrelled.
Some of the best times we had together were spent riding quad bikes off road, up hills and across rivers. It was brilliant. I’ve always enjoyed riding motorbikes, but since I started singing seriously, I’v not been able to do it — I have to be careful with my throat and lungs because of the dust and pollution.
Those holidays couldn’t last forever, of course. In our twenties, we started going on holiday with our girlfriends. When you’re in a serious relationship with someone you care about, taking your holidays together is really the end of childhood — the start of real life.
I met my wife, Patrizia, when I was 17 and she was 15. When we eventually married, 10 years ago, I couldn’t afford to pay for a honeymoon. Having decided to see if I could make it as a singer, I sold the family furniture factory and used the money to pay for my singing lessons and to travel to Buenos Aires. Every penny we had went towards my career. Patrizia was very supportive. She told me: “Don’t worry. We can have our honeymoon later. Now we just have to think about your future.”
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Because I work, and have to travel for 11 months a year, my holidays in August are sacrosanct. Last year, in France, after I sang at the festival in Orange, I ran out into the rain, shouting: “I’m on holiday! I’m on holiday!” Everybody thought I was crazy. They were worried I was going to catch a cold. “I don’t care!” I shouted. “I’m free. Now I can do anything. Smoke a good cigar, drink a glass of whisky. It’s wonderful.”
Since we moved to Italy, we have spent our holidays in Sicily or Sardinia. We fell in love with Sardinia. Villasimius is beautiful — clear blue sea and so much wild, natural beauty. For the past couple of years, we’ve been going to the Forte Village Resort in Santa Margherita di Pula, Cagliari. It’s where the England football team went before the European Championship in Portugal. For me, it’s complete heaven: no cars, no noise, an incredible thalassotherapy spa, a gym and terrific facilities for our son.
When we first started going there, he loved the baby club. Now he’s old enough to enjoy all the other activities they have for children. I love all the water treatments — total relaxation. It also has discos and clubs. They remind me of the holidays I used to have, but these days I like to be asleep by midnight.
Next year, in August, we are planning to take three weeks’ holiday in the Caribbean, visiting different islands. I’ve never taken three weeks before. It’s a fantastic opportunity to do something wonderful. I’ve told my friends in Argentina, and we are hoping to have a big reunion with all of our families.
One day, I will take our Italian son back home to Argentina and show him all the places I went with my family and friends. But, for now, Patrizia and I really appreciate having enough money to enjoy holidays with Lautaro; we call them our late honeymoons.
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Marcelo Alvarez talked to Sue Fox