Ode to Chile

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Wine Tasting!

Today I got to visit the central location of second largest Vineyard group in the WORLD! It is called Viña Concha y Toro, second to an Australian vineyard. Concha y Toro has large vineyards all over Chile, some in Argentina, and about 900 hectares in Napa Valley, California. It was founded in 1883 by a Chilean of Spanish parents named Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro. It is one of the oldest vineyards in Chile, a country known for its exquisite wines!

The vineyard is located at the southern edge of Santiago. It has beautiful British-style gardens and estates, wine cellars galore, and those wonderfully linear fields of none other than vitis vinifera (grapes). The UC program has organized some cool trips for us.

The founder's house and estate

Vino blanco

Vino tinto

Tasting the grapes!

Tasting the wine!

Exquisite red wine tasting

The Cellars at Concha Y Toro are known for the devil that lives within them. As legend goes, after much thievery of specialty wines, the devil came to frequent the vineyard's cellars. He chased the thieves out and scared them for good. There have been no incidents of stolen wine since. The cellar is therefore known as El Casillero del Diablo. We got to go down inside it in the dark, and they had a light show narrate the spooky story!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

La Moneda - Chile's White House

Today I got to go on a tour of La Moneda, the Presidential Palace in Santiago! It is in central Santiago, surrounded by tall burly guards in white uniforms and riding boots. We got to see novelty stuff like the press room where the president gives speeches, one of the meeting rooms for Chile's leaders, and the palace's Chapel, with a stool in a case that the Pope prayed on at some point.

The group, at the presidential podium

La Moneda palace

A lamp from Spain that is more than 180 years old, and a painting of Pedro de Valdivia, the Spanish conquistador that established Santiago in the 1500s

These are the renovated offices that were bombed by Pinochet during the coup of 1973. Allende was in these offices and this is where he died (killed himself).

These are the presidential coins in the palace, honoring each president in order since the beginning of Chile's history - Curiously, Pinochet is excluded. It's controversial and I learned that it is probable that he will soon be added.

A visit to Barrio Lastarria in the afternoon

Chile has DC pride, too!

hydration

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Out on the town

Last week I went out a few times with people on my UC program. Santiago seems to have such a variety of bars, hip cafés, funky night clubs, and more that I don't even know about yet!

Dinner at The Clinic - one of the hippest Santiago restaurant/bars, hotspot at night and a full typical Chilean menu all day!

On Friday we went to a bar called La Piojera. It is a Santiago landmark and has its own special scene - a mix between drunk locals and curious tourists. It is an old, run-down, hole-in-the-wall place that probably hasn't done any renovating or redecorating since the 40s. It is the place to get Terremotos, a popular Chilean cocktail that translates to "earthquake." Terremotos are made with pineapple sorbet, a Chilean wine called vino pipeño, and grenadine if you want it to be more sweet (and pink). the ice cream melts in the liquid and makes it fruity and creamy.

Bar La Piojera

Chilean rap artist Ana Tijoux. She is 5 months pregnant and rapping onstage.

A night out with girls from the UCs

Latte art at a swanky café called Cafe Wonderful in a beautiful swanky neighborhood called Lastarria

Santiago's Public Space

This weekend I explored Santiago like crazy! I went all around the center, to some swanky neighborhoods, and to some more alternative up-and-coming areas. The main thing I noticed is that Santiago has beautiful public space: parks, pedestrian boulevards, plazas, museums. At so many moments, I felt like I could have been in Barcelona or Italia. Although it's unbearable hot here, it was still nice to walk around the city.