February 7, 2023
After 21 days at sea it’s time to get our land-legs back! We disembarked the Oceania Marina in San Antonio, Chile and made our way to the incredibly steep roads of colonial Valparaiso, deemed a UNESCO World Heritage for being an excellent representation of late 19th-century urban development. There are so many hills in the city that at one time it boasted 30 vertical elevators, otherwise known as furniculars.
Our first stop was at the oldest of these structures, the Concepcion Furnicular. Built in 1887, this furnicular remains true to its roots. It is fully dependent on a rope and pully system and uses an old-fashioned “squawk box” for communicating. The guy on one end opens a box on the wall and yells, “Are you ready?” The guy at the other end yells, “Yes!” and the pullies are activated.
Chile is known worldwide for its street art and Valparaiso is the undisputed capital for that art. Concepcion Hill is considered an outdoor artist community; artists come from all over the world to use the houses and businesses as their canvas. The Hill is essentially an open-air art museum full of vibrant colors that give it a life and vitality all its own.
Our final stop of the day was a wonderful surprise. As we were heading out of Valparaiso to our lunch destination our guide was advised that the restaurant we were to have lunch at had an electrical problem and had to close for the day. They scrambled to find a substitute location and found a wonderful winery willing and able to accomodate us.
Casa Valle Vinamar is located in the Casablanca Valley, about 60 miles north of Santiago. It is an absolutely gorgeous property. We feasted on braised lamb and delicious wine while our eyes feasted on views as sumptuous as the cuisine!
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