Valparaiso, Chile and Casa Morande Restaurant

Today we had a nice drive out to Casa Morande Restaurant and then on to the port city of Valparaiso.

                                        Sarah and Owen ready for their road trip

We drove toward the coast through the mountains. We made a stop at the Casa Morande Restaurant. They had a playscape for the children. We  enjoyed  a Reserva Sauvignon Blanc and an appetizer plate--bread with olive oil and spiced butter, rabbit empanada with orange marmalade sauce, ceviche with shrimp and sea bass, tuna tartar, lamb brochette and mushroom crostini. Delicious! 

                                                 A shady play area

It was a pleasant stop and soon we were on our way to the port city of Val Paraiso.  This city sent supplies to San Francisco after their big earthquake, and  then suffered a major one thereafter from which she  has never quite recovered. There were many old beautiful buildings, though, which survived. Naval ships are stationed out at sea and many boats were at the harbor.

We then took the funicular up to the to the top of the city to see the view. Hmm-scary! But worth it. The view was great.

                           These painted houses cover the hillsides surrounding the harbor.

The Admiralty, which houses the armada headquarters was impressive.

Our next stop was Vina Indomita Vineyards. We sat out on the terrace and admired the view and had another glass of wine and a wonderful cheese plate.Did I mention that the weather is delightful here?

                                                           Yummy!

                  View from the restaurant

The drive back was pleasant. We passed through the beautiful valleys planted with many crops. The mountains are always in the distance. We drove again through downtown Santiago. I was again impressed by the many parks, even in the poorer areas of the city.

                                                      Just one smaller park in the city

A great day! Home and asleep very early. Until tomorrow. . .
                                                

Shopping in Los Dominicos

                                        Exterior View of Los Dominicos

Los Dominicos is a shopping treat! The winding paths are lined with small shops.  I was fascinated again this year by a tree with purple flowers. I'm determined to discover the species this year.

The shops are filled with  many delights-fine shawls, wraps, etc., jewelry, artwork, copper items, wood carved items, and much more.  I shopped until I dropped--purchased a few items but decided to wait to buy more until we had toured other places.

I noted that the Chileans do not decorate to the extent that we do. I didn't see any lights in the neighborhoods and not too much elsewhere.

                                                I was told that these are grape palms and that the fruit is used in ice cream.

My son and his wife bought me a beautiful wrap in one of the shops. I'll be nice and cozy this winter.

                                                    Wonderful selections!

After looking through all the shops that were open, we then drove around Santiago - what a beautiful city! I am so impressed by all the greenery. The boulevards are heavily planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. Plants abound on the balconies of the apartments. There is even one building with grass growing on the outside walls.  I didn't see any litter. Parks  and bike paths seem to be everywhere. What a difference all the trees and flowers make--I never really felt that I was in such a large city--rather, just neighborhoods. The cell phone towers are even covered with fake palm trees which look surprisingly real!

We went to Lido--a grocery store recently purchased by Wal Mart--a shade nicer than our Wal Marts at home. There was an escalator leading to the store-

                                                          A ramp escalator

                                                     The restaurant area

Emporium

                                              One of the few Christmas displays

The store also had clothes, appliances, a pharmacy and most of the other products we have in our Wal Marts. The checkers in this store were also sitting in high backed chairs.

We had a nice drive home. Paul grilled wonderful, tender, tasty prime beef steaks for dinner. We sat on the porch until late enjoying the evening--then off to bed. Until later . . . 

A Very Special Sunday in Chile

What a special day! I was lucky enough to be here for my grandson, Owen's, baptism. He was very impressed and overcome by the occasion. He asked his Mom to read his new bible to him instead of attending Sunday School.

                                                     Paul, Dawn, Sarah and Owen

I am very proud of my family!

After church, we had a quick lunch and then drove to their club, which is just a 5 minute drive up the mountain from their house. What a relaxing afternoon. We sat out by the pools and just read, watched the kiddos play and relaxed. It is a beautiful place--5 outside pools including a wave pool, a warm pool, an inside pool, exercise rooms, trampolines for the children, restaurant, riding stables, etc. Wow! Here are a few photos,but I didn't managed to capture how beautiful  it is.

