Stairway To Heaven

Writing today from sunny Santa Fe. Jeff and I had a full day exploring the city which is the second oldest in the US. St. Augustine, FL is the oldest in case you were wondering. We took an open air tram tour around the city and some residential areas and it was very informative and also very cold. Our driver was knowledgeable and funny which made it easy to learn. We decided that you need at least a week here to see all the museums, historical sights, eat in all the right places and SHOP!

Our tour took us around the old plaza which is the center of town. One side is the Governor's Palace which we visited later and the other three sides are shops and cafes. There are food vendors around the plaza who pay rent and are selected for a year by lottery. Alongside of the Governor's Palace is a covered area with Native American vendors who don't pay rent and charge no sales tax.

We saw churches and miles of art galleries on Canyon Drive as well as museums on the hill overlooking the city and some magnificent homes built up in the mountains. After the tour we visited the Loretto Chapel which has "The Miraculous Staircase." This Santa Fe landmark astonishes visitors who gawk at the circular staircase to the choir loft which has no means of support. Jeff just sat and looked at it for a long time. It was too much like physics class for me to figure out, but beautiful woodwork.

After some shopping and eating we went inside the Governor's Palace and I went on to see St. Francis Cathedral. We got home around three to spend some time with Ziggy and rest. While I was napping Jeff went out to get Chinese food for dinner. After that he went to the supermarket and I did laundry.

Santa Fe is an interesting city which attracted artists after the railroads passed them by. Keeping the town looking a certain way means lots of rules like all homes and buildings have to be built in the Santa Fe "style." This means adobe look, tannish paint (40 shades to choose from) and a flat roof. The photo above shows the Scottish Rite Temple which has been pink since before the 1915 law. It is the only colorful building in town.