IRELAND - A Special Birthday

Corcomroe Abby 2008 with our Friends, Carmel & Michael Joyce
(Carmel was at the 1997 Birthday picnic)

My birthday is a National Holiday in my house. It’s celebrated anywhere from two days to a week. This year the big day is a tour of the O’Keeffe Home in Abiquiu, followed by lunch at Ice’s Tea House in Alcalde, north of Santa Fe. Dinner will be at the fabulous Geronimo- my birthday tradition in Santa Fe. But, I digress. I want to reminisce about what may have been my best birthday ever, spent in the West of Ireland.
It is 1997 and I have a dilemma. My husband, Steve, will be with a tour group in Durango, Colorado on my birthday. I could drive 7 hours each way to have dinner with him- a depressing prospect! (Not him- the drive) Then, an invitation arrived from a friend to visit Ireland all expenses paid. I felt somewhat bad as Steve had always wanted to go to Ireland- but when I weighed all the options, Ireland won hands down. Sorry, (Don’t feel too sorry for him, we went together the next year.)
As the plane descended at Shannon Airport, I looked out the window and saw green fields and stone walls. It dawned on me why I had always loved Block Island- it looked like Ireland. (A place I had never been- at least not in this lifetime, but more on that later.) Driving north to Oughterard, County Galway, I was amazed to see palm trees growing at the side of the road- this was not a tropical clime. I discovered later that the Gulf Stream creates the proper climate conditions for this. Another surprise was the pastel houses in the towns we passed through
Anyway, it was love at first sight- but it really wasn’t. You may have trouble with this concept, but I kept getting affirmations that I had been here before. Sitting on the shore of Galway Bay looking across to the Burren in County Clare I flashed on a time I had been there waiting for a boat to come get me. Then, there were the places like Poulnabrone (the dolmen) and Corcomroe Abby (both in the Burren), where I broke into spontaneous tears and could not fathom why. The only illogical (and I don't mean logical) explanation I could come to was I had an unexplained connection to these places. But again, I digress.
The story for this blog is the actual day of my birthday, July 22nd. Five of us were invited to go out on our friend Joe’s boat on Lough Corrib. The destination,Inchagoill Island. We took a picnic lunch and some vino. The ride out was beautiful. There are reported to be at least 350 islands scattered throughout the 35-mile long lake. We passed one with a large house that was supposedly belonged to some rock star- who knows. We waived as we went by. We docked at an obscure beach Joe knew and set up our picnic. It was perfect. After lunch we took a short hike, destination a church ruin dating to the 5th Century. On my way into the wood’s I tripped over an incredible rock. I collect rocks but couldn’t take it with me on the walk- it was too heavy, I mentally marked the spot so I could come back for it. We arrived at the ruins of St. Patrick’s Church rumored to have been built by that venerable saint. It is believed that St. Patrick’s nephew, Limnic, is buried there. An inscribed stone at the sight dates to the 5th century and is believed to have the oldest Roman writing existing in Ireland today and 2nd oldest in Europe (outside the Catacombs in Rome). What a special place- you could feel the history. Also there, are the ruins of the 12th century Church of the Saint.
We left the ruins and to the Guinness Tower, a remnant from when the brewing family owned the island. We climbed the low tower and took photos. Two of us decided to take a short cut back to the beach. It turned out to be a questionable decision- it definitely wasn’t a short cut, we got lost in virgin woods. Luckily we found the shore and we began to circle the island knowing we had to find our beach eventually. It was a beautiful walk. Upon returning to our beach, I went in search of my stone. Amazingly, I went right to it and that 5-pound beauty came home from Ireland in my luggage. You can tell this was a bygone era. These days it would cost me to bring that rock home. Then, it was time for cake and gifts. I received two that I treasure to this day. A Sheela Na Gig, made by Joe, a pagan fertility goddess found engraved on churches throughout Ireland and O’Flarity, a leprechaun who is watching my back as I type this.
Reluctantly, towards the end of the afternoon, we left the island and returned to the 20th Century. Another precious gift from Joe was a video of that day that gets played every year, on you guessed it, my birthday.

