A house full of inspiration - Pablo Neruda´s residence in Isla Negra
On this full day excursion to the coast we shall begin by visiting the town of Pomaire, an artists village specializing in ceramic work. The surrounding area is rich in clay and today’s villagers continue a tradition that goes back centuries with the indigenous people who lived there. Pottery can be purchased in the stands and little shops of the artists themselves where one observes them working. Pomaire is also famous for its cider during the apple harvest. From Pomaire we venture on to the coastal hamlet of Isla Negra, where the beautifully kept coastal home of Pablo Neruda is found. Neruda is the most famous of Chilean poets, a Nobel Prize winner, and one of the most widely translated poets of this century. From this he enjoyed a great fortune spending it on the very human pursuits of traveling, collecting and entertaining. He also held various diplomatic posts in his life including being Chilean Ambassador to France. Overlooking the sea, Isla Negra was an escape from the bustle of town and a writing retreat for Neruda. It was also a place to entertain friends and have parties for which Don Pablo was famous. The house today contains many of his original things – most notably his eclectic collections of nautical figureheads, antique bottles, indigenous masks… Neruda and his wife are buried here in Isla Negra in front of the house looking out over the Pacific. Many, from Queens and first ladies to Bono and the members of U2 consider the trip to be a pilgrimage, a trip to the home of Pablo Neruda one of the great men of letters of this century.
