The next morning dawned early (here in SMA, the sun stays up longer but it doesn't rise any earlier: 7:00 am is about year-round), but we were ready for breakfast and dined on chiliquiles with green peppers and fruits with delicious coffee. I'm a bit of a coffee snob and wasn't expecting much, but even with cream and sugar, it tasted like COFFEE!
We took the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the new camera (what happened to that 16 MB chip?) and headed out into town. Stopped at a couple of places then decided we'd try Maria's for lunch. From the inn we took a cross-country route rather than walking down the more popular streets to Maria's -- and promptly got lost. Saw a lot of nice neighborhoods before we turned down a street that - by chance - was the street on which Maria's was located.
They make a mighty fine margarita with any one of their multiple tequilas; we tried two of them and enjoyed our luncheon. Michael ordered the sampler platter (taco, chile relleno, enchilada, and tamale - Christmas style). I enjoyed the stuffed burger (I know, how Anglo!) but it was stuffed with cheddar cheese, onions, and green peppers. We also shared Michael's bunelo with lots of honey!
We headed back to the inn (using the main thoroughfares this time - a much shorter trip) and then decided to walk to the Plaza. Visited the Museum, a camera shop (bought a 4 GB chip, as the camera's memory was full after taking the second picture), bought a Zia necklace for Michael, then stopped into our favorite hat shop - gotta plan for next year.... Back to the inn for a nap and then on to the opera.
This was planned as an interesting evening: shuttle to the opera, a buffet dinner with our friends Michael and Will (who live in Santa Fe), a talk about that night's opera, and then the performance. Santa Fe Opera starts at 9 pm in July - things must be dark, you know - and it was really a good thing this time. The production (Faust) had a dark storyline and the production was largely black: black flooring, black ceiling, black walls, and many black costumes. The use of light was important and it just wouldn't be the same if it had still been light out. This is changing next year, when the opera will begin at 8:30 instead of 9:00 in July. Not sure this is a good idea, but the old general director is gone and there's little reverence for some of his ideas!
Anyway, the dinner was great fun! The four of us simply picked up from where we left off last year and carried on. Good friends are like that. The meal was good, the talk was above average, and the show magnificent. I understand that on opening night - when nearby Los Alamos was still involved in a forest fire - as the back of the stage was opened, the fires of Hell were aptly portrayed with smoke, fire, and exploding pine trees. Even though the fire had gone away, it was still an exciting performance and it didn't seem like 12:30 when it got over. Not sure we needed the French ballet scene, but with a French conductor, you can bet we got it!
And there was talk of next year's season. I think we're going to try for three operas next year; maybe four of the season's five, depending upon how long we want to stay in Santa Fe. There's Tosca, Pearl Fishers, and King Roger for sure; maybe Arabella and even Maometto II, if we get wild and crazy (M-II is Rossini, not my favorite composer).
We're not planning as much traveling in 2012: Cabo in January; a Western Caribbean itinerary on the Disney Dream and the maiden voyage of the Disney Fantasy in March (with about eight days at Walt Disney World, of course, around the cruises). So perhaps we can manage more operas in Santa Fe - or not. There's always the possibility of an additional cruise....
Early Sunday morning we packed up (after a breakfast of feather-light lemon ricotta pancakes in a lemon syrup with berries and bacon) and drove the hour back to ABQ, turned in the car, and shuttled to the airport. Checked the bags, went through security - where I got the full-body x-ray treatment - and went off to await our departure.
And uneventful flight except for the person who lost their breakfast a few rows ahead of us. The need for a clean-up crew in Phoenix delayed us a bit, but we made it to San Diego in two short hops.
Our connection with Paula and Tim went more smoothly this time and they were waiting to pick us up so we zipped off to IKEA for some last-minute shopping. I really miss that store in Mexico. We've heard that there is an IKEA store in DF, but their website doesn't mention it. Paula had done some advance shopping for us at IKEA and Crate and Barrel (and we had covered Target needs in Santa Fe), so there wasn't too much to do, but it was a weekend and the place was jammed. Whew! Weekdays are better.
Then back to their house to repack our suitcases and average the weight distribution. Dinner called, so off to a Mexican restaurant (natch) in Hillcrest for an early dinner and then on to the Civic Theater for the closing performance of Shrek - The Musical. Wasn't sure how I'd like this, but it was inventive and well-performed and I think we all enjoyed ourselves in our fifth row orchestra seats. Don'cha just love theater?!?
Our visit drew to a close and we hustled over to the Greyhound bus station (that's another story; perhaps a mood piece is called for sometime soon) where we caught the bus to the border and then on to the Tijuana airport. No muss, no fuss at the border, but a long line at the airport check-in counter. We eventually made it to the front and checked our bags, then went to the gate to wait for loading.
From there onto the plane and a three-hour flight to Leon, where our shuttle driver was waiting for us. It was a fuller shuttle this time so the trip was longer as we dropped folks off at their destinations in San Miguel. Busy, but a much less frustrating trip than the trip north!
Oh, and the van needed new shocks! Have I ever told you about traffic control in Mexico? One word: topes. Not only here in San Miguel where our designation as a World Heritage site prevents such modern things as store signs and traffic lights, but the rest of Mexico uses them too, anywhere they want traffic to slow down. Bounce, bounce, bounce, but we made it home at last.
Once again, we traveled for more than 24 hours and as soon as we had tagged the furniture, I headed upstairs for a nap. Don't really sleep much on airplanes. Volaris has a lot going for it (prices, schedules, good service), but generous amounts of space are not among their virtues. Even Southwest allows more space between rows, and I think the Boeings that Southwest flies are wider than the Airbuses in Volaris's fleet.
So here we are, safe and sound again. The bathroom mirror frames (reminiscent of 'Who's the fairest of them all?' in size and design) were now mirrored. The carpenter arrived to install the spice racks beneath the wall cabinets, and this morning the masons arrived to complete the fountain platform in the back yard. Not that we're going to have a fountain, but the owners had originally planned on one there (and in the front yard, too) so there was plumbing and a rough concrete platform built.
There were some difficulties in the execution of the design we had in mind, but it looks great, it's nearly completed, and it's even better looking than the tiled steps the same masons did for us leading down into the backyard from the loggia.
Next up: a back-to-back cruise on the Disney Wonder from Vancouver to Los Angeles, then on to the first Mexican Riviera cruise of the winter season in mid-September/October. And as long as we're in Los Angeles, a stay at Disneyland to see the work that's been done so far on the re-imagining of California Adventure from a representation of the whole state to a recreation of Los Angeles in the 1930s when Walt first arrived in town. Oh, and a few dinners at Club 33, of course, with friends invited, et cetera.
Can't wait!!!
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