Enormous poplar trees dwarfed us during a walk in the woods made even better with friends on a long lazy weekend at their farm, near Doñihue, about 60 km south of Santiago de Chile.
It was one of those weekends city dwellers dream of. Well, some of us anyway… Those of us who long to leave the cement of the capital behind and get out into the countryside with friends.
J and G invited us to their farm about 60 km south of Santiago near Doñihue, a rural, flatland area where they grow and dry prunes for export between the Rancagua and the sea.
Not only was it a great time with friends from Chile and Spain, it was also a wonderful photographic opportunity.
Pink hydrangeas, typical in central Chile
It was mid-summer, which meant flowers were in bloom, the fruit trees were about to burst into full deliciousness, siestas were delicious in the height of the afternoon, conversation flowed, and evenings lingered long.
Kids swap tales as they shuck dried corn to feed the animals
See more photos from this set on Flickr: “Country Weekend.”
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.
For more of this week’s entries from other bloggers, see: This Week’s Theme: Path
For more of my past entries:
Theme: Up (Going Up! Valparaíso, Chile)
Theme: Red (Sunset over Concón)
Theme: Old (Vatican Graffiti)
Theme: Ocean (Pacific off coast of Colchagua Chile)
Theme: Shadow (Venice)
Theme: Light (Mapuche Inspired)
Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture 
I love Doñihue…in fact I’m going there tomorrow with work! 🙂 Loved that first picture.
Wow, I’m impressed! Are you going to visit the weavers? I LOVE their stuff!
That whole area is understatedly impressive!
Have fun tomorrow.
Gorgeous photos! The first one is particularly stunning.
Amazing photo of the poplar walk, Margaret. My grandmother had a hydrangea bush on either side of her front porch. Hers were blue. Did you know that the color is mostly determined by the acidity of the soil?
Thank you for those great photos Margaret. I don’t recall recall seeing trees like that in Chile but clearly they are there. Should I end up a wealthy landowner in Chile when I retire, you are welcome to come and visit any time. I DO understand the drive to want to get out of ‘del mundanal ruido’. I think those are ‘Cervantes’ words. Even then, people wanted to leave the cities.
I checked and Cervantes did say those words. Here is a link in case you want to look into it a bit deeper, http://huidadelmundanalruido.zoomblog.com/archivo/2010/08/23/patobiografia-De-Miguel-De-Cervantes-.html
@Katie–thanks!
@Thorny-Thanks–it really was an amazing walk… made even more special by the fact that a tiny little kitten followed us the entire way. I did pick it up and let it ride on my shoulder for a while, but mostly it wanted to walk by itself, always at a distance behind, for the entire way. The poor thing slept for the rest of the afternoon!
And yes, I DID know about hydrangeas. I’ve seen pink, blue, lavender, and white. The most amazing thing is to see different colors on the same plant!
@John–Thanks! And if you are ever a wealthy landowner here in Chile, you can bet we’ll be there to visit! (especially if there’s cazuela de ave involved!) And thanks for the Cervantes homework! Always good to know!
Great photos. I especially like the walk between the tall poplars. Would love to be there. 🙂
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All your photos are amazing but the Poplar one is really stunning!
Dear John Carr:
I’m afraid those words are due to fray Luis de León, not to Cervantes. The whole stanza goes:
“¡Qué descansada vida
la del que huye el mundanal ruïdo
y sigue la escondida
senda por donde han ido
los pocos sabios que en el mundo han sido!”
(It’s not my favorite stanza, by the way.)
ARaul – I stand corrected. I am not really up on Cervantes. Thanks for pointing it out.
I love the trees!
I love, love the photograph of the trees. Such a lovely capture, the way the trees lean into the path. Great symmetry.
Qué lindas fotos nos entregas siempre Margaret, siempre es un gusto pasar a visitarte en ti blog y ver algo interesante y bonito, suerte en tus cosas , bye!!!!!
Thanks all
@John and “Raúl. Comments are one of the wonderful things about blogging–and I am always amazed at the directions the conversation can take–often on PATHs of their own! (PATHs, get it? haha)
@Nano muchas gracias. Entre las cosas que más amo son Chile y la fotografía, así es que ¿qué mejor que fotografiar este hermoso país, su cultura y su gente?
I’m afraid I don’t get the meaning of PATHs. (I belong to the older generation.).
Sorry Raúl… the theme of this week’s Photo Challenge (and this post) is “PATH”… 😉
wow, a wonderful post!
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This looks an absolutely idyllic location to spend the weekend. My first impression when I saw the pathway through the polar trees was WOW they are so impressive!
oh my goodness, what gorgeous photos. and those trees are so intimidating, yet lovely!
Hi PiP! Yes, it was absolutely wonderful! And yes, those trees were just amazing!
@pix & kardz @yi-ching lin- Thanks!!
Gorgeous photos, I like third one the most =)
Thanks-that’s one of my favorites too!
Wow, Margaret, I’ve been posting frantically on a US political blog and completely missed this post of yours. Our Chilean house is a North of there (an hour) but the same huge poplars leaning over, the same hydrangeas…just beautiful. Thanks. The think about living in Chile for a time and now the US again is that I think I will always miss one when I’m in the other 🙂
Hi Laura–it’s nice to here that it made you think of your other “home”!! And yes, it seems that the thing about leaving a piece of your heart somewhere is that we always seem to want to get it back!
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All I can say is WOW
Absolutely heartsick to not be in Chile…but…I am coming back January 2012. I enjoy your blog so very much even though it always makes me homesick. Thanks, Margaret!
Vicki! How wonderful to hear from you! I’ve missed following you through your adventures in Patagonia–but really look forward to reading all about life on a Panamanian coffee farm!
Any chance of you stopping in Santiago while you’re here? Would love to meet you in person!
Estupendo blog, se puede percibir e ingresar a un rincón con mucho arte. Felicitaciones…
Saludos
Cruz del Sur
I like giant trees in your 1st photo great post
Reblogged this on My Favorite Spaces.
Reblogged this on My Favorite Spaces.
Amazing trees.
Great blog, nice pics.
Saludos por este intenso y bello blog hecho para vernos como somos, sin photoshop.
Cariños, Natalie Beterra- http://www.chile365.cl