February 24 - Around Puerto Varas

Hi:  I didn't know whether to start today's blog with "It was a dark and snowy night.."  which I understand is happening at home, or, "We woke up to a perfectly cloudless, gorgeous warm day here in Puerto Varas..." which is also true.  You can pick whichever you like.

Today is a lazy day around Puerto Varas.  Nothing to do but have another great breakfast (Teresa does a fabulous job and her coffee is good), head downtown to the beach and enjoy life.

A few of these pictures are from yesterday when it was cloudy.  Pto. Varas doesn't have a huge pile of historic sites, so they've gone overboard on declaring nice local houses as monuments and putting them on a tour.  Don't worry, I'll only show you a couple.

Just down at the lake front from the house above is this statue,  which is quite visible from the main part of town (seen behind).  The artistic significance of this piece is lost on me - I guess I'm just some Gringo Heathen.

 (This photo is from today - note the weather)

This is the self proclaimed "Museo de Pablo Fierro."  It's not listed on any of the tour guides and I suspect it should be described as "El basura de Pablo Fierra."  Something for you to look up in Google Translate.

Speaking of Google Translate, we learned something about Spanish from this sign.  It's meaning is obvious from the graphic, but the word "bano" confused things.  

The local Lutheran Church, also on the historic buildings tour.

Another picture of some local weaving for you, JDF (and you too, JD.  Does that clarify things?)

Last photo for today - the town from the other end of the beach where we walked to and had an ice cream to cool off with.  (Yer right, I am rubbing it in - maybe I'll get a sunburn for gloating too much).

Tomorrow is an early get up and down to the bus for a 2 day bus, boat, bus, boat, bus, boat & bus tour from Puerto Varas to Bariloche, Argentina.  We're going halfway tomorrow and spending the night at a hotel on the lake, and completing the trip the next day

Here's a link:
http://www.cruiseschile.com/lake_crossing.htm

Next post will be from Argentina.

I have to add a little.  We just finished dinner at El Mediterrano, a seafood restaurant on the lakefront, and I would rate it as the second best meal I've had here (after Angelica's in Puerto Natales).   Just excellent.  We had ceviche (Laura ate the salmon and I had the bits she didn't recognize); she had a salmon entree and I had Rollizo (rockfish).  

And, our stay at the Tradicional Austral B & B has been excellent as well.  Great place to stay and we can't say enough nice things about Teresa'a breakfasts and the place in general.

 Don't let Kye see this photo.  Laura is getting her doggie fix with Lido, the watch Scottie.