I do like the adobe homes, I really do. I'm not a fan of the absolute lack of parking in the downtown area. Luckily my morning didn't have any worries about that as I was going to Museum Hill. Oddly enough in the hotel lobby was a woman from the Santo Domingo Pueblo selling jewelry. I bought a beautiful pair of earrings of shell jet and turquoise for a ridiculously low price. Is it faked? Maybe but who cares at this price (Also a little surprised the hotel allows for vendors but okay)
I went to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture which shared a plaza with the Folkart museum. Both were good. The docent seemed excited to have me in the Indian Arts building as it's been super slow (how sad). It's a very nice museum, lots of pottery each one showcased by which group did it and how they did it (because it does differ from group to group and there is a LOT of different groups), jewelry and textiles too. Very glad I stopped here.
Mom was super excited for me to go to the folk art museum (she saw it on antique road show) and it was a good call. The Girards donated part of it (there was a big write up on them but at this point I've read so much I don't remember) but they donated 10,000 items. Yikes. I can't even begin to describe all the things I saw (especially in the Girard wing) I did think![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fauxklore would like this place and probably has seen it.
I was taken with the amulet/votive collection as I like those myself (and was wearing one not in the Italian cases for them). Also my absolute favorite was the traveling Yōkai exhibit. It tied into the history and cultural importance. They didn't leave out manga/anime like GeGeGe no Kitaro and Miyazaki's work. There were bits from Noh theater and what I loved but was disappointed in at the same time was the haunted house interactive. the haunted house portion was fun but they had a tv up and you could take part in Hyaku-monogatari, a Japanese haunted storytelling tradition but you know how smart tvs have that pick your app thing at the bottom? Yeah it was doing that right over the subtitles so it was unwatchable. I reported it (but sadly when you have ONE day you don't have time to linger like you should). Also fun was the Mexican heritage display.
from here I went back to the hotel to get on the free shuttle to the old town plaza. Bless this thing. Drop me off and I went to the historic plaza cafe for stuffed soapillas Christmas style (and they gave me team green and red chile stickers, cute). I went to the St. Francis of Assissi basilica, the San Miguel chapel (oldest Catholic church in America) and the famous Loretta Chapel with its 'miracle spiral staircase.' Honestly it was the Loretto I wanted but I was able to work them all in. I did learn that no matter how my own spiritual sense changes, I can't escape growing up Catholic. Can't walk past a holy water font without dipping in the fingers.
I was a bit disappointed that the Loretto is persisting in the miracle of the spiral, how the builder appeared from nowhere, built it and left without payment but I've been reading that literally none of that is true. I get it though. It's what brings in the tourists. Much like San Miguel persists in the myth that the 'indians built the church under the guidance of the Spanish.' call it what it was (the museums do) slavery. We tend to forget/ignore/want to pretend many Native peoples were also slaves.
That said I did buy a few trinkets from Loretto chapel to round out the Christmas gift giving plus they had a wooden pocket saint card of Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats. Yes, I bought it (I'm over here in my shame corner)
From there I went shopping. HAHAHAHAHA OMG what? Okay I get it, rent in this area has to be astronomical but the prices are so high, can they be selling enough to make rent? Well the Native run store I wanted was no open so maybe not. I know what this stuff costs, even when buying direct from the artist. Take that and up the price at least 100%. Even at 50% off a lot of it was 300 and up, most was in the 600-2000$ range. Keep it my friends, keep it.
I did buy something from the son of an artist El Platero, Ben Chavez, opal sun earrings (that were considerably less than 600$, less than 100 actually). I am happy with them.
I came back with grand intentions of dinner and Meow Wolf. My stupid self should have just gone back to the shuttle and down town (and try to worm into the Pink Adobe) but my leg was telling me the last 8 days are catching up to me with the walking. I should have because there is No. Damn. Parking. The place I picked up had a parking lot around the corner that served the whole area and already had at least 6 homeless tents at 5 pm and they were between the cars and the restaurants so I noped out (one concession to the leg is I need the cane to walk around the city streets but again that just says this one can't run) I was trying to find a place when I found one with a parking lot and said don't care if dinner is 50$....and it nearly was. Joseph's culinary pub was packed and pricey but my lamb burger with hatch chilies and soft sheep cheese and duck-fat fries were delicious.
That said, there were 3 20 something's sitting next to me at the bar and I'm like what do you do to have THIS MUCH disposable cash (not to mention sitting there talking about the drugs you're going to go do once you leave the place) they split 6 apps each 20$ and I'm like wow...I did not have this money at your age. A wee bit jealous.
