Day 9. Sasha, Susan and Santa Fe

Thurs, June 15, 2006. Harold and Gerald relax at Casa Susan, and watch the FIFA World Cup, we go into town to take a quick tour of downtown Santa Fe. This is my first time here. Susan takes me to an imported clothing store that has what I would describe as gypsy dresses in bright colors, and to another store that has very expensive clothing. She seems to know everyone, not surprisingly. We also go to the Indian Market, where we look at the gorgeous handmade silver jewelry that is signed by the artists who created it. We meet the native American artist Ronald Chee there who has his prints laid out on the sidewalk as do all the other vendors. He is quite a story teller, mentioning an occasion when a patron asked several artists to design a set of doors for his house, and then offers to pay them by having them over for dinner. We laugh and say that perhaps he should offer dinner in Paris or Rome as a more fair trade for their artistry. (Of course, who knows, if the patron was a five star chef, then that might be an offer to consider.) Susan buys one of Chee's Yeii paintings to put in her entrance hall. I notice that it has three tiny birds in one corner, and I immediately realize that I have seen his paintings on a PBS show before. He is, in fact, a renowned native American abstract artist and we have just met him touting his paintings at a street market! That's what happens when Susan takes you on a tour in Santa Fe. Next it's on to lunch and more site seeing.

A ceramics store:

La Fonda Hotel on the plaza:

Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assissi:

The Lensic Theater, where one day we hope to see Big Head Todd & the Monsters: