day 13 - santa fe

7:30 in the morning and i'm drinking a hot cup of tea and eating an almond croissant in santa fe plaza.  it's amazingly peaceful and quiet.  a few joggers pass through, an occassional automobile.  

the shadows are still long, but it's starting to warm up.  the light is so much more intense here, colors brighter, yet earthy.

it was cold again last night.  i was up early, tired, but packed up and immediately finished climbing up to the mountain pass at 7,400 ft.  turns out i had done all but a few hundred feet the day before.  i could feel that in my legs.  the road through the pass might as well be an interstate, 3 lanes and wide shoulder in each direction.  i got caught on it and couldn't get off because of concrete barriers limiting access, but traffic was light that early in the morning.  i reached the top and looked down on the valley.  saw the road i wanted to be on, but couldn't figure out how to get there, so i continued down on the shoulder, dodging around the glass and debris.  

a quick drop, and exit ramp and i was on a city street looking at a starbucks.  it was actually, believe it of not, the first time i thought a chai would taste really good.  but, no, i passed it by.  i headed for the central plaza where the governor's palace was, the cathedral and georgia o'keeffe museum nearby.  the thing that strikes one is the scale.  everything is low, one or two stories, mostly brown adobe and psuedo adobe.  the plaza was a very pedestrian size, about the size of a soccer field in each direction.

         santa fe plaza 

i found a little bakery open and got my tea, then i sat and enjoyed the quiet and cool temps for awhile.  

eventually, i figured i might as well and go to the hostel, clean up and rest a little.  the hostel is about 2 miles south, they said i'd be welcome anytime after 8am.  that was nice.  they were operating at a 25% max occupancy, everyone in individual rooms, no common spaces open, and masks warn at all times outside the room.  they're a non-profit, supporting travel and education.  they won't take anyone from new mexico, but a gray haired, 67 year old on a bike trip was a mission met.  

         Santa fe international hostel with covid hostile entry

part of the deal is they supply food.  after i checked in, they delivered a box of goodies so i could cook and eat in my room.  mostly prepackaged from whole foods.  there was/is more food in that box then i can eat in a week, including an entire bette noir cake.  but i'm giving it a good try.

          inside the santa fe international hostel

after lying around resting, eating, writing, eating, editing, i went for a ride back downtown to scope it out.  galleries, galleries, galleries.  i had heard this was an upity art community, but i can't believe the number of artist studios/galleries along the road. and all upscale, higher end.  painting, sculpture, clothing, pottery.  surprisingly most are open,  though there are very few people.  masks are, of course, de rigueur.  tomorrow i will do a gallery stroll, pretending to be a rich eccentric. 

         street shop near center of town