                                                                   My sweet grandchildren!

Then home, Paul cooked sausage on the grill, we ate out on the porch (wonderful with the mountains in the background!. Early to bed for me. Until later . . .

Christmas in Chile

After all these years, I finally was able to attend the ballet and see the Nutcracker. We went to the theater in downtown Santiago. It was  150 years old and had been restored beautifully! This is one small part of it.

                                                              Wow!
We were lucky enough to be able to sit in one of the balcony boxes. And on top of that, I had VIP treatment. Paul's secretary had called and asked about the walking distance and stairs, and they had us drive right up to the back entrance, whisked me inside with a wheelchair right to our box and then picked me up afterwards! Downtown Santiago is beautiful, with many parks down the main boulevards. Trees are planted everywhere. We stopped by the grocery store on ther way home. Their selection of fruits and vegetables was wonderful. One interesting thing I noticed is that their checkers sit in high backed chairs. Nice!

Yesterday we went to one of their neighbors (and Paul and Dawn's co-workers) for the Feast of the Seven Fishes (an Italian tradition). Wonderful and what a nice group of people. I don't know if I have mentioned that my son is a Foreign Service Officer (the Press Officer at the American Embassy). At every gathering that I have attended, everyone without fail, has welcomed me, sat and talked to me, etc. They are a very gracious group of people. And have had so many interesting experiences! It is always such fun to attend one of their gatherings.

Even though we were stuffed when we left, that night Paul made a homemade Mexican feast (enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, etc. I made my second batch of pralines and Dawn and I made kolaches. The kiddos had great fun playing with the scraps of dough.

This morning we had our usual kolaches while opening presents. Paul is making a coconut cake and a pork loin, etc. for Christmas dinner.

I was so impressed by my grandchildren. They insisted that we open one of our presents first. They had lots of loot and were just as pleased with some of the little gifts as the large ones. They have played all day.

                                         Sarah, Owen and Cubby checking out the stockings!

It's time to enjoy the remainder of the day. I am heading out to the porch-beautiful weather-nice and warm!
Until later . . .

Christmas visit to Santiago,Chile

Here I am in beautiful Santiago, Chile. My flight was unenventful. I sat next to a nice woman from Chile. and practiced my Spanish, but had difficulty understanding her. She used some words I had never heard. :) I spent most of yesterday playing with the grandchildren and taking short naps. The weather was a little cooler, so we had dinner inside. Then after the children went to bed, we sat on the porch and enjoyed the evening. There is such a nice view of the mountains from the back yard. As you can see, their neighborhood looks very similar to ones in the U.S. Each street is a cul de sac, with a park running the length at the beginning. These photos will give you some idea of the architecture of this particular neighborhood. Others are built in Spanish style or ultra modern. I didn't see any evidence of the earthquake. Their neighborhood is located at the base of the foothills. There are huge boulders perched above us and lots of cactus.

                                    Yikes-hope one of these boulders does not come tumbling down!

                                 This photo was taken from the 2nd floor balcony.

                                          A view of the back porch


I'll be making pralines this morning. In the afternoon Dawn, Sarah and I will go to see The Nutcracker. The kiddos are excited about Christmas and are counting down the days.

Tomorrow we will go to one of the neighbor's houses for Feast of the Seven Fishes. Until then ...