PERSONAL CONCIERGE THE SANTA FE TRAVELER WAY

“What is it that you do?” is a question I hear frequently.
The Santa Fe Traveler is a personal concierge and destination management service. It is apparently an unusual service, when I Googled to find people in the field (thought I could pick their brains) I didn’t come up with much. I found personal concierges who are organizers, I found personal assistants, I found concierges that specialize in people living in condos and ones specializing in the workplace. But apparently, destination concierges are few and far between.
What is it we do? Basically, The Santa Fe Traveler caters to the needs of people visiting The City Different. The beauty of it is, if we can’t do something personally chances are, we know someone who can, and we can get you set up, but I’m getting ahead of myself. The question was: what do we do? Perhaps the best answer is on our web-site.
In a nutshell, we do all the things that a hotel concierge can be expected to do and more. A hotel concierge is busy dealing with lots of guests. If you have needs that exceed what the hotel can reasonably be expected to meet, we are here. If you are staying at lodging establishment that does not have a concierge, call us. Yes the front desk folks and innkeepers are there to help, but a good concierge is worth their weight in gold. We are specialists in the hospitality field; experts on Santa Fe and the surrounding area. We’ll know things they don’t and have connections they don’t have. Staying in a house, casita or condo? We can help make your stay perfect. It’s those little details that count.
We are an intrepid researchers and very persistent. If what you want is out there, we will find it for you. For instance, want to rent a Ferrari in Santa Fe? Good luck! There are none- but if you don’t mind the expense, we will get one here for you.
In a time of economic downturn why do you want to hire us? One reason is we’ll pamper you. Another is, we can actually save you money. Like any travel professionals, we get better rates on a lot of things.
We do not replace your travel agent. We work with them to help design a memorable Santa Fe visit for you. They know you, they know travel and we know Santa Fe. What a winning combo. If you don’t routinely use an agent, we can work with you and get to know your preferences. Every client is asked to fill out a comprehensive questionnaire so that we can get to know you your likes and dislikes.. Don’t want to take the time to fill it out? That’s okay, too.
If you’re coming to Santa Fe, contact us and we will design the perfect trip for you.

SANTA FE'S INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET: ATREAT FOR THE EYES

This weekend, Saturday July 11th and Sunday July 12th, we'll be heading up to Santa Fe's Museum Hill for the sixth annual .International Folk Art Market The 2009 Market features over 140 artists from over 45 countries around the world. Vendors set up tables in huge tents around Millman Plaza (home to the International Museum of Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture).

We have a plan of action when we go. We start at the tents in the parking lot, work our way through these and climb the stairs to Millman Plaza. Once there, if the beat is great we stop and listen to the catchy world music for a while or watch the dancers. At this point, it's probably time for a snack. We'll head down to the International Food Bazaar where we'll grab a bite to eat after checking out all he food vendors to see what tempts us. If you want less exotic fare, the Museum Hill Café also will be serving food all weekend. Then, stomachs full, we go into each and every tent up on the plaza to see what exotic and beautiful wares the artisans have brought.

I don’t buy a lot as my budget is small, but I always leave with something special. My first year there I got a telephone-wire basket from South Africa for me and some embroidered purses from Guatemala that I gave as gifts. The next year, (it’s always close to my birthday) I bought myself a present, a wonderful hand-carved Zapotec angel from Oaxaca, Mexico. The angel has her hands extended and she is holding a bird. The wings and the bird are detachable. She sits in our guestroom on a primitive bench welcoming visitors. The following year I bought a piece of flowered china from Poland that, alas, broke last year- I may just have to replace it. Last year we both worked all weekend and missed the Market, but we will be back this year, cash is hand.

The festivities actually kick off Thursday evening with a free concert in Santa Fe’s famous Plaza in the heart of the old city from 6 –8:30. Featured Afro-Cuban artist, Bobi Céspedes will wow the crowd with her singing and drumming. Opening for Céspedes will be Santa Fe’s own Mathew Andrae, who was a sensation on YouTube last year singing Sweet Celine.

A procession of the artisans in the colorful attire of their native lands starts the festivities at Friday evening's Artist’s Reception and Preview Benefit. Meet and talk to the artists while you sample the eclectic world-cuisine hors d’oeuvres, sip wine and again, listen to the Afro-Cuban sounds of Bobi Céspedes. If you are a collector or serious shopper, this is a great time to preview the crafts that will be on sale on Saturday. Tickets, which admit two, are $250.00. This ticket also features admission for one person to the early bird shopping on Saturday morning. If you are a collector, a dealer or you want first crack at the wares, you can get an Early Bird ticket for $50.00. This allows you to arrive at 7:30 and shop a less crowed Market until the doors open to everyone at 9:00. Early bird shuttles start at 7:00 AM and if you don’t have a ticket they will be sold at the shuttle site according to Market publicist Clare Hertel.

