Santa Fe

We arrived in Santa Fe and it was cold.  So cold, in fact, that it starting snowing soon thereafter.  Somehow, in all my planning, I missed the part about New Mexico having a cold winter climate.  It is in the south, after all!  Ah...northern ignorance.  To be fair, both Carol and Martie sent me emails telling me that it would be cold but I just didn't believe them.

Santa Fe is almost painfully beautiful.  Everywhere you cast your eyes (almost) is lovely and picturesque. This makes it a wonderful place to visit but also makes it a place where lots and lots of people want to visit.  I remain fascinated by tourist culture, so it was both interesting and slightly repelling to be part of that in Santa Fe.

When we arrived at The Plaza - where everyone visiting Santa Fe MUST go - I couldn't leave quickly enough.  This photo is a view of us leaving The Plaza.  You probably have seen pictures of Native Americans selling their handcrafted wares in The Plaza and, despite the low temperatures, there were some there yesterday.  But I couldn't even go near them.  It just felt wrong.  Tourism is so complicated - its social structures and economy - it is hard to express the wave of feelings being in that plaza brought up.  I guess that is why I had to make a five year project about in Newfoundland.

We did visit one tourist site - the Loretto Chapel, home of the "miraculous staircase".  No nails!  No obvious forms of support!  A mysterious carpenter!  It actually was quite fascinating, as is the whole story surrounding it.  

Some remained skeptical. 

This is the view from Carol's house.  She asked me not to post a photo of her despite the fact that I have a really good one, so I will respect that request.  She has a lovely little house that she shares with her husband, Tom, and her sweet, crazy puppy, Toby.  

We took a walk in the evening light and soaked up the beauty of this amazing place.