From: "andrew cooke" <andrew@...>
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:27:52 -0300 (CLST)
It's a holiday weekend here so today (Sunday) we took the bus to Valparaiso and stumbled across "Le Pont d'Avignon" - a fairly small and nondescript looking restaurant, which turned out to be a real find. http://lepontdavignon.blogspot.com/ The owner was a very friendly, hyperactive French guy (on the left on the main photo at the link above), who was running around serving because he'd had some problem with staff. We both ordered the fixed (lunch) menu, starting with cauliflower soup, which was good (and served in traditional Chilean baked earthenware bowls - while this "French food", it's very relaxed, Chilean style). Next, Paulina had some kind of fish, which was very nicely prepared (three triangles, seared, with sesame seeds), rice, veg. I had beef in red wine with some very nice sauteed potatoes, veg. The presentation was nice, but not over the top - same could be said for the surroundings. Pudding was pancake with a good, not-too-sweet cream/orange filling. Pauli managed to make a vaina last the whole meal, while I ordered a large class of red. That was perhaps my a mistake of mine - while it was drinkable and very reasonably priced, the food deserved a better wine (and half bottles were on the wine list). I shouldn't have been so cheap. Especially when the final price (including an espresso for me at the end, and two small, free "bajativos") was 18.000 including tip. Good food - tasty, well presented, not too salty, friendly atmosphere, excellent price. A real find (especially in Valparaiso!). Would recommend it to anyone... After that, we went on to find an exhibition of art. http://www.mercart.blogspot.com/ As we approached the address we realised we were in an "upcoming bohemian" part of the town. There were several noticeable foreign tourists, some policemen, and various galleries and wine bars/restaurants. It was awful - we discussed why later, but I am not sure we came to any firm conclusion. It might well be conservatism, ignorance or prejudice on our part. In a way, the place was "our kind of area". In a big city, perhaps in Europe, we would have felt "at home". But in Valparaiso - a fairly poor port - it just seemed odd. Here in Santiago I guess we avoid the same contrast, because the "posh" area is much larger - in Valparaiso it was still small, raw, and exposed. So first, then, was this uncomfortable feeling. Second, the art didn't seem to click. Instead, the overwhelming impression was that it was there to make money from this new "market segment". And, as Pauli noted, that market was as much middle class Chilean as foreign tourists. Bleagh. I was going to write more - about how art involves some kind of conversation/context, how that didn't seem to be present, and my uncertainty about whether that was true, or just a perception amplified by the uncomfortable social setting. But I think I'd rather go to bed. Andrew PS I should add that the restaurant wasn't in this area (although it's nearby). And so was "authentic" in way that, curiously, I would have expected to have value to people in the wine bars. Very odd.