Arts and culture in Sante Fe and off to Texas

I had a really nice time in Santa Fe yesterday.  It started off with a latte and an excellent croissant with peach jam and equally tasty cinnamon melt at the Sage Bakehouse Kitchen a few blocks from the Motel 6 where I was staying. Even if it was before 9:00 the place was very busy and a table on the patio like the one that I was able to snag was in great demand. In order o burn off the 100,000 calories I then marched off to the State Capital Building where I spent some time peaking into various rooms, including the House of Representatives and the Senate, but mostly examining the impressive collection of paintings. As Santa Fe is the third largest art market in the USA, there's no shortage of galleries to explore. Canyon Road, a recommended destination, was particularly impressive. There is everything from paintings, prints, sculptures and installation pieces, and prices can be fairly steep. I visited San Miguel Church, the oldest church in the USA

and right next to it the oldest house in the USA. Apparently during some battle between the Spanish and the Indians a flaming arrow was shot from the roof of the house to the roof of the church which burnt killing all those who had taken refuge inside.

Here is a garden filled with wind propelled art installations at a gallery on the aforementioned Canyon Road.

This next picture of the Famous Inn and Spa at Loretto. The adobe-style exterior is levely and apparently all of the rooms are impressive.

Next door to the Inn is the Loretto Chapel, the key feature of which is the beautiful spiral staircase to the choir loft. Apparently engineers and architects still marvel at this construction and wonder how it could actually bear its own weight. In it's original form the staircase had no balustrades; these were added in the mid-18th century after the nuns requested it. You have to wonder if it was after a few unfortunates had taken a final leap there from.

The largest church in Santa Fe is St Francis Cathedral, a block away from the Historic Plaza which, along with thew adjoining streets, was filled with stalls selling all manner or religious themed stuff; paintings, pottery, sculptures, woven material, etc.

 There were actually two other marketplaces yesterday in downtown Santa Fe, an Indian craft market in a square next to the Loretto Chapel, and the much larger Contemporary Hispanic Market. Each of its 134 booths that lined both sides of 3 blocks of Washington Street showcased the work of  a local artist, and they seemed to be doing a fair trade.

Also happening in Santa Fe these days are a jazz festival and the Anual Santa Fe Chamber Festival.  I was fortunate enough to get a ticket to the excellent 5:00 pm violin, viola and cello performance of  Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Afterwards I had a really good steak dinner at The Bull Ring, a place that truly lives up to its billing as  a prime steakhouse. The steak was a perfect medium rare, and the shoestring potatoes were, like golden shoestrings.  The pool of liquid on the plate was burnt butter, and a plate of fresh raw vegetables and dip were hiding behind the glass of lovely California Sauvignon. The service impeccable, the price quite reasonable. I left a well-fed and happy traveler.

Today I rode under a blazing sun from Santa Fe to Amarillo Texas trying as I could to again pick bit stretches of Route 66, including along the Pecos National Historic Park

and through Tucumcari where this famous motel still operates.

Unfortunately nothing much else is still a going concern. The existence of the I 40 that runs parallel to Route 66 in many places has just killed all the businesses that relied on the drive through trade. Why, on the main street of Tucumcari the weeds have taken over what once were driveways and parking lots and I'd estimate that no more than 5 of 25 businesses are not boarded up. The price of progress I guess.

And finally just before arriving in Amarillo I caught a glimpse of Cadillac Farm from the interstate and turned around to visit this defining piece of Route 66.  The 10 Cadillac that were planted in a row nose-first at an angle corresponding to the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in a farmers field in 1974 have served as canvasses for travelers for decades. Even before you get close enough to examine the cars you hear the disjunctive and yet distinctive sound of spay paint cans that visitors are using to make their own contributions to these ever changing canvasses in the open. The paint is thick on the surfaces and what can only imagine what statements lay encrusted therein.