When looking for something to do on our days off, it is fun to find the tourist places where the locals like to go. Pomaire', Chile is such a place. Pomaire' is a small town about 40 miles southwest of Santiago.
We ate a late morning snack at a huge restaurant that could seat well over 200 people. It was 10:30 in the morning and we were the first people there.
Pomaire' is famous for two things, the pottery they make here from very dark, almost coffee colored clay, and the great food!
In the large dining hall in the back they have a bandstand and a dance floor. I guess they expect more people than just Darryl and me.
It was quite an eclectic place with antiques and other decorations which looked out of place next to the dirt floor of the large dining area.
The Los Naranjos Restaurant. The food was delicious.
At ten-thirty in the morning the town was pretty deserted with shopkeepers just starting to open up their shops and set out their wares.
The artisans of Pomaire' have been making pottery from this dark clay they call Gruda, since 1771. There are also some other fine Chilean souvenirs you can buy. Traditional men's wide brimmed hats and woven baskets and wicker.
It was a bright sunny day and around 11:30 the town really started to get busy. This is a favorite place for Chileanos to come.
Pottery and plants..
And food, good food, everywhere. These are the wood fire ovens where they cook the empanadas.
The interesting architecture of this shop caught my eye.
Nico's Restaurant had a huge palm tree growing right up through the middle of the roof.
The store with the interesting architecture had lots of wool, pottery, jewelry and also some normal Chinese made souvenirs, but the thing that caught my eye was the woven wicker bicycle, motorcycle and scooter.
These are amazing and when we asked we were told they are made by a local artisan.
A pretty little house we saw on a side street.
It is really a lovely little town.
Above is the hand made pottery of bowls, cups, ladels, pots, pans, figurines, etc. of Victor Silva Vera - Alfarero. His family has been making pottery here in Pomaire' for 4 generations. His shop is on a side street. He also teaches pottery classes.
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At 2:00 we decided to get some lunch. We went to the San Antonio Restaurant. We had walked by it at 1:00 and it was nearly empty. By 2:00 it was almost full.
Again, it was a huge restaurant with seating for hundreds and live music. But do you want to know the best part?
The food was delicious and you don't walk away hungry! We had a traditional Chilean grill for 2. The several different types of grilled meat, pork, beef, chicken, sausage, etc. were kept warm in a dish sitting on top of hot coals in a domed pot.
We loaded up the leftovers to take home. We had some chicken for supper that night and finished off the rest for dinner on Sunday. All in all, our day in Pomaire' was wonderful. If you ever find yourself Santiago, make sure you save a day to go to Pomaire'.