As cars are not allowed up on the Hill for the entire weekend, continuous shuttles run and are included in the admission price. The fist year we went, I was reluctant to ride the bus, but it was the only way I could get to the Market. I hate crowded buses (probably traces back to all the crowded buses and subways I rode in NYC as a child), but I bit the bullet and discovered that the air-conditioned buses were fine and that the ride was short. A bonus is people are friendly and you can chat with a total stranger. I suggest buying your tickets prior to the Market. There is a discount if you purchase them prior to the event and you won’t have to wait on line to boy them at the gate.

While children are free the entire weekend, Sunday is Family Day at the Market. Last year they started the Passport Program for kids. Upon arrival, they can follow the yellow footprints to a booth that will issue their passports- no photo required. As they go from booth to booth they can talk with the artisans and get their passports stamped with the flag of the artisan’s home country. This year, for the first time, there will be teen-aged docents from several youth groups who will give hour-long tours of the Market, to children aged 5 and up (passports in hand). When they exit the Market, each child that attends the Market will be given a commemorative pin.
If you are in Santa Fe this weekend- either because you live here or you are visiting, head up to Museum Hill. You’ll really have a great time. I did.

THE UNEXPECTED BLOG

WHEN 140 CHARACTERS JUST WON’T DO

A FRIDAY NIGHT GALLERY WALK ON SANTA FE’S CANYON ROAD

Friday nights in Santa Fe offer lots of opportunities to view art for free. The three downtown museums (Georgia O’Keeffe, NM Museum of Art and The New Mexico History Museum) are open and free from 5 to 8. Then there is the long-standing tradition of galleries both being open and hosting openings on Fridays. This is particularly true for summer weekends; add a

holiday and Canyon Road is hopping. Historic Canyon Road, one of the oldest streets in a very old town is home to the city’s largest concentration of galleries.

Art Factoid #1: This small city is home to over two hundred galleries.

Art Factoid #2: Little old Santa Fe is ranked as the 2^nd largest art market (by sales) in the US (according the UNM School of Business) after NYC.

We rarely get to have a relaxing Friday night stroll up Canyon Road. My husband Steve and I have been in the hospitality industry since arriving in Santa Fe 5 ½ years ago. A Friday off has been a luxury for us (as are Saturdays and Sundays). I am now self-employed and Steve had a rare Friday off so we decided to play tourist. We got the listing of gallery openings from the Pasatiempo, the magazine insert in the Friday Santa Fe New Mexican and made a plan. We would do our gallery tour on Canyon Road. If we could not find a parking space we would go to Plan B. In a town where finding a parking place can be harder than panning for gold, we were sure we would be implementing Plan B (whatever that was). But the parking angels were with us tonight. We found a space a few doors down from out first stop, the historic El Zaguan. Artist in Residence, Brenda J. Roper’s has a show of her acrylic over oil paintings. Her 12” square pictures were colorful and affordable, I lover her trio of “purses”. A fellow- attendee was attempting to convince her to raise her prices. I hope she doesn’t. This was actually art I could afford (if I did not need to replace my ailing computer). In this town that is rare. I loved chatting with fellow Cancer (and fellow cuspers at that) Brenda and we hatched a plan to have lunch and check out galleries together. After a walk through the lush El Zaguan garden it was on up the road.

We were in and out of a few galleries checking out the art. What little I know about art stops at around 1920, but I sure know what I like- so no need to tarry. We were drawn up the street by the sound of live music- fiddle and guitar, and a beautiful alto beckoned us. We found the duo, Fletcher and John on the porch of the Waxlander Gallery. I loved the riotously colorful watercolors of Waxlander Gallery owner, 78-year-old Phyllis Kapp and the colors and textures of Lori Daniel’s assemblages on old tin ceiling tiles. Would love to own something by each of these women! We nibbled a little, chatted a little and then headed on up the road.

What was going to be a quick stop to say hi to Chris Harvey, front-of- the-house partner at the well-known Geronimo Restaurant turned into a longer stay. Chris invited us to have appetizers and wine at the bar. The tiny barroom was packed with people who were unable to book into the sold-out dining room and were eating here. Eric DeStefano, former Geronimo chef and current chef/owner at Coyote Café is back as chef/owner and the new fusion (French, Asian and creative American) menu looks terrific. Ran into former guests from my concierge days who said this was the best meal they’ve had in town. They’ve been coming to Santa Fe for years and they eat out a lot (I know, I used to make their reservations).

After the apps, we made our way down Canyon Road to the car and headed home into a glorious sunset. A great Friday night in Santa Fe and the price was right!