Dad is working and I am playing - not sure who is busier!

Jaime and Christina have kept me at a steady trot since I got here.

Yesterday morning Christina picked me up and we went to the "megamercado" (supermarket). Very impressive and much nicer than anything in Winchester or even outer suburbs of DC. The fish department was FANTASTIC! I have never seen such fish anywhere much less a supermarket! Interesting to see the fish selected and then cleaned and filleted on the spot. A busy, busy counter of the store.

After the supermarket trip we went to Jaime's house and Jaime was up and ready to get going.

We went to La Chascona, the Santiago home of Pablo Neruda (the Poet of Chile). Fascinating house built like stair steps just outside the fence of the Santiago zoo. It was a wonderful tour but the tour guide was a bit impressed with himself and a bit condescending. When we first met him, Jaime nudged me and said quietly in my ear, "He's French, Mom", knowing that would explain everything. I had to chuckle - Jaime is such a character. As it turned out the guide was Chilean but Jaime insisted very seriously, "But he seemed like a French guy".

La Chascona does not have near the character of Neruda's other houses but it is the headquarters of the Foundation and actually has his medals and awards on display. I have never seen a real French Foreign Legion medal or a Lenin Peace Prize before - Jaime and I were both quite impressed to view such artifiacts in person.

La Chasconas is in the Bellavista district which is the Bohemian area of Santiago and utterly charming. We walked a bit in that area and shopped in some small lapis lazuli stores.

Meals are constantly being prepared here. We have a fabulous lunch every day at Jaime's house. It is a full course meal each time including white wine- no quick sandwiches here! Then at 5 or 6 p.m. we have "tea" time and it is another meal with sandwiches of several kinds, tea breads, jams, fruit (2 or 3 varieties) and cold cuts along with other stuff that I cannot even remember. Tea is the beverage for that meal.

Dinner is yet another full course meal complete with two kinds of wine, meat, fish, veggies, salad etc. It is served at 10:00 p.m. Then after dinner Christina serves after-dinner drinks - aperitifs.

I hope Dad and I can keep within airline flight weight limits for the trip home!!

More about today's tour later...