A Lesson in De-spooking Bochica

As I may have mentioned, when I bought Bochica, he was very afraid of many things. Remind you of Rufus? I seem to be destined to have spooky animals. Maybe that is my purpose in life--to de-spook them. :) Over the years I have worked many hours with Bochica, using many different objects to make him less afraid.  I have definitely become a more patient person. Wish I had owned Bochica before I had children. :) This training lesson involves two types of objects --a pom pom and swimming pool noodles. First I began with the pom pom, shaking it around him, getting it closer and closer. And by the way, Bochica didn't read the book that said you can't train horses with  treats. I have used treats very successfully to get him used to many things-- clippers, having his ears handled, etc. So first I shook the pom pom around him, all the while rewarding with treats when he stood still and lowered his head. Then I brushed it over him--at first he jumped to the side but eventually calmed down. Then I threw it over his back and then his head, all the while rewarding him with a treat when he didn't shy away. This is the final result. I decided the pom poms sounded too much like a rattlesnake, so moved on to the noodles.

Gee Mom, I look like a dork in this getup!

                                             
 First I began by setting the noodles up in the pasture and letting him get used to them. Then after a few days I led  him up to them, let him look at them and then backed him away. Then I asked him to put his nose on one of them--rewarding him with a treat each time he did it without jumping around. Finally, I opened them up a little and led him through them. I did that around 20 times, then saddled him and walked him up to them. He put his nose right on one, then I backed him up, gave him a treat from the saddle and walked him up to them again. That first day I quit on a good try. Then the second day he seemed eager to go to them. So I walked him up the first time, let him sniff, walked him up a second time, and he walked right through, calm  as a cucumber. (Are cucumbers calm?)

Success-here are a photo and a video. Next step is moving them all together and doing it again.

Gee Mom, why were you so worried? This is fun!

                                         

All My Critters

Today I'll  introduce you to all my animals here at Salsipuedes. Of course you have already met Bochica, my first horse. Here is the latest photograph of him--awaiting his bath at the wash rack--he loves the attention and getting clean. Sometimes he doesn't even roll for a day after a bath! :)

My next addition was Moe. He is a sweetheart--a 20+ something year old quarter horse. Actually, I believe he may be part thoroughbred, but who knows. Supposedly he was raised on an Indian reservation in New Mexico or Arizona and for years was used as a hunting horse in Colorado. He certainly looks as if he were bred for that-strong legs, high withers, etc. I went out searching for a small paint horse that the grandchildren could ride and one that would serve as a companion for Bochica. What did I buy? A flea-bitten gray! And a 15.2 hand one at that!! I think it was because he reminded me of the mare I had as a child. And he had such a kind eye. The very next day after I bought him, he dropped and I discovered he had cancer. So that entailed a trip to A&M.  He was treated there, a few months later treated again by a local vet and finally had surgery. But it was all worth it. He has been a jewel. He was a great teaching horse for my two older grandchildren. They rode him at playday and took him to horse camp--he was the star of the group--fearless except when they needed to pour water from his back. For some reason he did not like water--he has finally learned to tolerate his occasional bath. Moe was retired this year due to arthritis. He leads a good life--all the pasture and hay he can eat, plus grain, plus loving. He nickers every time I go out and always comes to me--is a regular "treat hound".   I can still let the young grandchildren ride on him at a walk, leading him. He loves the attention.

My next addition to Salsipuedes came from the house in town where I lived while building this house. A feral cat living under my house had kittens--two of them survived. So I trapped them and brought them to the country. The mother was wild and wouldn't let me get near her, so I took her to my brother's house to live. I named the kittens  George and Lucky. Lucky because he was lucky a friend could catch him and give him medicine when he had a hurt leg. George because he was so curious. It took a few weeks, but the kittens decided I was their friend. They were meant to be barn cats, but instead have become front porch cats except in the dead of winter. They ride in my golf cart, jumping in and out while I'm doing my chores. They love Rufus and meet him at the door every morning. When he gets too rough, they just run out of reach, let him calm down and then come back to rub on him again. They keep my property clear of mice--I just wish they wouldn't torture them before they eat them!!

Lazy Boys!

                                                                            

George

                                                                                      

Lucky likes to swing!

