Last Days in Chile

 Our final days were full ones as the flight from Santiago to Atlanta leaves at night.  We were sad to leave our home in Vina and our friends in Valparaiso but happy to be returning to the comforts of Auburn and our loving cats and family back home.

We visited the newly reopened Palacio Rioja in Vina.  This is a historic mansion that is now a museum.  Not all of the rooms were renovated yet but we viewed the ones that were.  This was interesting and free!

Worth a visit in Vina

The entry of this impressive former private residence

The beautiful entry doors

One of the salons

The newly refurbished dining room

We strolled along the sea and then headed downtown for our last evening.  This night was special because the championship game of the Cupa America (American Cup) of soccer was taking place.  And, the players were Chile versus Argentina.  Because it was Sunday evening, many restaurants were closed but we found a casual place, Burgeria, with the TV going and sat upstairs.  We ate sandwiches and fries and cheered Chile on.

We never get tired of walking along the sea front in Vina

Ordering at Burgeria and waiting for the game to start

Randy and his massive burger

A good place to watch a game

The game went to overtime and we decided to walk back to the apartment to view the rest of the game.  The streets were empty as everyone was inside watching the game.  We were lucky in that during our 20 minute walk nothing happened with the game.  We got back in time to see the final kick off on TV and Chile won when world renowned Argentine player, Lionel Messi, missed his kick.

The celebrations began!

The papers the next day

Our last day was a holiday in Chile - Saint Peter and Saint Paul day.  We visited the Fonck Museum of Vina - this is a converted mansion that houses exhibits on the natives peoples of Chile and the flora and fauna of Chile.   It has the finest collection of Easter Island artifacts located outside of the island.  A well informed guide offered her services in excellent English for free.  We enjoyed this small but interesting museum - Randy and I had visited at least three times and even had this guide before.  But, we never get tired of it, or its moai from Easter Island outside.

The timeless moai stands sentinel in Vina far away from its home of Easter Island

Our guide explains the geography of Easter Island

A stuffed Humboldt penguin - the cute guys we saw earlier at the Cachagua island

We then walked across the small river to the south part of Vina.  We viewed a historic church and went to the large park - Quinta Vergara.  It was good to stretch our legs before the long flight and the weather was outstanding.

Our Lady of Agony Church at a main square of Vina

An interesting building nearby - probably a former mansion

Entrance to Quinta Vergara - Rachel even climbed the hill to the left

Our final event was a good one - a holiday barbecue at Jimena and Pedro's country house in Quilpue. We always enjoy getting together with our favorite couple in Chile - and meeting some other friends and devouring the delicious home cooked foods are added bonuses.  As a final benefit, the weather was awesome - a great send off from our amazing month in Chile!

Randy and the last Pisco Sour

Some student friends 

Ash and Rachel partake - the guy at the left is a Fulbrighter at another university in Valparaiso.  We got to meet him and his wife and son and exchange notes about living in Vina / Valparaiso.  Note that Pedro and Jimena are hard at work at the grill.

Chilling out

Our chefs with the fried fish

I close with a few choice photos of our experiences this June in Chile:

The iconic Pisco Sour

I actually did work on the port project - here with Diego, Jimena and Felipe and the manager of Agunsa in Placilla

Apartment shopping for our place for 2017 - until Randy had enough - here a view from a prospective apartment in Concon.  We chose a place in the center of Vina.

The invigorating concert of revolutionary songs

The comforts of the home of Lorena and Hilda and their two cats

Fatih on our balcony

Meeting the fascinating Satchwells - Silvia and Jeff - at their finca near Casablanca

The sunsets at Valparaiso / Vina

Having fun with history

Experiencing the unique Urania Alpaca Farm

Riding at Hacienda Santa Cristina

With our beloved moai in Vina

Cooking in Valparaiso

Returning to our home in Vina, we were happy to be the guests of Jimena and Pedro for dinner at their casa in Valparaiso Friday evening.  It is truly amazing the meals that Jimena turns out from her petite kitchen.  

Randy and Pedro review the week

Chef Jimena in her cocina

Pasta, salad and wine

And, fresh artichokes!

And, fruit with cream to end - Randy is in his happy place

That Saturday morning brought a new activity for Ash, Rachel and me.  We signed up for a cooking class with Chilean Cuisine.  This consisted of meeting in the morning at the central square of Valparaiso in a coffee shop.  With the chef, Chef Ines, we decided on a menu with other participants - a young couple who are natives of Valparaiso.  She is an English teacher at a private language school and he is a school teacher.  Our menu included pebre (the delicious Chilean salsa), ceviche, empanadas, a veggie stew and the Chilean version of flan.  We also had fresh bread (from a bakery) and Pisco Sours and Chilean wine.  We had envisioned a relaxed class where we did a little cooking and drank a lot of wine.  No!  This was hard work and we were on water only rations until the meal was finished - a lunch that started at about 3:00 or 3:30.

Chef Ines explaining the menu options to us at the coffee shop - the Porteno couple flank her

First, we went together by public transport (bus) to the market area near PUCV (my university).   This market area includes fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, spices and baked goods.  It is crowded and chaotic.  We shopped together with Chef Inez as she picked ingredients including our fish.

Some of the fruits at the market

Chef Ines considers the fish

The cheeky fishmonger poses while he filets our fish

Shopping is hard work - here, getting some vegetables

We headed back to the old area of Valparaiso and walked up some steps to the kitchen which is located at a Valparaiso hostel.  The hostel was closed for this off season month of June so our small cooking class was the only occupiers of the building.   This was good since there is only one bathroom for the whole place.

A cat at a colorful house near the cooking school location

Headed up the rainbow stairs to the cooking class

The main things we learned from Chef Ines are that Chileans do not like to do much chewing so tomatoes are always peeled and veggies are cut into very small pieces (lots of chopping) and fish for ceviche is flaked with a fork instead of being cut up.  Another culinary gem was the dough we made for the empanadas - using white wine instead of fat in the dough - genius!  So healthy and easy.

We all got aprons and chef's hats

Chefs in training

Chef Ines explains techniques - you can see the menu on the whiteboard

The merken to the left and the aji to the right - the unique Chilean dried and smoked pepper and a spicy tomato based sauce, respectively.  Notice also the size of the carrots - they are huge in Chile.

The ceviche in process - flaked fish, finely chopped red onion and finely chopped cilantro

I used the veggie filling in my empanada - also with a hard boiled egg and a few olives

Folded over and secured prettily

The finished deliciousness after baking

Rachel being artistic with the empanadas

After all of the hard work, we had the most delicious lunch.  And, deserved it.  And, we got to take home the recipes of these dishes and many others so we could try to reproduce Chilean cuisine at home.  All in all, a wonderful experience full of learning, activity and fun.

Preparing the Pisco Sour ingredients including freshly squeezed lemon juice

We did a lot of shaking of the Pisco Sours - we had to shake until all of the ice was melted - more hard work!

Finally - they are ready

Pebre with bread and, optionally aji, and Pisco Sours - amazing.  Especially since we were super hungry and thirsty!

Ceviche with avocado

The veggie stew - Charquican - with a fried egg

After that, we went with the Porteno (the adjective for people from Valparaiso) couple by bus to the Pablo Neruda home in Valparaiso - La Sebastiana.  Rachel and Ash toured this interesting sight while I walked and shopped, having been there before.  A nice end to a great day.

Colorful houses in this cool Valparaiso neighborhood