A Weekend in La Serena

Not too close, not too far away. The coastal twin cities of La Serena and Coquimbo are a great spot for a quick retreat. At least that´s what I and Macarena thought this weekend when we took the bus northbound. Thanks to calm conditions on the job front, I retired early from the office on Friday and joined up with M on the bus terminal and soon we were on our way.
It´s remarkable how beautiful the landscape is when you´ve left the capital. Could it be that your eyes are so used to the unseductive streets and buildings of the city, that nature is like Vitamin C to them? I think my question was rhetoric enough.
We stayed at the very comfortable Apart Hotel Peñuelas, strategically located between the two towns. With a mere 100 m or so to the beach, the silence was only changelled by crashing waves.
On Saturday we strolled extensively through La Serena, with it´s colonial architecture and always (?) cloudy weather. I asked myself if we were never going to find the Lighthouse, a local landmark, and suddenly it was right before us.
As night fell, we teamed up with Virginia and had a drink at a place with live music. On stage was a singer and his guitarrist, interpreting songs of cuban Silvio Henriquez. It was not a very well-visited event, saying that four people entering the pub doubled the audience. The singer also complained over dull applauses. This made me make an effort to give the least appreciative applause I can.
To our great joy, Sunday turned out to be one of the region´s non-clouded days of the year. If any day is to be seized, this was the one. It was dedicated to the less wealthy but equally charming Coquimbo. After a visit to the gigantic Cross of the Third Millenium on the municipality´s highest point we lunched in a park watching old men napping in the sun, children playing with the fountain, and dogs doing absolutely nothing. Just the kind of tranquil small town activities you learn to appreciate in a bustling metropolis.
By midnight we were settling in for a cosy night on the bus back to Santiago.