                                                                    
The final feline addition was Mama Cat. She just appeared one day at the barn--extremely pregnant. I made her a little bed in the barn and fed her. She was friendly enough, would let me pet her, but never came up to me. She had the kittens in about a week. Sadly, something got into the barn at night and killed all but one of them. Nature is so cruel sometimes! The one kitten left was just so cute-I named her Snip. When she started eating food, she got sick--the food kept sticking. She developed pneumonia, recovered from that and then got worse again. The vet took  an x-ray and discovered that she did not develop correctly. Her esophagus was wrapped around her heart--so I had to "put her to sleep." I was just heartbroken--but there was a silver lining in that cloud--at the vet that day I saw Rufus. And you've read that story.  Well, after almost two years, Mama Cat has finally decided she loves me. She races to the porch every morning if she is not already sitting at the door and jumps in my lap. She still won't ride in the golf cart, but I expect that to happen any day.

Mama Cat playing with George

                                                            

Rufus guarding the golf cart

  So I'm surrounded by my loving critters when I'm outside. I go out to the porch in the early morning before dawn, Rufus at my side. The cats are waiting, glad to see us. The horses are dozing in the paddock, waiting for their breakfast. I sit in the rocking chair, drinking my coffee, and treasure the quiet. Slowly, one by one the sounds begin--the crows waking everyone up,  a few tree frogs saying goodbye to the night, the birds singing, cows mooing in the distance.  Another glorious day at  Salsipuedes!


A future blog will celebrate a success I had training Bochica! Here is a hint!

Salsipuedes

 Salsipuedes

It is time for me to introduce you to my little slice of heaven--Salsipuedes--Spanish for "leave if you are able".  Pedro,  who introduced me to Paso Finos, told me about the word when I visited his finca a few miles out of Cartagena, Colombia--he had a sign in stone that read "Salsipuedes"--when I asked him what it meant he told me that it was from a Colombian folk song--it means if you come here you will love it so much, you will not want to leave. My son had this sign made in Colombia for me. Visitors  tell me it is true!

I always said I would never move back to my home town. Never say Never!! I always knew I would not stay permanently in all of my homes.  I felt like a gypsy. When I was ready to make my final move with the horses, something just led me back here. I looked all over Texas and finally decided to just come up here and "look". I told the real estate agent that  I wanted to live in the next town over, but not here. We looked at every piece of property there and I just could not find what I wanted--a few acres, a little house and a barn. Well, he showed me this piece of property just outside of my home town and I immediately fell in love with it. I'm not sure why--it had rained all spring and the grass was waist high, there were huge brush piles in several places and it was wet and muddy. But all I could see were the huge oaks, the wonderful pines, lots other plants and the little pond. It reminded me of the ranch a few miles from here that we owned when I was a child.  I imagined what it could be with a little (or maybe a lot) of effort. So I bought it. Then came the next challenge--finding a builder and deciding on a plan for the house and also the barn. After much consulting, dickering and thinking, I finally settled on both. This is definitely the absolutely last house I will build!!! No fun!! But here I am, 2 years later--all settled in. The brush piles have been cleared, the pasture plowed and allowed to grow back, fencing built, and the horses grazing. I've also acquired 3 cats and a dog. If I just had chickens! And goats. And llamas. Can you tell--I love animals!! But I think 2 horses 3 cats and a dog are enough for me to take care of.

 View of House From the Paddock

My favorite way to begin my day is to sit in my rocker on the porch with my coffee early in the morning, just before sunrise. The horses are standing in the doorways of their stalls dozing.I do not close them up, but they like to begin their day in the doorways of their stalls. Slowly the birds began their calls. The noisy crows are the first ones up. The bluebirds are everywhere--all of my 3 broods must have survived. They visit their house and then proceed to catch grasshoppers or other insects. They put on quite a show for me. The hummingbird comes to check out my flowers.  The forest comes alive with all the many species of birds. Sometimes I see a deer moving quietly through the trees by the pond. The cats come up to the porch to say hello to Rufus. They rub and love on him and when he gets too rough, they run just out of reach. What a nice way to begin the day. I'm not sure what I'll do when winter sets in and it is freezing early in the morning. Brr!! I'd better enjoy each day of this fall weather.

