Like a James Bond Girl

Believe it or not with all the traveling I have done there are  still 2 or 3 destinations that I've not yet visited and that I'm curious about, Chili was one of them.  So when one of my preferred film directors, Claudio Droguett, contacted me to work in Santiago for L'Oréal, I jumped at it.. The job was a challenge, lots of complicated hair tricks involving wind and helicopters on the roof of the W Hotel down town.

At the same time there was an international summit with Angela Merkel Germany's Chancellor staying in my hotel.  It created an extra confusion with security everywhere to a point where it feels like we were all part of the same movie… helicopters, limousines, high technology talkie walkie security guards… It was probably the closest I'll ever come to being a James Bond Girl. I certainly slept calm and secure with 4 strong security men wandering the corridor outside my room 24/7.

I worked hard but reasonable hours which gave me time to discover Santiago a little, the weather being quite perfect for evening strolls. I'm  not sure what I was expecting but certainly pleasantly surprised. The people are kind, the food is good ,the city a perfect mix of colonial mansions and modern glass buildings, sidewalks swathed with cafes, wine bars, art galleries and bookshops.

It's rare I have the wish to stay a few more days somewhere, here I would have liked that, however my schedule is tight back to Paris for one day then off to Germany.