I'm SOOO Fond-a La Fonda

Santa Fe's historic La Fonda hotel is iconic with its pueblo-style architecture and Spanish Colonial decor. And I love it. So I was thrilled to find that I'd be staying there on my recent trip to New Mexico.

My room was in the La Terraza (concierge) section with a small balcony looking out on the Cathedral. My suite featured beautiful wood floors with woven Indian rugs, colorful tiles and painted furniture.

The wine, fruit and cheese was a lovely surprise.

Both Spanish and Indian themes blended nicely and appeared in creative ways like these cut-outs of corn on the closet door.

The hotel rambles all over the block and it's easy to get lost in the maze of hallways. I took a few unplanned detours myself but enjoyed it because on every wall and around every corner you'll find interesting touches like the stained glass and punched tin light fixture I found in a stairwell.
Of course I had to have huevos rancheros for breakfast -- it's my tradition whenever I'm in New Mexico. And La Plazuela, the La Fonda's charming cafe, made the perfect setting.

I loved my room; I loved my bed; I loved my breakfast but here's what put the La Fonda and its great staff forever in my heart. I was in a hurry to get dressed and packed and took my pearl earrings out of my suitcase. Before I put them on, I stopped to do something else and promptly forgot them. They're small and simple -- not terribly expensive -- but they had a lot of sentimental value to me. I didn't realize until we were in Red River that I didn't have them. I didn't hold out much hope for getting them back. It would have been easy just to sweep them off the table without noticing. I called the hotel -- as did my trip host -- but didn't hear back that day -- or the next. I had given up when I got the message that they had been found and had been put in the mail. They beat me home. Thank you, La Fonda, for a great stay and a happy ending!

Upbeat and Down Under

No, not Australia. I'm in New Zealand -- which I will never again think of as an appendage to the larger country. New Zealand may be smaller in size but it totally rules in beauty of landscape, variety of terrain and the kindness, generosity and friendliness of the Kiwis -- what the locals call themselves. And they have a cheekiness that is irresistible. New Zealand is the Michael J. Fox of nations -- not large but so appealing!
We've seen everything from glaciers to forest glades (where we had a proper tea), driven in one rushing river and jetboated up another one. Last night's Gala closing dinner for our Society of American Travel Writers Conference (why I'm here) was amazing and I have the pictures to prove it -- just have to get home and upload the 600+ photos I've taken in the last nine days. Shameless, I got down on the floor to get the right angle on the Black Tower of Isengard

and Jack and I posed (several times) with a couple of Orcs. If you're not a Lord of the Rings fan, this will mean nothing. If you are -- be damned impressed!

Yesterday was a wine tour -- and we also did an olive oil tasting. Lunch at the Coney Winery was superb -- needless to say, lamb here is excellent. The Martinborough Vineyard is noted for its pinot noirs -- but I was most impressed with the flowers, both wild and cultivated.

Tuesday afternoon we visited a spectacular garden -- 400 rhododendrons in bloom -- and me without a camera! I left the battery in the hotel room in the charger. RATS!
This morning the whole event was capped off with a champagne brunch sponsored by Air New Zealand. Wonderful food and the most delightful program by the "Cuddly Cook" Annabelle White. Talk about high energy -- and funny -- but you had to be there.

I'm going to miss New Zealand. There's so much we didn't see -- it would be worth the butt-busting trip to come back again -- but only if I can fly Air New Zealand!

My White Knight

Chivalry did not die with Don Quixote. If you read my blog a couple of days ago, you read about my losing my hat in a ravine. I took this picture the next day -- when it wasn't raining -- and you can see the bridge I was standing on and the gorge it crosses. I really hated losing that hat. Imagine my surprise the next day when we were about to get on the bus and leave; Richard Frisbie, who shall forever be my champion, presented me with the hat. It was totally soaked but none the worse for wear. Richard had gone for an early morning walk and climbed down into the gorge and retrieved it!

That was not his only act of kindness. Throughout the trip he was unfailingly cheerful and never lost patience when one or the other of us got a little tired and cranky -- or just plain diva-ish. Then at our dinner the last night, he noticed I was shivering because the private dining room where we were going to eat was chilly. Next thing I know, he's talked the waitress out of a tablecloth and is draping it around me. And I was cold enough that I wore it all through dinner. I have no pride where my comfort is concerned! I called Richard my knight -- but I was wrong. He's absolutely a prince!

