Santiago - Chile

Wandering around the central city is always a delight, partly thanks to all the interesting things to see, but mainly because it's such an easy city to walk in.

For instance, right in the heart of the downtown area is the hill of Santa Lucia, which serves as a combination historic hilltop fortress, memorial to many of the city's greatest citizens, viewing platform and tranquil park, which is always a joy to visit. The craggy peak is where Pedro de Valdivia, the Spaniard who conquered Chile, formally founded Santiago in 1540 and it is still covered with battlements, towers and arched gateways as though forever ready to defend itself against invaders.

These days, however, most of the invaders are camera-toting tourists or young lovers looking for somewhere quiet, though there is still a cannon, which is fired daily at noon.

Along the winding paths up the hill are fountains and statues, plaques and mausoleums, among them the tomb of the mayor responsible for developing the area as a park. From the summit you get great views over the city and, during a brief period when the smog drifted away I even caught a glimpse of the snowcapped mountains that encircle Santiago.

At the bottom of the hill is the Santa Lucia Artisans Market with stalls selling everything from handmade ponchos and shoes to lucky charms and snail oil cream - good for your skin, apparently - to carvings and ceramics.

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