ISLA NEGRA
Poet Pablo Neruda is respected and revered by many Chileans. Politician, diplomat and man of letters, he owned three houses, one in Valparaiso, one in Santiago, and the third one on the coast at Isla Negra. This third house is a museum full of many of the objects that Neruda collected, and what a collector he was! There are ship figureheads, life-size wooden sculptures, fancy glassware, model ships, paintings, and even a gorgeous collection of seashells. No photos allowed inside the house, alas.
The house is narrow, like the country, and has elements of both a ship in that it’s small and like a train with its narrow corridors. It’s located on a stunning stretch of coastline with large grey boulders and while we were there, huge waves crashing against the rocks, some of the largest waves I’ve seen on any beach. 
Neruda and his third wife, Matilde, lived here and he spent his last illness here in 1973, before dying in Santiago on the same day as the military coup. The museum has an audio guide in English which we appreciated and also a short film about Neruda with English subtitles. It was well worth the visit! Neruda was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Now I must read some of his poetry.
Getting here was a scenic drive through the countryside, stretches lined with pencil thin eucalyptus trees. They are often cut down and the boards used to make fence posts. The eucalyptus smell reminded me of California, particularly Torrey Pines outside La Jolla, and the dry climate and some of the flora, California poppies along the roads, are also reminiscent of that state.
CHILEAN WINE
The remainder of our day was spent visiting two wineries in the Casablanca region about a half hour outside Valparaiso. Bodegas Re, the first one, is into doing things differently and experimenting. They are using clay pots for some of their wine aging and also huge rounded concrete vessels instead of steel tanks or oak barrels.
Over a delicious lunch, we tasted four blended wines, each paired with a dish designed to highlight its unique characteristics. We began with a timbale of salmon, onions, coriander and another fish along side a small mound of greens, followed by round ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and tomato decorated with a red pepper purée. This was followed by a soft corn compote topped with caramelized onions and shreds of beef and then a dessert of leche asada ice cream. 
Wines to go with each course were Pinotel, Chardonnoir, Syragnan, and then a liqueur of vodka with blueberries.
The second winery was Loma Largo, and the young woman who hosted us was a delight! We learned more from her about how grape vines are pruned, trained and grown in 15 minutes than we ever had in many previous wine tours. She sat with us at a round table and we tasted four of their wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Cubes of cheese and a few saltines were there to accompany the wine. Two wineries, very different in style, and both great places to visit! 
We also learned that most Chilean wine is exported. Chile is a small country, only 17 million people total, and most Chileans don’t visit wineries and wine is not as popular a beverage here as elsewhere.
Upon returning to Valparaiso, we took another walk in the neighborhood before ending up at an Italian trattoria for dinner. The restaurant we’d booked at was closed up as tight as could be. 
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
