Santa Fe! Part One: Art Gallery In Madrid; A Hike To Atalaya Mountain March 8th & 9th

On Saturday March 8th, I had to say farewell to Iku and the lovely casa that is his home. After packing up my car, my new friend Jan and I headed into the mountains toward Santa Fe, along the scenic highway 14. We passed through a charming little town--population 6,000, I believe-- named Madrid. (No idea why... bears NO resemblance whatsover to the city in Spain!) It is home to hippies and artists, living in a colorful assortment of vintage homes. We didn't have a great deal of time, so we only visited one art gallery there. It was well worth it; as you can see below, it was home to a vast, wonderfully creative assortment of bronze goats! AND...those goats were pretty much worth their weight in gold (or bronze? Is bronze REALLY so pricey?!?) Even the tiniest goat was a few hundred dollars...and the largest, a few thousand. I loved them! Wouldn't it be nice to have that kind of money to burn, and take one of these precious creatures home?! 




The goats "cavorted" in an outside garden, expanding upon the large indoor collection. This artist--whose name I have forgotten--is a prolific producer of the bronze goats! Clearly, they are the object of her existence!! 


Jan admires a lone goat on its pedestal




Many were like these ones: adorned with cute little birds on their behinds! This artist clearly has a great sense of humor and fun! 



On March 9th, Sunday, I took off and hiked a trail very close to the International hostel, where I am staying in Santa Fe. (More about that in the next post.) It was absolutely FANTASTIC! A six-mile, round-trip hike, it trudged up and up to the peak at 9,000 feet... a total elevation gain of a little over 1700 feet. It was indeed arduous, but fabulous! Besides being a great workout, there were phenomenal views along the way of the great expanse of valley below. Though a bit chilly, the sun shone brightly...there were even some crazy hikers (men, of course!) in shorts and T-shirts.  NOT me! I only removed my jacket and ski cap on the way down, in the late afternoon, when the wind abated.  I have since learned from the locals that this is THE best--and most famous--hike to do in Santa Fe. 

 
Starting out on the trail... yes, SNOW! Beautiful! Fortunately, my boots held up well... there were no icy spots to speak of. So...while steep, it was never precarious hiking. 


Besides overlooking the valley, many peaks could also be seen from the trail. 








Happy to have made it to the top for lunch! Nothing like relaxing and eating while admiring such a spectacular view! 




Yours truly: the happy hiker!


Next up: the funky but charming International Hostel where I am staying for the week! 



 

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