SWCAMBORNE

“The journey is the reward.”

Taoist Proverb

What do you get when you mix Texas and California?

Santa Fe!

By Nurit Burrow

The Shed

113 E Palace Ave

805-982-9030

Prices $

Food 7

Ambiance 8

Service 7

We ate lunch in the very pleasant patio at this classic Santa Fe restaurant . I had a salmon salad with a lemon & olive oil dressing. Simon had a chicken salad. Both items were very good, but the best part was their dessert. We shared a piece of the mocha cake which is served semi-frozen with a dollop of whipped cream. We were please to see other guests on the patio with their dogs. Next time we will take our dog, too. (Full bar available)

La Boca
72 E Marcy

805-982-3433
Prices $$

Food 8

Ambiance 7

Service 6

This Spanish tapas restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. Tapas are small dishes that are meant to be a taste of an item or preparation.
We made reservations for dinner but still had to wait 1⁄2 hour for a table. The place is very small and tables are very close together. However, once we were seated, the service improved. We started with a glass of wine, some salted almonds and a grilled eggplant dish. We continued with a seafood stuffed cannolle, grilled asparagus, and a fantastic sliced beef tenderloin. (Beer and wine only)

Pink Adobe

406 Old Santa Fe Trail

805-983-7712

Prices $

Food 6

Ambiance 5

Service 4

We had a late lunch at this Santa Fe eclectic restaurant. We had our dog with us, so we sat in the patio. Service was very slow although the wait staff kept apologizing for it. Once we ordered it seems that our order was lost and had to be replaced. Simon had a very wonderful Gypsy Stew made with chicken, vegetables, and mild green chilies. I don’t remember what I ate. (Full bar)

Il Piatto

95 W Marcy

805-984-1091

Prices $$

Food 8

Ambiance 7

Service 8

This Northern Italian restaurant has been around for a while but has recently become very popular. The place is small with tables placed close to each other. There are also a few tables at the curb outside. We had made a reservation for dinner and were promptly seated. There was a full menu as well as a daily specials menu. Most of the dishes sounded wonderful. We shared a half bottle of Chianti and started with appetizers. I had a very nice sweet potato and sage bisque while Simon had a smallish heirloom tomato and onion salad. For our entrees we split a serving of pumpkin ravioli and a lemon roasted chicken with pine nuts. We shared a large tiramisu for dessert. Service was terrific. (Beer and wine only)

Guadalupe Café

422 Old Santa Fe Trail

805-982-9762

Prices $

Food 8

Ambiance 6

Service 5

This has become our favorite breakfast place. I love the breakfast crepe filled with fresh berries, vanilla yogurt and granola. Simon has had French toast made from the cinnamon nut bread and blueberry pancakes. Service is slow but the food is great. The place has a very nice patio, but it has either been too cold or the patio has been full when we have been at the restaurant. We tried going there for lunch but they will not allow dogs on the patio and we had Missy with us. We’ll try again.

Geronimo

724 Canyon Rd

805-982-1500

Prices $$$

Food 9

Ambiance 8

Service 9

A truly fine dining experience located on the upper part of Canyon Road.
(to be continued)

Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his effort to end global warming. And the believers celebrated. It is a political award. My friend John L sent me an email saying:
“Also, Gore won the Peace Prize. Did you ever see his movie? I’ll lend it to you when you return.”

I replied: “Yasser Arafat also won the Nobel Peace Prize. I have seen Gore’s movie and he didn’t convince me that global warming is one of the top five issues facing the world.”

John called me on my top five claim and asked me: “What are the top five?”

I had to think about it but came up with this list: “Everybody’s lists will vary but mine would include:
Health in Africa
Improving equality of opportunity in the USA and the world
Womens right in the Muslim world
Ending ethnic violence in Darfur, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Burma and other places
Stablizing the worlds population
Building and encouraging Democratic Capitalism in the world
Improving meritocracies and discouraging nepotism and cronism
Finding sources of energy to replace fossil fuels
Allowing responsible people freedom of movement

Thats nine choose five.

Solutions to these issues can in the short run have a dramatic effect on peoples lives. Global Warming is the issue d’jour but it doesn’t make my top five list because any attempt we make to solve it will have an effect, if it does, three or four generations from now. The issues I think are important can effect the lives of our children”

Thanks John you made me think.

Los Alamos was built as a secret town during WWII to develop the atomic bomb. The site was selected because of its remoteness.  It is still operating today.

Last week we visited with Gene and Missy the dog.  We drove through the town, visited the museum and learned that the Los Alamos National Laboratories are involved in genetics, global warming, environmental research and nuclear safety as well as other things. All in an attempt to remain relevant since they long ago completed their initial mission.

The lab is so far from anywhere that without the continued support of the government it would return to its natural state. Gene and Nurit and I argued about whether it was a good use of the taxpayers money. I thought that the existence of facilities and infrastructure built for one thing did not make it necessary to keep them going. Nurit and Gene made the point that this kind of research will be done with government funds somewhere, why not here.

The view from Los Alamos

The lab is in a beautiful area and the people who live here now are protective of their territory.  Just as I’m sure the Anasazi who lived nearby at Bandolier were of theirs a thousand years ago.

Bandolier

We drove over the hills to a beautiful volcanic caldera and them down through the Jemez valley and saw the beautiful red sandstone cliffs.

Caldera Valley

Jemez

Chinle Sandstone

I like driving around with smart simpatico people and thinking and arguing about why things are the way they are.

“If you don’t believe that time flies, borrow money on a ninety day note.”

Jim Brogdon

Builder/Developer Long Beach Island, NJ

On the top of the arch over the front door of the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe there is the Hebrew word for G-d.

How it got there and why is a subject for some investigation. Next week.

I went with Gene B. to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.  We arrived early and had an easy time parking and then went to the beer garden and watched the sun set behind the umbrellas as the park filled.  We had a nice conversation with Bruce and Cindy M. who live in Albuquerque.  They were such good ambassadors for their town they made us want to  move here.

Inflation was at sunset

Propane flames are the key to inflating

Gene the Pooh 

About a tenth of the total balloons 

There was lots of variety 

Click here to see all of my new photos from the Balloon Fiesta.  It was an experience similar to the Rose Parade in Pasadena.  If you haven’t been you really don’t know what your missing.

These are a few pictures of the interior of the house we are renting on Acequia Madre St. in Santa Fe.

Gene B in the main room

The master bedroom

The kitchen

The dining area

Acequia Madre translates into “mother irrigation ditch” in Spanish. As you can see the house is built and furnished to match the Santa Fe style. Except for the couch which makes up for not being the right style by being extremely uncomfortable.

Hens and Biddies are a type of succulent.

Hens and Biddies

I don’t know why they are called that do you? However I took a very good picture of them.