Day Seven

I got up a little later than the day before and went for a run among the groves by the mesas. Then I went home and started getting ready to leave. Dad provided us with a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt, and then we paid a quick visit to the nearby cemetery to water the plants on the graves of my grandparents and two of my uncles.

After that, Dan and I packed the truck and headed to Santa Fe. Our room at La Fonda wouldn't be ready until 3:00, so we had lunch and browsed the natives' wares on the plaza. Once we could check in, Dan relaxed in our room while I took Audrey to see the sights. She was especially eager to visit the church of St Francis, patron saint of birds and other animals...

At his statue, she met a friend...










...and got to say hi to St Francis himself.












Then I took Audrey to the Loretto chapel to see the miraculous staircase. She was duly impressed.











Finally, I told her it was time to return to the hotel - Dan would be worrying about us, wondering where we were. Audrey liked our room, and after I got her to quit bouncing on the bed...











...she settled down and contented herself with looking out the window at the Loretto chapel, where she had been just a little while before.










While Audrey was admiring the view, I went to the spa and got a massage. Then I fixed myself up for dinner, and Dan and I had supper in La Fonda's restaurant. After dinner, we went for a stroll around the plaza and surrounding streets. There was quite a nightlife at some of the little bars and restaurants, and on the plaza itself, a lot of young people were hanging out talking, flirting, testing scooters, and admiring the low-riders and motorcycles cruising the square.

I found it fascinating to see such a mix of people all in the same place, casually getting along - teenage runaways and deadbeats, foreign tourists, and rich people in nice clothes on their way to or from one of downtown Santa Fe's many pricey restaurants.

Finally, though, Dan lost interest in the scene and wanted to go up to our hotel room. We've got a morning run planned, so perhaps I'll turn in, too.