A chocolatey sort of a day in Santiago

Today was going to be a very lazy day, but well things change.....

My morning started with a visit to the Museum of Visual Art. Just a small museum housed in a new building with only a few displays: one portraying the connection between the earth and the rocks/minerals found therein and the other display was of a pile of different artefacts from time gone by but displayed in a really cool and interesting way.

There was a collage of ‘bricks’ which I added to.  I wonder where?

The best thing here was watching a bunch of school kids who were all masked and working with the vocal guidance from a teacher using their hands to see one another. Fascinating and judging from the squeals from the kids they were enjoying it too.

I was hungry (surprise surprise) so before I set off stopped for a very delicious “french toast”with maple syrup, as you do in when in Chile. Damn good it was and the restaurant was in my neighbourhood with a really good night menu too.  

Fortified and ready for a walk I set off to find a bean to bar chocolate place I had heard about. Stupidly, although I knew the street it was in I forgot to take the street number with me and couldn’t find the place, although I did pass a chocolate shop which had filled chocolates that looked yum, but not what I was looking for.

A bit further down I did find a bean to bar place and although not the one on my list spent a while watching them roasting some beans and extracting the nibs. I did buy a wee cake of salted chocolate and am saving it for tomorrow.

Determined to find the place I wanted, I stopped at a cafe for a coffee and to use their wifi so I could look it up. Woops, a bit of a shake there. The little old man in the shop nearly sh4t himself and was asking if I felt it. I managed to get out “Neuvo Zealande muy tremularo”, not sure if the words were right but he started wobbling and laughing so I knew he understood. Turned out to be a 5.1 and not too far away.

I googled the chocolate shop and found it was the first one I had gone to, so boring, time to go. But where I didn’t really know where to. So I just walked.

Four hours later I tried to get into the Museum of Fine Arts - closed, asked about getting in to the Palace - only guided tours and so I wandered watching the people, checking out a few stores, taking in the scenery and every so often some stunning street art. 

Eventually I ended up at the park next to my street. A park that is also a large hill with a castle on top, and gardens round the side.  

Oh go on then, give the hill a try! Great intentions but sadly the walk up to the castle was closed. Oh no! so I could only go part of the way but was still so very beautiful and with magical views of the city, through the haze.

The path eventually took me back to the main street where I found a new small mall had opened so I couldn’t resist but have a look. Another oh no! moment when I saw a shop selling bomboloni (the softest, fluffiest, squish on your nose, Italian donuts). There was no way I was missing out so afternoon tea in my room was spent devouring this little pillow of fluff. Consequently I ended up licking the chocolate off my fingers and ultimately trying to extend my tongue up to the top of my nose to get that last little bit. Oh my god!!!!!! The things we do!  

Dinner was a lovely chicken dish at the place I ate this morning; grilled chicken on top of lovely grilled veg, with a glass of malbec and all delicious but left me hankering for desert. I couldn’t decide between another delicious dulce de leche ice cream or a bomboloni which eventually won over as I said to myself I could have it for breakfast. Well it wasn’t to be, the shop was shut. What to do but eat ice cream, the creamiest, richest caramel ice cream ever and it was the perfect end to my day.