Stranded!

I haven´t posted images of the trip yet since I´ve been trapped in a 3 day blizzard at Valle Nevado. The road was closed, power and phones kept going out and Santiago had horrendous flooding. I can´t get online with the old laptop, so I´m using the VN Cyber Cafe, with it´s wacky Spanish keyboard. I have lots more pictures to post, and a long rant about the service at Valle Nevado, which I´m pretty ripped about. As usual, the skiing was epic and the food sucked. If you´re burning to see more ski pictures, go to The Basin Ski Shop site and check out the white stuff.

Turns in Chile

More photos from Chile

It's been a lovely trip so far: our ride out from Santiago south to Termas de Chillan was very picturesque. Agriculture is king here, with miles and miles of vineyards, orchards and vegetable farms. The Gran Hotel where we are staying is very upscale, but totally family oriented; so much more so than Valle Nevado. There is one large dining room, which, unfortunately, has entertainment almost every night. The kids like it, but it's not relaxing after a day outside.


Friday evening was "Volcano Night" with a live band, really bad kareoke, and a smoke machine, culminating in a a grand show where all the waiters bring out dozens of flaming volcano-shaped baked alaskas. It was really cool to watch, but more excitement than I needed. Dinner starts at 8 pm, which seems to be when all the Americans eat. Everyone else likes to eat in the middle of the night, which is traditional in hispanic culture. That would be great if I took the time for an afternoon siesta, but the snow has been too nice.



The hotel has a spa, where I enjoyed a full body mud wrap and one of the best facials I have ever had. I got an impressive sunburn despite SPF 25, so the ladies looked at my skin, touching my cheeks and shaking their heads in disapproval (since I don't know many of the spa related words in Spanish, much communication was done through sign language) then my esthetician got to work, putting these wonderful creams and cold compresses on my face until it stopped burning completely! I went from papas fritas to helado in 30 minutes.

Photos from Termas de Chillan

Ice Cream

Recent images of Chile sent by one of our traveling companions - don't you feel cooler just looking at them?

I'm heading to Chile for some skiing, so my mind has turned to snow and other cold things, like ice cream. My favorite ice cream place here on the seacoast is Lagos on Route 1 in Rye. I like the apple pie flavor - the idea of dumping whole pies into a vat of vanilla ice cream just thrills me. The mocha chip is pretty tasty too. The problem that I have found, is that it's hard to try other flavors because the first one you try is so incredibly good that you are compelled to eat it again and again. It might take a lifetime to get through the long list of flavors. Don't get the large unless you are really hungry.

When Dad was in the hospital last year, I brought him a coffee frappe from Lagos and his whole outlook on life improved dramatically. For those of you unfamiliar with New England frappes, I pity you.

Back when I lived in Gilmanton, Jordans was my ultimate favorite home made ice cream haunt. It's right on Route 106 in Belmont. Family run, great flavors.

More Chile Photos

These aren't interesting shots of food, just snowy mountains and a crowded swimming pool. We've shopped and cooked all that we can today, marinating chicken and steaming pork ribs and hurling them into the freezer to create more valuable refrigerator real estate. Geoff went to the state liquor store and got several cases of wine - 2003 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages, a good red at the right price; and a 2003 Hogue Fume Blanc. Our friend Libby brought over a case of Fat Bastard Chardonnay yesterday - thank you! Everyone seems to be disregarding the "gifts are unnecessary" clause in the invitation. This calls to mind the generous gift of 5 bottles of good olive oil from the Piscataqua Decorative Arts Society (not entirely wedding related), which couldn't have come at a better time.















The mountain got a foot of snow the day we left - people still couldn't stay out of the pool.

other than the altitude sickness and heat stroke...

I had a blast in Chile.


View of the Andes from Valle Nevado

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to neighboring La Parva, a ski area with interesting terrain and a laid-back attitude. We spent two days skiing there in weather so sunny and warm that any body parts not covered in sunblock risked blistering burns.


La Parva


Drinking cappuccino while waiting for the snow to soften



For lunch we had an excellent cheese fondue flavored with tomato, along with raclette with potatoes and ham, followed by chocolate fondue with fruits, marshmallows (voted most popular) and cookies.







I'll post more images after a good night's sleep.

pebre

I've found a number of recipes for this chilean condiment but this one looks closest to what I had when I was last there. if you add tomatoes it becomes chilean salsa

this one's from salsapower.com a facinating collection of salsa recipes and music news

2 medium onions
1 bunch of cilanthro
3 tablespoons of crushed red pepper (spicy) in paste form [you could use 1 jalepeno, serrano or as some recipes suggest, aji peppers, which are freakin' hot]
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil, salt to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons water
[oregano is optional, several recipes call for it - I'd use fresh]

Chop the onion in small cubes, then add sugar, or salt, or hot water and then rinse (this is to lessen the strength of the onion flavor). Chop the cilanthro very fine and mix it with the rinsed onion. Add the hot pepper paste, the chopped garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lime, water and salt to taste.
Mix well and let stand. Serve spread on bread or on top of grilled meats.

skiing and picorocos

it's too stinkin' hot to stay home, so I'm going skiing at valle nevado in chile


mercado central

if the skiing is sketchy we'll get some sopa de mariscos, a tasty seafood stew with barnacles,

which are tastier than they look.