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You'll be intoxicated with the
fragrance of burning wood, simmering chilies, and bundles of sage.
You will engage in a personal relationship with Native American
tradition, Spanish and Mexican culture and you will leave saying adobe,
casita, coyote, kiva and mañana. If you are sustained by music, your
soul will be drenched in artistic expression and you will be exhausted
from the scope of talent and enthusiasm offered freely for your casual
enjoyment.
You will be slightly overwhelmed to discover that
humanity is still kind, warm and welcoming to strangers and travelers
and that there are places in the world where life is lived with
relish and savor.Any creative thoughts you have ever had will
seem so close to reality that you will return to your home and bring
them to life. Or...you will find your own little casita and plant
your roots here forever.
And this will have happened in the
United States of America. Santa Fe, New Mexico is not like any
other city in this country - or in the world for that matter - and that
is probably why they
refer to it as the City Different. Unlike most cities in
the US, Santa Fe requires style. It also requires that traditions
and postures of the ancient societies of its origins be preserved and
blended into the present.
HERE, in the middle of a desert
is a place so treasured that the gods bless it with radiant sunbeams
300 days in every year, protect it with a peaceful and sacred
mountain range and supply it with enough creative energy to attract some
of the most talented artists on earth.
On your first visit to Santa Fe, you
will probably spend most of your time in the Plaza area because the
Plaza is a happening place. It is the center of downtown where
events and exhibits are held, street vendors display fine
jewelry, symbols and other quality crafts and is surrounded by notable
museums, luxurious and historic places to stay, outstanding restaurants,
healing spas, world class specialty shopping, and mind-boggling art
galleries.
Later you will discover the beauty of
Santa Fe is spread over many miles. You will see lovely big adobe
homes perched on hills with spectacular views of the Sangre
de Cristo mountains, friendly and uncrowded ski slopes, restful
retreats and spas just minutes away from town, sculpture gardens and
glass-making factories plus hundreds of private artist
galleries.
You will see country roads with sprawling
homes, a river winding gracefully through thickets of trees and brush and an
Opera House of provocative architectural design. All of this, unobtrusively
placed by those who understand that nature and humanity and even self
exist and thrive on recognition and appreciation.
SO, going deeper...
it's time to get involved, to experience first hand what it means to be
a Santa Fean. And in doing so, we humbly acknowledge that we are
outsiders - spectators - and that we'll try our best to capture a little
sense of this vital place.
What better place to start than at the
Santa Fe School of Cooking where we'll learn how to capture a
little taste of the southwest - because eating is hot here - and
I'm talking chilis!
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