When In Chile: Pablo Neruda, Artesenal Pig Figurines, and Wine Tastings Make for One Marvelous Excursion

My program, IFSA-Butler, arranges excursions throughout our 5 months here, and we had our first grand excursion on September 1^st! At 9:00 a.m. we met to head an hour and a half South to Isla Negra, which is actually not an island, so don’t be confused. Isla Negra is, in fact, the primary home of the beloved poet, and arguably the most famous Chilean figure, Pablo Neruda. Chileans are divided on many things—sports, politics, religion, which beach is best—but it seems to be nationally decided that Pablo Neruda is one of the best things to ever come out of Chile.

Since he is so beloved, his not one, not two, but three houses, have all been turned into museums commemorating his poetry, his social life, and his remarkable collections. Pablo Neruda, when asked why he purchased and maintained three houses, explained that his house in Santiago was reserved for his more private, scandalous affairs (he was extremely charismatic on paper and in person, to put it gently), his house in Valparaíso was purchased in a "fit of burgesía" (as a bourgeoisie whim), and his house in Isla Negra held his true heart and home. Isla Negra is known as the most beautiful and impressive of the three, and I may have to agree (rhyme intended). The ranch style home sits along a rocky beach that bears the constant beatings of huge waves and magnificent views of the Pacific—apparently I am attempting to emulate Pablo Neruda’s poetic style in my blogging prose, today.

The beach at Isla Negra--not a terrible view to wake up to every morning

Also, the man would put some hoarders to shame—he collected everything, but nothing trashy, like soup cans or old tabloids. Instead, he focused his collecting abilities on such things as pipes, musical instruments—although he never actually played them, masks, mast heads, and shells--a collection which included a narwhal horn. Yes, I touched a narwhal horn and can now die a happy woman. Unfortunately, pictures aren’t allowed inside of any of Pablo Neruda’s houses, but here is what I have from the exterior:

Everyone in the program outside of Isla Negra! What a great lookin' group, no?

The one example I could sneak of one of Neruda's collections--this one seems to be glass bottles. Specifically those shaped like hands

The other significance to Isla Negra is that it holds Pablo Neruda's tomb, as well as that of his last wife, Matilde. The two lay side by side, buried underneath a plot of flowers, overlooking the ocean:

Neruda loved all things associated with the sea, although he rarely entered the water, and thus collected everything he could from decommissioned ships

The tomb of Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) and Matilde

There also happens to be a stone figurine of Pablo Neruda's head on the beach, for which I have no real explanation

After a brief stopover in Pomaire, the oldest town in Chile known for its traditional, artisenal goods (specifically clay pig figurines, strangely enough), we headed on to the vineyard Casas del Bosque in the town of Casablanca for a tour of the grounds and wine tasting! Chilean wines are reputed to be the best in the world--they're boxed wine puts our classy wine to shame--and the fact that our program was paying for us to go and sample a few had nobody complaining.

It seems that it wasn't quite grape growing season yet, but the Chilean countryside made for a beautiful backdrop

Wine, wine, and more wine

After a tour and information session on wine making, we were able to sample three different types of wine. If i were a better wine drinker, I would be able to tell you exactly what those three types were, but I only seem to remember what was in them. The first was a white with citrus infusions, the second, another white with an infusion of tropical fruit, and the third, a complex red with hints of tobacco, coffee, chocolate, and red fruits such as strawberries and raspberries (that sounded fairly official, right?). We swirled, sniffed, and sipped like champs, and talked about which wines had great legs, and which would make for an excellent aperitif, and other such sophisticated things, all while taking in the sunset!