September 5-6, 2024
We flew the short one-hour hop back to Lima in the afternoon and arrived at our hotel, Casa Republica, in the Barranco section, one of 43 districts in the city. On the way from the airport, the enormous palisades rising from the Pacific Ocean reminded us of Santa Monica, California. Later, we learned that cliffs further south shield Barranco from colder and more humid winds, creating a warmer and drier microclimate than many of the other districts of Lima.
The garúa, or fog that blankets the coast of Peru, is a constant in Lima, resulting in a soft “greyness” permeated by the sun that persists through most of the winter months. We found it to be a welcome change from the dry, desert conditions we are used to in Mendoza. That evening, we walked along the esplanade above the ocean at dusk, which felt mesmerizing, with the waves breaking below and the glow of the city beyond. We continued a short distance to a nearby fish place, LA 73. So fresh and so good!!
On our first full day in Lima, we walked across the street to an art space and store called Dédalo and purchased several more textiles, jewelry and other items and afterward enjoyed a coffee and a bite to eat at their charming café in back. Next door, we found the Jade Rivera art gallery, an exhibit of the famous local artist’s work, a fascinating portfolio of street graffiti, more refined paintings and eclectic pieces. The MAC, Lima (Museum of Contemporary Art), a 15-minute walk from our hotel, offered more interesting Peruvian and South American artists’ work and the opportunity to view an exhibit and meet the artist Ramiro Llona.
Needing a bit of downtime that afternoon, we took it easy and, in the evening, we took an Uber to the San Isidro district to eat at Astrid y Gaston. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful old mansion (as are many hotels, art galleries and other businesses) with interior decoration aimed at luxury, fantasy and style. The bar, for example, is constructed around two beautiful native trees under festival-like streamers cascading from the ether in the middle of the central courtyard. We were seated in an adjacent courtyard for our tasting menu of “tapas”—eight courses plus dessert, which we enjoyed with a fine bottle of Chilean wine. Dishes included scallops in a cream, dill concoction, Peking duck tacos, a shrimp cocktail taco, river shrimp with blueberry sauce and yam shavings, pork bao with fruit orange sauce, pepper ice cream with nuts and a thin cracker crust on top and a chocolate souffle of 83% chocolate with ricotta garlic ice cream. Divine!
The link to the photos and videos for days 5 and 6 is here: Lima Days 5 and 6