August20, 2019
Paris, France
Glorious Summer Day
Note: This Post is about our last day of our Chile and Bolivia summer vacation which took place in July of 2018.
We decided to spend that last 2 nites and 3 days in Santiago Chile. Both Sandra and I have been here before so the objective was to eat, buy souvenirs and do a day trip to Valparaiso as neither of us have been there. Since we got to our hotel late at night, we just went to the hotel bar and shared a pizza and a bottle of Chilean wine and had an early night. The next day we slept in and got our subway passes so we can explore some artisan shops to do some souvenir hunting. First place we went was like a flea market in the middle of the city. We both did not like the vibe or quality. The second place we went was a small store owned by a woman near the universities. We loved her shop! But instead of buying up the store, we decided to go to lunch first and then explore an artisan village outside the town and then decide if we should go back to the small shop. For lunch, we went to the Central Market in town which is basically the fish market. We went there years ago and really enjoyed the fish there. The concierge warned us that she is not a fan but we did not listen to her and went to Donde Augusto which is where we went before and ranked highest. Disappointing!! Overcooked and salty fish. We were ready to drink a gallon of water after the lunch as it was so salty!
From there we tried to find the subway station but got lost. Fortunately, a lady offered to help and showed us the way to the subway station. Once there we knew where to go - the artisan village - so we were set. I have to say the subways in Santiago are clean and efficient. Once we got to the village , we found many things we liked. I bought a beautiful Lapiz Lazuli necklace as a Xmas gift for my BFF Nicky. Lapiz Lazuli is a local blue stone from Chile and the store I went to was highly recommended for the quality. Once we got what we wanted, it was off to the little shop owned by a lady we liked. There we bought ALOT!! LoL! She truly had great stuff. We then had a light dinner by the hotel and called it a day as we had a busy next day.
For the next day - the day we leave to go home - we booked a private tour of Valparaiso and what a tour!!! Our guide was FABULOUS! Not only did we go to Valparaiso but also Vina del Mar for wine tasting and a lunch at a winery, saw the ocean and a chi-chi neighborhood where the wealthy have weekend homes and he fit in a wine tour at a winery where the wines we made in traditional ceramic pots. They got us to the airport with 3 hours to spare to catch our flight1 What a great way to end a great vacation.
Home in Valparaiso
Valparaiso is a prat city and was home to the famous writer Pablo Neruda. Its known as Little San Francisco and is a World Heritage Site. The opening of the Panama Canal saw the demise of Valparaiso but now, its a mecca for artists.
Its the original city that started the "graffiti" wave
Look at this! These are steps
After going up and down the alleys of Valparaiso and buying artwork - yes we continued shopping even though our suitcases were full, we were off to the coast, where the rich have their summer homes. I have to tell you the beaches were immaculate, and the water was sea through. If it were summer, I would have gone in the water for a swim
Next stop was a fancy winery for lunch, planned by our tour guide. It was fabulous
He also squeezed a wine tasting at a unique winery where wines we're made in traditional clay pots. And the wines were pretty good!
We then rushed back to the airport with full stomachs and a bit of a buzz given we had copious amounts of wine for lunch and during the unexpected stop at another winery for wine tasting. Great way to end a great vacation with BFF Sandra. Can't wait for the next one.
Love the vibrant murals!
Posted by: Martha Mundy | August 20, 2019 at 12:24 PM