Santa Fe Opera Trip, August 2008
Day One - 8/11/2008 - Anne Berre Reporting
The Santa Fe Opera excursion sponsored by the Hill Country Vocal Arts Society left Kerrville at at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The coach accommodations were very comfortable, and Chorale supporters provided fresh fruit, homemade baked goods, orange juice and coffee. The group of 28 travelers from the Hill Country, and as far away as Austin, spent the morning coffee klatching, as few of us knew one another. We stopped for lunch in Pecos at a classic "hole in the wall" known as Alfredo's Mexican Restaurant. The food was so fine, that we collectively decided to make it our return stop for lunch on Friday. If you ever have the opportunity, their tamales and chile rellenos are muy bueno!
At happy hour, fellow travelers Evelyn and Bob Oberhelman, who own the Bell Mountain winery north of Fredericksburg, provided their Late Harvest Riesling and Rose of Cabernet to all who wished to sample. I was particularly taken with the Rose, which is both dry and light, and what I would term a soft summer wine. Dr. Robert Holloway also made available his secret Margaritas made with fresh limes (I only know about the limes because they spilled out of the bag at a stop).
We arrived in Santa Fe at approximately 7:30 p.m. where we checked in to The Territorial Inn, a lovely classic adobe structure in the historic district just two blocks from the central Plaza. The accommodations are lovely, ranging from small suites to double occupancy guest rooms, and all are well-appointed. A central meeting area provides fresh fruit, coffee, tea, water, and cookies around the clock.
Five of us set out at 9:00 p.m. to enjoy the cool, high desert evening breezes and get acquainted with our historic setting. Strong commitment to zoning and building controls has kept the city true to Santa Fe pueblo adobe style or territorial brickwork with adobe architecture. The whole area is lovely. The Plaza was filled with wanderers enjoying the evening and listening to local musicians playing for gratuities. Our walk eventually led us to the Blue Corn Cafe where we sampled micro brews and Southwestern Shepherd's Pie, a very spicy, but good take on this traditional British fare. The area is filled with shops and galleries providing high quality and original art, hand crafted clothing, and jewelry. Surprisingly few "hawk" their wares, making the shopping experience enjoyable and relaxing.
As tempting as they all were, we made it a relatively early evening and returned to the inn at 11:00 p.m. for complimentary late night brandy and chocolate and sharing notes with fellow travelers.
From this traveler's perspective, Day One of our adventure gets a strong "A" for organization, planning, timeliness, and the company of warm and gracious fellow travelers.
The agenda for tomorrow? This traveler will be touring the gallery district for a day of picture taking.
Blog with us tomorrow as we report on tonight's opera, Adriana Mater by Karija Saariaho, and continue to share with you the picturesque beauty and artistic gatherings of the oldest state capital in the U.S. and its second oldest city.