Apr 3 Talca and the Maule Valley wine region

Cloud turns to sun and temps from 14 to 28 and we are sad to leave Vina Del Mar for the Maule Valley about 5 hours drive south of Valparaiso. 

  We divert en route to visit the third Pablo Neruda house at Isla Negra. It is overlooking the crashing waves and rocky coast - quite a spectacular view from the bed, placed at just the right angle to catch the views. Its a 4 story eclectic collection of myriad types of memorabilia, much of it associated with the sea. Windswept and beautiful, it is the site of both his grave and that of 3rd wife Mathilda, forever together overlooking the ocean. 

  Heading back inland, we travel across a verdant estuary with acres of strawberry fields and other crops, and pass a massive container port. Massive trucks on the toll roads are a constant menace. WE follow Route 66 for a lot of the day.

  At 2:30 we stop at lovely Lago Rapel only to find there is absolutely no public access to the lake and everything is closed for the season. So we much lunch down a small backroad.

  Back on Panamerican Highway Rte 5 we get a view again of the snow capped Andes in the distance. We pass massive fruit and produce packing plants and finally arrive at dirty, grimy, busy Talca where we seem to be almost the only guests at the downtown boutique hotel. Our room is nicely appointed but barking dogs disturb us night and morning. 

  They have an Easter dinner special and we are the only diners there both evenings! Which is sad as the chefs really make an effort to do a nice job and the fish is perfectly cooked. With no other options we are early to bed and Ted recovers from his drive.