New Mexico In Winter.

On December 31 we flew West over never ending Texas. We ended up in Albuquerque's very good looking airport. Seriously, the ambiance is top drawer. All natural wood and Navajo decor.
Bonus: I didn't see one florescent light.

We didn't stick around though. After a minor issue we were en route to Santa Fe for a lunchtime rendezvous at Cafe Pasqual's. Well known for their healthy and fun New Mexican menu, we weren't surprised by the 90 minute wait. When we sat down at a community table in the center of the warm and friendly room we were pretty happy. I'll just say that it was worth it!

Next stop: North to Taos as the sun was descending, the roads were twisting, and the snow was increasing. The first thing we did once we arrived was wander 50 feet from our snowy inn over to the Love Apple. Since it was 6 pm on New Year's Eve I expected to be turned away (we had no reservation). Instead we were welcomed into the warm, twinkling room of the adobe building. It was very romantic. We loved:

-Buttermilk yellow and wheat free blue cornbread
With sweet maple cinnamon and savory sage orange herb butter

-House smoked Trout Pâté
Meyer lemon relish, avocado and home-made crackers

-Local Chèvre Apple Stuffed Mushrooms
Served with celery, pear, fennel, piñon and parmesan salad drizzled with truffle oil

-Piñon Soup
The Southwest version of chestnut soup…with vanilla and Bay Leaf

The Piñon (pine nut) grows all over northern New Mexico and we sampled it in a variety of dishes on our trip. You could also smell the Piñon wood burning everywhere from the bonfire in front of the restaurant to the kiva fireplace in our room. The people at Love Apple were very gracious to not only make room for us on a busy holiday night, but when we realized it was cash only and we had none, they let us leave with a promise to pay our bill the next day. Incredible!

The next morning, the first day of 2013 and possibly my favorite day of each year, we set out early toward the Taos Pueblo. The pueblo there has been continuously inhabited for 1000 years.

Stunning! Ansel Adams took many photographs at the Taos Pueblo.
Since we weren't allowed to, I present Adams' photo from 1941.

Ice cold at 0 degrees, covered in snow, and absolutely magical. The first thing I remember was the scent. It was that piñon wood burning. There are several kivas (corner fireplaces) on the pueblo. Then I noticed the breathtaking mountains behind and then I noticed music, a kind of low chanting. We ran excitedly toward the source. There we found two dozen men, teenage to old age, lined up, bare chested and wearing crocheted white leggings with brightly colored ribbons tied around the legs. When they turned around during the chanting, we noticed that they were each wearing an entire duck around their necks, so that the duck was hanging in the back, and an entire fox around their waist, again hanging in the back. Each outfit was topped with an array of stunning bird feathers.  I'm totally stealing this look, by the way (sans the topless part).

Taos Pueblo church, Ansel Adams, 1941.

The chanting and slow dance movements were mesmerizing. Along with the wood burning, all of our senses were lit up. This experience, which I truly value as one of my most important, was very similar to the spirituality that I feel in certain churches. This ceremony is called Turtle Dance and it takes place on the first day of the new year.

As we wandered around the pueblo we found this sweet little adobe church. We had a look and pondered over how wonderful it is that this community continues the rituals of their cultural heritage, which must be considered pagan, but also practices Christianity. I love this. Despite the frigid temperatures, I could have stayed at the pueblo for hours. But we had an appointment on a mountain.

We drove up to the famous Taos slopes, mingling with good looking skiers and hippie snow boarders. However, we were there to snowshoe. This four hour adventure took us high into the mountains away from people and sound.

Our small group of six climbed through fresh snow up to the high altitude of 13,000 feet. That was a strange feeling for me. Although the workout was not overly strenuous and I'm generally fit, I was out of breathe and slightly dizzy.

Taos.

Exhilarating! Another spiritual event. We communed with nature in a way that I rarely get a chance to.

