News From Browntown

News from Browntown is ... we're not in Browntown anymore!!!

What a beautiful country! Today Rolando, Christina and Jaime took us to Valpraiso, a stunning city on the side of a cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It is a port city - the oldest city in Chile dating back to circa 1560. The architecture is spectacular, the mix of old and new, etc. Unfortunately I ran the camera battery down before we got there so.. no pix. Will find post cards, though.

We had lunch at an old, traditional type restaurant overlooking the harbor. Wide open windows, beautiful views, good sea food...fabulous.

We visited the home of Pablo Neruda (at my request), the most famous poet of Chile. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner, Nobel Prize winner, patron and colleague of Frida Kohla, Chilean diplomat and stateman. He is a fascinating personality and his three homes in Chile are historic and artistic attractions. The home in Valpraiso is fascinaing! Dad and I just loved it! Full of art, collections, interesting architectural stuff and specacular views of Valpraiso and the harbor. A breath-taking place.

We took a long route to Valpraiso in order to go through a coastal area where Jaime's family vacations. Two years ago they built a country home there and it is beautiful. Remember Jaime's brother Pablo who was studying architecture? He designed the home and it is a beautiful contemporary house with lots of light and spectacular views of mountains all around.

The light here in Chile is different - I cannot describe it but Jaime says maybe it is because the sun is at a different angle in this hemisphere - may be right. The air is also very clear and that contributes to the difference, maybe. We passed through beautiful countryside on the trip today and passed through a fertile, farming valley called Casablanca. It was so beautiful to see the terraced hillsides and the valley floor - all cultivated in wine vineyards, fruit orchards, etc.

One of the most striking things I noticed even on the trip in from the airport is the vegetation. It is so lush here and the flowers are beautiful for early spring. The actual climate seems to be somewhat like northen South Carolina here in Santiago. There are several varieties of palm trees that grow here as well as cactus. Also colorful, bright alpine-type flowers everywhere. Geraniums seem to grow wild - several varieties - and bigger than any I have ever seen. The city is filled with green, lush vegetation eveywhere.

Of all the sights though, the most truly awesome is the view of the Andes out our hotel window. I have never seen anything like it anywhere, even in the Alps. The view out our window is simply a sight of several snowy peaks that look like they have been drawn on the sky. Only snow, no darker section underneath or anything else - just a ghostly tracing of snow peaks in the sky.

The Strellos are absolutely wonderful as you all know. Jaime has not changed one little bit - he is exactly like he was when he was 17! I love that he is so much the same - a dear, sweet boy.

I am also learning Spanish - believe it or not!

So much to tell but not enough room or time here. Let the pix tell the rest of the story. Love you all!
Mom