Would time please fly?

Two weeks until I'll be standing in the Portland Airport, awaiting the start of the year's big trip. I can hardly contain myself. I'm ready to start speaking Spanish full-time. The weather in Santiago is in the middle seventies, that will be a nice switch...We haven't had much summer weather in Portland, so we can easily see that autumn has set in.

Looking forward to:

Sharing pictures of the kids, as they grew up, with my host siblings from my visit in 1970. The book the kids produced for a recent Christmas will be great.

Sitting on the deck, watching sunset in Valparaiso with Judy. We're in a quandary, because supper happens around 9 pm in Chile, that's my normal bedtime. Not really sure how we'll work that out, but it will be fun to try.

Warmer weather and wine tasting. Wineries aren't open quite to visitors like those we visit here, one needs to either make reservations or take a tour. Drop ins are discouraged. I guess we'll just have to plan ahead, but I know how to do that.

Visiting a grocery, the drugstore, a bakery. It occurred to me that the whole time I was in Los Andes I never did the "regular every day" stuff. I was pretty pampered. Either Mama', or my sisters, did all the domestic work, I just showed up for meals. I can't even remember which part of town the market was in. Bread showed up on our doorstep, but someone must have purchased our meals before they were prepared. This trip will require some basic personal purchases, and I'll get to explore places I've never been before.

Sharing time with Nate "on the road" and also just vacationing with Judy. We get so rushed around home, sometimes we forget to just enjoy the day. We'll do plenty of rushing on this trip, but can't wait to sit with a glass of wine. In case you're curious, we're staying at two really neat places when we get away from Santiago.

www.paradordelavina.cl

Either use your prowser to "translate this page" or just click on "galerias" to see pictures of the lovely setting. This six-room B&B style hacienda has grapes growing right up to the windows. Note that they aren't too worried about people falling into their pool, I guess. "Swim at your own risk" isn't on their priority list.

Then, check out the views from the deck in Valparaiso. They can be found at:

www.ciriloarmstronghotel.com

They have many more photos than I can post here. Nate's going to be with us in Valparaiso, he'll be staying in a youth hostel down the hill. Valparaiso, with its hilly San Francisco look, is famous for its "funiculars" that ply the hillsides and take one from the ocean-front to the upper reaches of town. It also serves as the home base for the Chilean Naval Academy, and since I enjoy Annapolis so much, I simply have to visit...

In the meantime, people have been so kind to put us on their social calendar for early October. We'll get to share meals with several close friends, we are very lucky in that way. I've even been invited to a free golf day this Tuesday, when I thought the clubs were put away until Palm Desert at Thanksgiving. The weather may even cooperate.

Con Mucho Gusto,

Marcos...