As we made our way down the valley and back into town we stopped by Taos Mesa Brewing for a beer and some Piñon fritters. About five miles away is the incredible natural wonder, Rio Grande Gorge. Now, I have never been to the Grand Canyon, never cared. Totally changed my mind after seeing this gorge. Whoa. The timing was perfect too, that magical twilight hour enhanced the ruddy tones and the snow sparkled all over. I even walked to the center of the bridge. Pretty daring for me (but this summer I took part in many daring events including a two hour tour of a Hittite era city, eight stories underground!). I'll take any challenge!

Rio Grande Gorge.

So. This was the best first day of the year ever.

Rio Grande from the road (the next day).

Back To Santa Fe:
We usually do Airbnb, but we went a little deluxe this time. I'd read about this Japanese spa hotel place more than five years ago and have been dreaming of it ever since. They have wooden Japanese hot tubs outside!

STAY:
Ten Thousand Waves
It's a little out of town, but still do it. You'll find a harmonious blend of Japanese and Southwestern style. After a full day of site seeing, we raced back to the Waves just in time for our 8pm tub appointment. The place is like a campus, with rooms and spa things scattered all over. You can walk from your suite to the heart of the spa and its tubs by taking a variety of wooded stairs and paths. We did this, in the dark, while wearing two kimino (a lighter one and a heavy one) and sandals. Nothing else! It was very, very dark and clear. The sky was stunning with stars, really breathtaking, and the path was covered by more glittering snow. The short trek to get there combined with the outdoor tub was intoxicating. I can't describe it any better. So amazing.

EAT:
Southwestern food is great. Dives and fancies alike. Get as much of it as you can and get it spicy. La Boca was really great for Spanish tapas. Also Plaza Cafe, get the tres leches, sooo good.

Santa Fe.

MUSEUM:
I mentioned it before and I'll say it again, The International Museum of Folk Art alone is worth a trip.

Pretty excited as we enter.

Other things spotted around town:

Rosaries.

The Virgin of Guadalupe and our holiday card muse.

Back at home in Texas: Goose helping us hand paint our collaborative masterpiece.

I've heard that New Mexico is like a suburb of Houston and I am perfectly all right with that. Next time we go I want to experience the summer desert and the textile and turquoise trail. I love New Mexico!

Lucky 13: Expanding My Apotropaic Collection.

I have only a few superstitions. One has to do with traveling. I must wear my flying outfit (leggings, knit dress, flats, and old, dirty, super soft cashmere scarf with a dozen holes in it) for every flight and be in possession of my travel journal (the second volume). These have been my apotropaic objects. One of my favorite topics in art history, apotropaic objects are thought to protect from danger or bring good luck and are found in many diverse cultures. 

I've become more flexible in the past few years since I've been traveling more than ever. On a return flight from Barcelona I dared to wear a comfortable silk dress with my new Spanish sandals. And I survived! Now I make a point to wear high heels whenever I fly. Might as well feel glamorous and trick people into thinking I'm a celebrity. It's the blonde hair.

Over the summer I saw lots of apotropaics, especially in Greece and Turkey. The evil eye! In both countries everyone was wearing these blue eyes as charms and I too began to wear one. 

Follow the nazar! Ataturk airport, Istanbul, Turkey

When we arrived at the airport in Istanbul one of the first things I noticed was a huge neon lit sign hanging from the ceiling with just the eye (nazar). At the entrance to nearly every shop or residence you see an eye. I began build my own collection of these protective objects as we traveled. Now I can't leave home without one of my eyes, a necklace with a mother of pearl eye inlaid with a turquoise stone. Since I got the necklace in Greece, it also has a cross on it. 

I believe that my ever growing assortment not only kept us safe on all thirteen of our flights, but also got us into first class on our way to Stockholm.

Alex shows off his own eye on Turkish Airlines.

First class space Istanbul to Stockholm! Note the old, dirty apotropaic cashmere scarf full of holes.

Recent additions to my collection include this rad double bear necklace. I spotted it back in October when we were in Schulenburg (the Eastern/Northern European settled part of Texas), but I didn't allow myself to take it home with me. 

