Odds and ends

Being called 'little mother-in-law' by Rodrigo - suegrita. Rachel assures me it's affectionate, not a reflection on my height. Aaaaaaah - actually, it's very sweet, and I'm touched.

Just finished yet another book - this time, 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende, niece of the former Communist/Marxist/Left President Salvador Allende of Chile, murdered by the military during the coup in 1973. A fascinating story/allegory/symbol, with a riveting final 100+ pages. Do read it - must be cheap on Abebooks.com.

Polite messages scrolling on a screen in the underground train in Santiago - exhortations, thought for the day, metrolibrary, announcements, weather - makes a change from 'mind the doors!'

Santiago is home to 5 million people, set in a bowl within the Andes and the cordillera - lower mountains. The centre is pretty small and you can walk round it in an hour or so, depending on whether you have been lured into one of the many small restaurants in the covered (mainly fish) market, built in the style of a grand Victorian railway station - and built, or designed, by Brits. Persuasive they were, but we declined. R not much taken by tentacle soup. Can't think why.