Back at it!

During the break in postings we've visited Santa Fe, New Mexico for catch up with friends and family, a bit of organic gourmet tasting, our first Indian Marketry, and a splash of culture.

The trip began with the drive to Mexico City (DF) aeropuerto. Well, we were driven and made the trip in under the announced four hours. Thank heavens we did not need to drive in DF!

We were wearing our cowboy hats on the trip since we were headed to Santa Fe where we had them made a couple of years ago. Living in Los Angeles, we didn't have a great call to wear them, but going back to their source seemed a good time to pull them out of their boxes.

After we'd been dropped off at the airport and were heading towards the domestic flights area of Terminal 1, we realized that we no longer had hats! After a few fevered calls by cell phone to the provider of the driver service, it was determined that the driver had not left the airport, but was picking up new clients at the arrival gates of Terminal 2. A representative from the service picked up our hats and delivered them to us on the departures side of Terminal 1. Michael had to leave the secure area to retrieve them and go through security again, but we were no longer hatless.

The flight from DF to Tijuana was fairly uneventful. Taxied to the border (our driver reported that the number of tourists was down) and joined the line to pass through US Immigration. My sister found us and drove us back into town to spend the night with them. Pizza from one of our favorite chains sure tasted good. (We had walked past a pizza place in the DF airport and I had been craving it since.)

We're told by others that the pizza in SMA tastes a lot like cardboard. Even the pizza from the local Domino's outlet isn't up to their company standards. Of course, pizza isn't a food group here in Mexico. We were surprised when slices ordered at the pizza stand at the local Mega was served with packets of catsup on the side! (But then, locals had covered their Chicken Bakes from Costco with mayonnaise and catsup!!!)

There must be some decent pizza somewhere in town. The new Chicago-esque restaurant near La Lucienaga mall does a good version of Chicago-style pizza. Our dogs enjoyed the crusts we brought home, but they're not too picky about pizza crusts as long as there is a dab of sauce and some cheese on them!

Next morning it was off to the airport in San Diego for a nonstop flight to Albuquerque and drive to Santa Fe. Naturally, we ran into opera folk going to Santa Fe in the airport lounge.

Got settled in our hotel (which we later discovered actually housed some of the booths for Indian Market) - thanks Hotwire: we were upgraded to a suite - and ran off to partake in a restaurant walk through the a local cooking school.

We'd enjoyed both a restaurant walk and a luncheon in a vineyard in previous years. This tour was on the same par, visiting four restaurants that specialize in using local organic products after beginning with an orientation and starter course (salmon on a black bean and roasted corn salsa) at the school. We later revisited two of the restaurants for a dinner and a luncheon during the weekend, as well as a restaurant from a past tour for a second dinner on Sunday.

Saturday morning was the opening of Indian Market, and although we are not 'into' Indian goods, we had to walk through it. The market is an enormous gathering of artistic goods created by native Americans and covers the town square and 14 blocks, including the ballrooms and meeting rooms of our hotel. Knowing nothing of Indian art, we still enjoyed walking the booths and eventually went home with a few things in our suitcases. Some of the objects offered are high-end (it's not nick-named 'Indian Mark-Up' for nothing), but there were also accessible items.

Visited our hat shop near the cathedral. We don't always buy, but always stop in to visit and try on the latest creations. This year they had added Panama straw hats made in western styles to their line. Scott and everyone seemed to be doing well.

We also found a hatmaker from Colorado at Indian Market who made nice hats, but O'Ferrell's still has our business.

Saturday night was the opera (Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring) which was the ostensible purpose of our visit. Shuttle to the opera, dinner with our friends from Santa Fe, and then the performance. Couldn't find the memorial brick we had sponsored after last year.

Sunday was more Indian Market, a visit to our friends' home - where we talked plans for next year, and dinner at Rio Chalma on one of their patios. A little rainy but we were under cover. Dinner was great as usual.

Then the reverse of our earlier trip: drive back to ABQ for our flight to SAN, stop at the family home for a home-cooked meal of Moroccan short ribs over couscous with Paula, Tim, and Dad, and the short bus ride to TIJ airport for the red-eye flight to DF and another speedy ride to SMA through which we slept most of the way. Can't sleep on a plane to save myself.

Picked up the dogs from the kennel (boy, they're probably sorry to return home) and now it's back to reality and unpacking more of the boxes. Will it never end?