Our morning started off a little chilly, to the point where I contemplated bringing a jacket with us, but I figured we'd warm up with all the walking around the city we had planned.
We ate breakfast at a little tucked away cafe called
Colmado Coffee & Bakery. I drank some of the most delicious mochacinnos in this country!
We'd actually been looking for
Emporio la Rosa, but we went to the wrong address and thought it had closed. As we made our way to the end of the street, we realized we just hadn't walked down far enough yet.
This ice cream parlor has been voted as
one of the best in the world. We of course had a heck of a time deciding what flavor to order, and I'd forgotten the Spanish phrase to ask for a sample.
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| Limon Menta Albahaca (Lemon Basil Mint) & Mani Chocolate Caramelo (Peanut Chocolate Caramel?) |
We walked around
Parque Forestal across the street while we finished our ice cream.
 |
| Abe, whachu doin' in Chile? |
We ended up back over by Cerro Santa Lucia at
Castillo Hidalgo.
We stopped for lunch at
El Naturista, which was a great vegetarian restaurant we had found online. We had a Cheese Empanada and a Burrito along with these little biscuits and salsa that came complimentary with our meal. The burrito was seriously taco-sized, and I remember thinking that I am sooo used to American-sized portions, lol.
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| Francisco studying the menu & me applying hand sanitizer - typical restaurant behavior! |
We walked on to the
Plaza de Armas. This is the common name for the main square in many Hispanic cities. Several historical buildings surround the square.
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| Sculpture in honor of Chile's Indigenous peoples: Mapuche |
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| Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago |
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| Statue honoring Valdivia, the Spanish conquistador who founded Santiago in 1541 |
From there, we walked over to
Barrio Brasil, a neighborhood known for its strong cultural and artistic scene.
After we wandered around here a bit, we realized the weather was still cool and we would still have plenty of time to do some of the more strenuous activities that we'd planned to save for early the next day. So, we found the nearest metro station and backtracked.
We had already done a ton of walking today, so we decided to use the
Bellavista Funicular, an inclined railway that would take us to the top of Cerro San Cristobal.
 |
| Santiago panorama |
Pretty much as soon as we stepped foot into the railway car, the sun made its debut for the day and really heated things up, making for a very warm walk down the hill. I guess better down than up!
On the summit of
San Cristobal Hill, there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception with a 22-meter statue of the Virgin Mary. It's one of the top tourist attractions in Santiago, offering fantastic panoramic views of the city.
We wandered around Patio Bellavista after the long, hot walk down the hill, checking out the various posted menus. This area featured a handful of shops and some interesting restaurants - with fantastic Happy Hour offers!
We ate breakfast at a little tucked away cafe called Colmado Coffee & Bakery. I drank some of the most delicious mochacinnos in this country!
We'd actually been looking for Emporio la Rosa, but we went to the wrong address and thought it had closed. As we made our way to the end of the street, we realized we just hadn't walked down far enough yet. 
This ice cream parlor has been voted as one of the best in the world. We of course had a heck of a time deciding what flavor to order, and I'd forgotten the Spanish phrase to ask for a sample. 
We stopped for lunch at El Naturista, which was a great vegetarian restaurant we had found online. We had a Cheese Empanada and a Burrito along with these little biscuits and salsa that came complimentary with our meal. The burrito was seriously taco-sized, and I remember thinking that I am sooo used to American-sized portions, lol. 
From there, we walked over to Barrio Brasil, a neighborhood known for its strong cultural and artistic scene.
After we wandered around here a bit, we realized the weather was still cool and we would still have plenty of time to do some of the more strenuous activities that we'd planned to save for early the next day. So, we found the nearest metro station and backtracked.
We had already done a ton of walking today, so we decided to use the Bellavista Funicular, an inclined railway that would take us to the top of Cerro San Cristobal.
We wandered around Patio Bellavista after the long, hot walk down the hill, checking out the various posted menus. This area featured a handful of shops and some interesting restaurants - with fantastic Happy Hour offers!
Omg, that drink is HUGE!!! And the country is beautiful. Love seeing travel posts!! Also, I wanted to update you on our vegan Come Dine With Me series. You'd asked on my blog comment section. The episodes are coming soon. Our friends Joey and Megan are about halfway through the editing process, and we're actually filming the winner reveal episode this Sunday! I will keep you posted!
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