Valparaiso and wine country

We had scheduled an all day tour today to explore Valparaiso in the morning and then head to wine country in the afternoon. Our driver, Mario, and guide, Marcello, took us around the winding streets of Valparaiso which zigzag up and down the hillside. The population of the city is about 400,000 with another 600,000 in neighbouring communities. The city’s historic area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of Chile’s famous citizens was poet Pablo Neruda, who won the 1971 Nobel prize in literature. We visited his home, La Sebastiana, which is a museum. Neruda was a collector/eccentric who had a whimsical approach to design and decor. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the museum.

Valparaiso is colourful in more ways than one. Much like the Jellybean Row of St. John’s, Newfoundland, the houses in Valparaiso are colourfully painted. In addition, graffiti and murals are most everywhere. It’s magical to walk around and see a different piece of art around every corner. (I’ll be posting a separate footprint featuring photos of the murals.)

After our exploration, we took an hour’s drive into the countryside and went to a lovely family-run vineyard called Matetic. We had a marvellous tasting and headed back to the city. Dinner was at a restaurant a couple of blocks from our hotel with an oceanfront view.Read more