It reminds me of the bears climbing the walls of the Czechoslovakian Krumlov Castle. I was surprised to find it under the Christmas tree and I've been wearing it religiously ever since. Thank you darling Alex!

Bear moat at the Český Krumlov Castle, southern Czech Republic. The castle was originally built in the 13th c., the tower is a Gothic era addition. Bears have been kept at the castle since 1707.

Kateřina and Vok (mother and son) play in the courtyard.

And then we went to NEW MEXICO!

(the eye and bears accompanied us). The trip coincided with the beginning of 2013 and while we were there the number 13 kept popping up, several times in mundane, but telling ways. We've decided that this is our protective, lucky number.

This was taken on our last day in NM. After encountering the number 13 several times already, I decided I should finally document. We were sitting at the counter of the fantastic Plaza Cafe (Santa Fe's oldest restaurant) facing this. I also had the most delicious tres leches cake there. 

But I want to talk more about the strong presence of apotropaic objects in the Southwest, a place which of course is historically a combination of Native American and Mexican culture. In Santa Fe I saw lots of milagros (literal Spanish translation: miracles, which are borne out through Mexican protective charms). These are typically forms of body parts pressed in tin. Basically if you need help with your arms, legs, heart, intestines, fertility, eyes (general protection), you carry a charm in the relative shape. Sometimes these charms are added to religious works of art as holy offerings.

Milagros at the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM.

Although these kinds of pressed charms are numerous in Mexico and Latin America, there are counterparts in many parts of the world. The first time I saw them in person was last summer in Greece. There they are called tamatas and are often found heavily clustered around icon paintings in churches.

Tamatas hang beneath an icon painting at one of the many Cycladic Island churches we visited.

Guess what? I'm obsessed. In Santa Fe, among lots of Mexican milagros, I found one of these Greek charms, almost exactly like the one of the eyes on the top right. It's from the WWII era and it's the first to enter our collection. The next day we went out to the Museum of International Folk Art. The website is a little outdated, but the museum is one of the best ever. It's the first international folk art museum in the world! Started by a woman who had lived through both world wars, it was meant to promote an understanding between cultures. This is still a relevant and needed effort.

My favorite was Alexander Girard's collection, "Multiple Visions: A Common Bond." There are no wall labels to interrupt the experience, which I think is great. The galleries are filled with lovingly arranged dioramas and the best way to be delighted is by taking it all in visually, letting your eyes catch on the sublime details. You can follow the guide books stacked up at the entrance if you'd like a bit of information.

Eyes are pretty universal and SO INTERESTING! I still want to write a book on eyes in art history. For now, please enjoy my documentation of these stunning works (which are mounted on silk!).

Girard's collection of milagros, votives, nazars, and tamatas from all over the world. I love it!

Italy.

India.

Wax votives from Italy.

Turkey (vintage nazar!).

Syria.

Italy.

Italy.

Morocco.

After drooling over these, we found little treasure shops and picked up a few more votives and milagros. We scored a vintage silver arm from Italy, a Mexican heart, and a tin hand. My one regret is that I didn't pick up a dream catcher. These seem to be the Native American protective gear. The only reason I didn't get one is because Alex claims that we need bad dreams as much as we need good dreams and I guess I agree. I did get some silver eagle feathers and vintage turquoise. These are also important to the Native American culture.

I can't wait to set up my little collection of charms and amulets and I definitely know I'll be looking out for more on future travels.

Coincidentally, this call for papers blurb popped up in my e-mail yesterday..."What work did objects do in medieval culture? What made an object efficacious? Art historians have begun to take seriously objects, including amulets, talismans, ex-votos, funerary effigies, astrolabes, eye glasses, decorative armaments, furniture, textiles, as well as the sacraments of the Christian church and a wide range of medieval counterfeits, that raise important questions of agency, efficacy, and authority." Sounds amazing. Too bad the deadline is next Tuesday. 

More details on why New Mexico is so awesome: next time!