Sunday, November 09, 2008
La Fonda Inn
The Inn at the End of the Trail which I think means the end of the Camino Real (the Royal Road) which goes from Mexico City to Santa Fe.
Art Mecca
In terms of Art sales, Santa Fe is second only to New York City. You can't walk anywhere without seeing beautiful sculptures and other works of art, from the most sophisticated to simple folk art made of recyclables. Surprising to me was the preponderance of a type of art called ethnographic. It is the art of various cultures and there are galleries everywhere that focus on art from Africa, Thailand, Indonesian, etc.
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Santa Fe Historic Plaza
The plaza has seen everything from gunfights and hangings to bullfights and political rallies. The old adobe buildings proudly show their age and the architecure unique to this capital city. It was founded in 1680 by Spaniards who were later driven out by the Pueblo people who have lived in the area for 2,000 years. The city's name has been shortened from its' original La Villa Real de la Santa Fe
de San Francisco de Asisi (the Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi).
The Palace of the Governors in the plaza is the oldest public building in the US (1610?) and has the distinction of being the seat of 4 regional governments - those of Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy, and the US Territory.
de San Francisco de Asisi (the Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi).The Palace of the Governors in the plaza is the oldest public building in the US (1610?) and has the distinction of being the seat of 4 regional governments - those of Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy, and the US Territory.
A Traveller's Heaven: The Travel Bug
Anything to do with travelling, free internet, an expresso bar with biscotti and other pastries all under one roof! It was tough leaving. One wall is dedicated to travel authors and every Saturday the store sponsors free presentations on travel. Another wall has every language dictionary imaginable. I found English-Mongolian plus languages I didn't know existed. One section has every kind of travel and hiking gear. Maps are everywhere as well as globes of every size. Christmas came early this year!
Parking at the Edge of the Universe
Santa Fe has about 68,000 inhabitants, but during the summer this doubles, with all the tourists coming in. Parking is impossible. With this in mind I waited for the coldest day (11 degrees with the wind chill factor) to venture into town to the historic area. Surely on such a cold day everyone will stay home. Wrong! I finally found a spot 10 blocks from my destination, but it was a beautiful spot, next to our Santa Fe river.
For now the river is 2-4 inches wide and perhaps an inch deep, but in spring it becomes a real river from the melted mountain snows. Even now the area around the river is beautiful with parks and picnic tables - a lovely place to walk, even in the cold.
For now the river is 2-4 inches wide and perhaps an inch deep, but in spring it becomes a real river from the melted mountain snows. Even now the area around the river is beautiful with parks and picnic tables - a lovely place to walk, even in the cold.Fall in Santa Fe
Fall may be shortlived since winter can't seem to wait to get here. Last Sunday I saw beautiful sunshine on the drive to the local Borders. As I walked in the front door of the store and turned around, a blizzard came out of nowhere, with the snow blowing perfectly horizontal at 45 mph
. In less than 5 minutes it was gone and the sunshine was back. The clerk told me, "If you don't like the weather in Santa Fe, just wait five minutes and it will change." (Much like when I lived in England!)
Since moving here, daily temperature highs and lows have been at least 30 degrees apart so it has been a challenge layering to anticipate the day's variety. Really need to buy gloves.
An additional thought; this blog is focused on travel, but it is hard to ignore the impact of the recent historical election. I couldn't leave the TV throughout the election process and as the results were announced, I watched with joy as crowds from all over the world cheered the news. As an international traveller during the last 8 years, it has been increasingly difficult to answer questions about the President and the war. The cheering international crowds have given me hope that we travellers will again receive the warm welcomes of previous days. I agree with the eloquent letter to the Editor that Tal Streeter wrote in todays' The New Mexican newspaper:
"As a result (of the election), Americans can walk taller both here and abroad as citizens of the world, preparing with renewed hope for the opportunity of sharing the responsibility for the good health of this precious little blue marble and its inhabitants, our home in the universe."
. In less than 5 minutes it was gone and the sunshine was back. The clerk told me, "If you don't like the weather in Santa Fe, just wait five minutes and it will change." (Much like when I lived in England!)Since moving here, daily temperature highs and lows have been at least 30 degrees apart so it has been a challenge layering to anticipate the day's variety. Really need to buy gloves.
An additional thought; this blog is focused on travel, but it is hard to ignore the impact of the recent historical election. I couldn't leave the TV throughout the election process and as the results were announced, I watched with joy as crowds from all over the world cheered the news. As an international traveller during the last 8 years, it has been increasingly difficult to answer questions about the President and the war. The cheering international crowds have given me hope that we travellers will again receive the warm welcomes of previous days. I agree with the eloquent letter to the Editor that Tal Streeter wrote in todays' The New Mexican newspaper:
"As a result (of the election), Americans can walk taller both here and abroad as citizens of the world, preparing with renewed hope for the opportunity of sharing the responsibility for the good health of this precious little blue marble and its inhabitants, our home in the universe."
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