Succumbing to kuchen in Frutillar ...

Frutillar

Towards the end of our stay in Puerto Varas, we finally found a day when we weren't going to the gym, weren't too sleepy, and it wasn't raining - which it seemed to be most days we took off - and got the bus over to Frutillar.

It is only half an hour away, even with going through Llanquihue on the way. Llanquihue was another place we were considering popping over to, but having seen it from the bus, I don't think we'll bother, but it does have some interesting wooden sculptures strewn around.

Although there may well have been some others here before, Frutillar as it is now was founded in 1856, and from the start was intended to accommodate the new settlers coming over from Germany. Like many of the towns here, the German influence is clear in the architecture, street names and the kuchen, or cakes.

German Museum, Frutillar

There is a German museum, although we didn't go into it. It is set in a lovely garden, and they have constructed typical buildings, such as a watermill, warehouse and house. They use these buildings and the displays inside them, to tell the story about the German settlers and their influence here.

We are told there is also a nice educational walk through the woods, but as we were there on a Saturday, it was closed, so I can't vouch for that.

Frutillar

We walked through the town, seeing the various wooden buildings and a couple of nice old churches, and then carried on out of the main part of town to an area a little further around the lake side, to a restaurant called Meli for lunch. The food here was nice, but not ideal for our diet sadly, as most things were cooked in ways that broke the rules. But that will happen sometimes when we are out, and if we are going to be doing this for over a year, then we just have to accept it, and be extra good afterwards to help make up for it.

Restaurant Meli, Frutillar

Today wasn't going to be a good day though, as we had already figured that we couldn't really leave the area without having one of the cakes, and today seemed as good a day as any. So we eschewed dessert in the restaurant, and instead stopped off in the café at the rather impressive theatre on the lake. Annoyingly, the cake wasn't as good as we'd hoped, so I was remarkably restrained and left some of it, rather than eating it all for the sake of it. It felt terribly wasteful, but I know that these are the decisions I have to make if I want this to work. That or never having a cake in the first place, but we know that isn't going to work!

Teatro del Lago, Frutillar

The concert hall is a lovely building though, and sits on a platform over the edge of the lake. As the largest specialist music venue in Chile, it is very popular, and is part of the reason that the town is known as the City of Music. The musical theme is continued with the large musical notes that decorate the lake edge.

The base of Osorno Volcano, Frutillar

Sadly, although it was a nice day, it was also quite cloudy, so we couldn't really see the volcanoes across the lake. We could see the base of Osorno some of the time, but not the rest. We are told that on a nice day, you can see seven volcanoes from here.

Frutillar

As we waited for the bus on the way back, we watched one of the many dogs that walk around town try its best to make friends with someone sitting outside the empanada hut. When that didn't work, it came over to us and decided that even though we had no food, we would do. It rubbed its head around my leg and plonked itself down on my feet, making it absolutely clear that I was expected to make a fuss of it. I obligingly gave it a scratch, and then suddenly it went running off after a couple of guys.

Monkey Puzzle tree, Frutillar

Overall, Frutillar is a pleasant enough day out, even though there isn't a great deal here. Of course it would be nicer on a day when you can see the view properly.

Frutillar

Frutillar

Frutillar

Frutillar

Frutillar

Restaurant Meli, Frutillar

Frutillar

German Museum, Frutillar

Frutillar