angelitos y pájaros

Geez, so much has been going on--I don't even know where to begin...

This week, I've been at the beach in La Serena, a few hours north of Valparaíso. I am with my buddies, Desiree and Sara and Desiree's padres Chileno, Eduardo and Delia. They graciously invited us to travel to La Serena with them. We are so grateful, and we love the sun, the ocean, the salty air, the history, the mountains, tasting pisco in Valle Elqui, and all the food we've been cooking in the little kitchen of our cabin. Sweet time...

La ciudad de La Serena.

Valle Elqui, where we toured the Mistral Pisco plant. (Pisco is an alcohol made from grapes that is fermented then fired. It's as much a part of Chilean culture as wine.)










On the way to Valle Elqui...

Restaurant in the Mistral pisco plant...

The cellar at Pisquera Mistral.

 Our piscos at the outside bar that faces the mountains. Spec-tac-u-lar.

 Who needs a roof, when the sun can kiss you through these?

















One of the beautiful iglesias (churches) in La Serena...

Desiree and I squished in the front of a micro on our way back to the cabin...

 So happy with my pepper at the supermarket. We've been cooking all week.









Café by the ocean this morning...

Great friends...

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I can only recap the past couple of weeks in little snapshots of moments...

One moment, while sitting in the living room en mi casa for Claudio's birthday, I was thankful for the laughter all around me.

One moment, while standing on the Roca Oceanica in Concón, I loved the ocean and how it reminded me of even how much bigger God is.

         

Roca Oceanica

 

One moment, I felt a rush when I tried my luck at sandboarding on the dunes in Concón. 

Some moments, I feel far away, some moments I miss home, and sometimes I am already missing my home here in Chile. But, from here in La Serena I'm loving this Serene city by the ocean and looking forward to my little home in Cerro Alegre where the walls are painted and the hills are steep. 

(Cerro Alegre)

Oh, little side note, I am in love with the Chilean artist/singer/talented-at-everthing/legend, Violeta Parra. When I walk through Cerro Alegre, I think of her, and her songs run through my head. This song has a sad meaning, but it captivates my listening ears. And, when my mind is whirling to keep up with Chilean Spanish, I listen to this song: Violeta Parra: Rin del Angelito. And, I remember that I love this language, and I sing along and dance my fingers on the painted walls when I pass by.