Barrio Lastarria

In my opinion, Lastarria is like a little piece of artisan chic amidst a heap of decaying heritage and impending North American influences; a place where history is not only protected but becomes versatile and inspiring in the face of modernity. If you haven't guessed already, Lastarria is my favourite area in Santiago. It has that artistic vibe you can't resist to fill your lungs with, yet just around the corner you find yourself surrounded by sex shops and cabarets. It is here that pretensions seem to disperse and creative freedom takes hold.

I'm specifically talking about Calle José Victorino Lastarria, located just behind the Centro Gabriela Mistral, a cultural centre that has recently opened after having previously been used as the government palace for Pinochet. It is rumoured he took over the dominantly ultra-modern, copper exemplar because it was constructed for Allende (in 275 days to be exact and originally to be used as a centre for the Third World Conference for Trade and Development). In 2006, it completely burnt down and Bachelet had it reconstructed to become the cultural centre it is now. The day, upon which we happened to visit Lastarria, we came across a group of French entertainers rehearsing for Teatro A Mil, a festival every January in Santiago. Three girls stood atop towering dresses made from red, pink, purple and blue fabrics. They looked like appropriately sized dolls for a giant and were rolled onto the street by people secretly hidden under their gowns as they sung out a French tune. Passengers in passing cars and buses just watched in astonishment, the traffic slowing down momentarily.

On the average day, you can find a very cute antiques and second hand books market at the end of Calle Jose Victorino Lastarria, where you can also find musicians showcasing their talents for some spare change or other merchants selling their artisan merchandise. On the corner of the first block stands a majestic 19th century mansion that has now been converted into a series of artisan clothing stores, one appearing in each of the old bedrooms that still retain their original wooden floor boards. A superb skylight covers the ceiling of the main entrance hall. On the same side of the street, the fire-red Iglesia de la Veracruz can be found in amongst a range of cafés, bars and posh restaurants. Cine Arte El Biógrafo can be found on the other side of the street among other cultural institutions.

I took my parents to the street corner café I had had my eye on for quite some time, where we meet with my recently engaged friends. We sat inside by the enormous side window that looked out onto a busy yet relaxed calle. We ordered delicious slices of cake and strong and bitter coffee - the real kind of coffee - and chatted our way into the evening.