What is South America without coffee, beef, leather, wine and …… chocolate?

I was thrilled to discover the ski town of San Carlos de Bariloche in Patagonia’s Lake District is also the chocolate capital of South America. Thrilled to be visiting, I had visions of chocolate shops and tastings and truffles.

We landed on a freezing winter afternoon from two days in Buenos Aires, it was early september in the southern hemisphere, almost the end of winter. #TBT

As the filming crew geared up and explored locations around Bariloche, I wandered about on my own.

Bariloche is a quaint town and full of cafes, bistros and saint Bernards!! I spent many happy moments cuddling them on the roadside, oh they are sooo sweet, when I was not eating chocolate or drinking Malbec wine or exchanging money in the blue market (now that’s another story).

We were staying in a lovely mountain resort and had cottages with kitchens. The garden was full of the giant pine and fir, and I saw them in full splendor, towering above us. It was not snowing here, but freezing anyway. We booted up and wore many layers- even getting into the bath was an adventure despite the luxury hotel.

My new local friend is a sound recordist, who has recorded calving whales underwater, took me out with her daughter to Mamushka, the local, legendary Russian chocolate shop. It was so cute. The cafe was a chocolate bar, gift shop and cafe, always crowded and obviously a famous local landmark.

Matruschka dolls were painted everywhere and kitschy Russian art adorned tins of goodies and wrapping. I loved the view of the lake in the blue haze and vanished sunlight, under the light of the glass Tiffany lamps that hung above each table. I was intrigued by how different and how similar a chocolate shop in South America, of Russian influence, was in comparison to one in Paris or London.

We had a lovely tea hour, with mugs of steaming hot chocolate, Mamushka special.

And of course I stocked up on tins of mamuschka chocolate in their adorable wrapping. The gifts made several little girls back home very happy.