 Sunrise Through the Trees

Stay tuned for a post about my "critters".

Italy!

It only took one day for me to fall in love with Italy! I went the first time with my son, his wife and my mother. We had traveled in Eastern Europe by boat and train and took a train to Milan to begin our adventure in Italy. My son struck up an acquaintance with the conductor, and he treated us royally. He opened up our compartments during the day so we could have a suite and then made it into separate compartment at night. Early the morning of our arrival he served us cappuccino and a croissant for breakfast. We had dinner our first day in Italy at a local restaurant just outside of Milan. We were the only tourists there-it was filled with people from the neighborhood. It was a fun crowd and the food was wonderful. That place gets my vote for the best ravioli. I especially remember the cheese we had for dessert. I can't remember what kind it was, but they cut it from a huge slab. We rented a car and traveled to Topino, a restored hamlet. It was to be our "home away from home".

Topina

What a beautiful place. I had my first dinner in Tuscany at Osteria Nastasi, a restaurant in Lornano, just down the road from our hamlet. I had for my main course petto di pollo rosolato al radicchio con patate bollite aceto balsamico, a chicken dish. For me, it was just what I had envisioned food to taste like in Tuscany. Heavenly! A delicious sauce! I do believe it was the best meal I had the entire visit, even though I never had a bad meal in all of Italy.  We ate outside under the trees. The weather was perfect.  For dessert I had a scooped out lemon filled with  lemon sorbet. This was just the first night and I was already in love with Tuscany.

A note about eating in Italy. Be prepared to relax and take your time and be prepared to eat a lot. You will walk it off!! . Every single place we ate (even the tiny restaurants by the side of the road) had tablecloths, cloth napkins and flowers. The service was outstanding. Meals are served in courses, and they never rush you. Obviously the Italians take great pride in their cooking. I never had a bad meal the entire visit. However, I do have to say that the best cappuccino I ever tasted  was  in Gdansk, Poland at a Greek restaurant!

Italy is a beautiful country! The scenery is outstanding. We toured around Tuscany--the only problem was finding a place to pull over on the narrow roads so we could take photographs. One of  the prettiest views was from our little hamlet. 

View from our hamlet

One of the houses in our hamlet

We spent the week touring all around Tuscany. In my next post, I'll tell you about some of my favorite places and also about one of my adventures! I have more photographs on my web site: www.notecardsandmore.com. Stay tuned!!

Bluebird Update

Newest baby waiting to be fed

My second batch of babies are almost ready to fly. The mama and papa bluebirds and also the first batch of fledglings are busy feeding them all day. Lots of activity! I hope this time I get to see them fly for the first time. Meanwhile, the parents are getting less and less fearful of me. I am lucky--I have bluebirds everywhere on my place. I turned on the sprinkler in front of my porch the other afternoon and I had 5 bluebirds playing in the puddles. When I go out in the pasture, they light on the fence right next to me. What fun!!  I plan to put up more houses next Spring and make a bluebird trail around my property. Does anyone know if they have more than 2 crops? I thought I say a pair trying to mate again the other day.

Lazienki Park, Warsaw, Poland

Upon our return to Warsaw, we discovered there was more to see and do in Warsaw. My daughter-in-law, Dawn, served as our tour guide. We went to Lazienki Royal Park. It is an absolutely enchanting park, 73 hectares of tree shaded wide paths, beautiful palaces, a rose garden and lakes. Beautful! The park  is well known for Belvedere Palace, the former residence of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski. However, my favorite building was Myslewick Palace, built in the baroque style for his nephew Josef Poniatowski. It was built in three stages from 1775-1784. It is one of the few buildings that didn't have severe damage during World War II.

Myslewick Palace

Another beautiful feature of the park is the rose garden. It is the setting for a monument of Chopin. Concerts are held there in the summer. We found it a very relaxing place to take a break.

 Chopin's Monument

The woods along one of the paths

What a beautiful place to visit, relax and imagine what it must have been like to live there! 

Stay tuned for our next stop--Polish pottery!