By the time I was done, I was too aggravated and tired for Meow Wolf. I could go in the morning but an immersive art display of 70 rooms? That's too much. For 50$ I'd want to linger and I just don't have time to really do that. There are two things I desperately want to see in Albuquerque and I have to do that before I have to turn in my car. Ah well. Also missing out on the good chocolate too as I found out a day too late.
( pictures again )
I went to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture which shared a plaza with the Folkart museum. Both were good. The docent seemed excited to have me in the Indian Arts building as it's been super slow (how sad). It's a very nice museum, lots of pottery each one showcased by which group did it and how they did it (because it does differ from group to group and there is a LOT of different groups), jewelry and textiles too. Very glad I stopped here.
Mom was super excited for me to go to the folk art museum (she saw it on antique road show) and it was a good call. The Girards donated part of it (there was a big write up on them but at this point I've read so much I don't remember) but they donated 10,000 items. Yikes. I can't even begin to describe all the things I saw (especially in the Girard wing) I did think
fauxklore would like this place and probably has seen it.I was taken with the amulet/votive collection as I like those myself (and was wearing one not in the Italian cases for them). Also my absolute favorite was the traveling Yōkai exhibit. It tied into the history and cultural importance. They didn't leave out manga/anime like GeGeGe no Kitaro and Miyazaki's work. There were bits from Noh theater and what I loved but was disappointed in at the same time was the haunted house interactive. the haunted house portion was fun but they had a tv up and you could take part in Hyaku-monogatari, a Japanese haunted storytelling tradition but you know how smart tvs have that pick your app thing at the bottom? Yeah it was doing that right over the subtitles so it was unwatchable. I reported it (but sadly when you have ONE day you don't have time to linger like you should). Also fun was the Mexican heritage display.
from here I went back to the hotel to get on the free shuttle to the old town plaza. Bless this thing. Drop me off and I went to the historic plaza cafe for stuffed soapillas Christmas style (and they gave me team green and red chile stickers, cute). I went to the St. Francis of Assissi basilica, the San Miguel chapel (oldest Catholic church in America) and the famous Loretta Chapel with its 'miracle spiral staircase.' Honestly it was the Loretto I wanted but I was able to work them all in. I did learn that no matter how my own spiritual sense changes, I can't escape growing up Catholic. Can't walk past a holy water font without dipping in the fingers.
I was a bit disappointed that the Loretto is persisting in the miracle of the spiral, how the builder appeared from nowhere, built it and left without payment but I've been reading that literally none of that is true. I get it though. It's what brings in the tourists. Much like San Miguel persists in the myth that the 'indians built the church under the guidance of the Spanish.' call it what it was (the museums do) slavery. We tend to forget/ignore/want to pretend many Native peoples were also slaves.
That said I did buy a few trinkets from Loretto chapel to round out the Christmas gift giving plus they had a wooden pocket saint card of Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats. Yes, I bought it (I'm over here in my shame corner)
From there I went shopping. HAHAHAHAHA OMG what? Okay I get it, rent in this area has to be astronomical but the prices are so high, can they be selling enough to make rent? Well the Native run store I wanted was no open so maybe not. I know what this stuff costs, even when buying direct from the artist. Take that and up the price at least 100%. Even at 50% off a lot of it was 300 and up, most was in the 600-2000$ range. Keep it my friends, keep it.
I did buy something from the son of an artist El Platero, Ben Chavez, opal sun earrings (that were considerably less than 600$, less than 100 actually). I am happy with them.
I came back with grand intentions of dinner and Meow Wolf. My stupid self should have just gone back to the shuttle and down town (and try to worm into the Pink Adobe) but my leg was telling me the last 8 days are catching up to me with the walking. I should have because there is No. Damn. Parking. The place I picked up had a parking lot around the corner that served the whole area and already had at least 6 homeless tents at 5 pm and they were between the cars and the restaurants so I noped out (one concession to the leg is I need the cane to walk around the city streets but again that just says this one can't run) I was trying to find a place when I found one with a parking lot and said don't care if dinner is 50$....and it nearly was. Joseph's culinary pub was packed and pricey but my lamb burger with hatch chilies and soft sheep cheese and duck-fat fries were delicious.
That said, there were 3 20 something's sitting next to me at the bar and I'm like what do you do to have THIS MUCH disposable cash (not to mention sitting there talking about the drugs you're going to go do once you leave the place) they split 6 apps each 20$ and I'm like wow...I did not have this money at your age. A wee bit jealous.
By the time I was done, I was too aggravated and tired for Meow Wolf. I could go in the morning but an immersive art display of 70 rooms? That's too much. For 50$ I'd want to linger and I just don't have time to really do that. There are two things I desperately want to see in Albuquerque and I have to do that before I have to turn in my car. Ah well. Also missing out on the good chocolate too as I found out a day too late.
( pictures again )
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