It's been a long time since I've updated my blog. The last few months I've been focused mostly on schoolwork and cooking (yum!). Since everyone knows schoolwork is boring, I figured I'd restart the blog with a post about a short yet delightful trip I took over Easter break: Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile.
Sunrise in the main plaza of Santiago
We just spent a few short days in Chile but, in true Pravdic fashion, I made the most of them food-wise. I loved the giant empanadas which are typical of Chilean street food. I also enjoyed mote con huesillo, a delightfully sweet drink/snack which consists of cooked wheat grains in a peach nectar.
The Chilean (Supersized) empanada, and mote con huesillo.
I also enjoyed the fresh fish I ate at a restaurant within the Central Market in Santiago, and the absurdly heaped plate of meat served over french fries I enjoyed in Valparaíso. But undoubtedly my favorite culinary delight from Chile was the Pisco Sour: a delightful beverage made of pisco (a grape brandy) lemon juice, sugar, and in some cases an egg white. I sampled quite a few pisco sours and was never let down. Delicious!
Looking down at foggy Santiago.
Pablo Neruda's house (one of three).
Palacio de la Moneda
We spent a couple days enjoying the incredibly rich and varied cultural offerings of Chile's capital. A great art museum beneath the Palacio de la Moneda, Pablo Neruda's house, and an old bar frequented by Chile's artistic, intellectual, and political communities for years are just a few of the city's offerings.
El Mercado Central: home of fantastic seafood
On our third and final day in Chile, we made the short trip in bus to Valparaíso, a bustling, lively port city on the coast of the Pacific. The city is characterized by the series of hills- neighborhoods accessed by funiculars or endless sets of stairs. We climbed one hill characterized by the beautiful murals complementing the brightly painted buildings and gorgeous blue sky and water. That afternoon we headed over to the neighboring resort town of Viña del Mar and spent a beautiful few hours on the beach. That night, it was back over the Andes mountains in bus. This trip was delightful, though far too short: I can now add the rest of Chile to the ever-growing list of future travel destinations. And Valparaíso made it onto the (slightly) shorter list of future homes.
View of Valparaíso
Enjoying one last pisco sour beachside in Viña del Mar
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