Just Desserts

Oh, my gosh, I´ve just had heaven on a plate! The food in Spain is amazing and the quantities they are serving us would feed a small -- or maybe not so small -- army. We are in the parador in Almagro, a charming and beautiful town. For lunch we were served a local specialty for an appetizer -- pickled eggplant stuffed with pimiento and garlic. The dish dates back to the Muslim tradition -- the Moors occupied Spain for several centuries. The first course was cod topped with julienne vegetables and "foam of potato" -- sort of a thinned mashed potato thingie. Totally full -- and having left a lot of food on my plate -- I made the mistake of looking at our menu only to discover that a second entree was coming. The pork plate, with potato and vegetables, went practically untouched. I played with my food so it would look like I´d eaten some! Then came dessert -- fritters of Calatrava with bitter almond sauce and quince sherbet. It was fabulous.
We´re off to the town where it is tradition that Cervantes was imprisoned and where he began his masterwork. Bet I sleep on the bus!!!!

The Rain in Spain.....

Is not only on the plain. Yesterday it was in the hilly country between Alcala de Henares and Cuenca. I loved Alacala de Henares -- not far from Madrid, it was the birthplace of Miguel Cervantes. And the point of this trip is to follow the route of Don Quixote (which I am reading on my Kindle every chance I get). The weather was lovely the first day and our walking tour around town a delight. The parador is the newest of the 90+ paradors owned by the Spanish government. I´ve stayed here before and it was like going home -- to the most technically up to date, comfortable room -- except it´s built around a centuries-old convent.
Last night we stayed in the parador in Cuenca -- it, too, was a convent. While it has all the conveniences, the decor is more traditional and I felt like a Spanish princess when I opened the shuttered window to see, across a deep gorge, the "hanging houses" of the old city.
It rained most of yesterday -- the wind broke my umbrella and sent my rain hat (a special souvenir of a very windy day in Oxford) over the bridge and down, down, down into the gorge. Still, it was worth it to see this beautiful old town.
The rain stopped late in the day and the lighted, wet streets made colorful photos - which, since I left my large camera in the room and carried my point-and-shoot, will probably come out fuzzy. You´ll have to take my word for it.
The food ranges from excellent to "interesting" and there´s way too much of it. It´s going to be hard holding on to my old-girlish figure on this trip!
Must fly -- time and the bus wait for no one!

Grandmom-a-go-go

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. (Though those of you who check my Traveling Teddy's blog -- www.teddietravel.blogspot.com -- know that the bear has checked in a bit more often.) I've been on the road BIG time. And I'm fixin' (that's how we get ready here in Oklahoma) to hit the highway again. So here's a quick catch-up on where I've been since the first of September.

Jack and I (with our dog, Roxie) made a road trip to Ennis, Texas to experience some Czech heritage. The picture above is a beautiful costume (called a kroj, pronounced kroy) at the Sokol Hall museum -- one of several Czech dance halls. And, of course, we had some great Czech food. Sweet kolaches and spicy klobase were big favorites.

The Travel Media Showcase -- a kind of speed-dating for destinations and travel writers -- was held here in OKC and I played tourist. We started with a trip to eastern Oklahoma to explore the Cherokee heritage there. In Tahlequah, a number of the street and road signs are bi-lingual.

At the Ancient Village at the Cherokee Heritage Center we watched demonstrations of native crafts and skills. Scott Ennis posed with Batman (yep, that's what the kids named the bear).

Jack and I made a quick but fun-filled trip to Fort Worth. We traveled down on the Heartland Flyer -- I heart the train. We had a great dinner with McKenzie Zieser at Reata.

We spent a lot of time on our feet the next day -- four museums after lunch. So I was ready for some pampering at the spa at the Omni. I'm getting my toenails painted with OPI's "It's Totally Fort Worth It."

Last week I spent four days in Florida. Though Apalachicola was the main destination, I stayed in a beach house on St. George Island. It was gorgeous -- right on the beach -- and I slept with the balcony door open so I could go to sleep with the sound of the surf.

The seafood in Franklin County is the best! I'm not a big raw oyster fan but I'll eat them here. They're unbelieveably fresh and good. It didn't do a lot for my appetite, however, when our guide at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve told us that the oysters are still alive when we eat them. Ugh, I ate that little oyster when its teeny heart was still beating! I had no such qualms when Chef Brett Gormley served bacon-wrapped grouper stuffed with fresh crabmeat.

It was wonderful to get up early and watch the sun rise over the ocean. I really like this shot -- I think it looks almost like an abstract painting.

Paging Dr. Warner

For years, Wisconsin remained a state I hadn't visited. Finally, in 2008, I made it to Door County. Since then I've been back twice and every time I find more and more to like about the state. I love the lovely green landscape, the passionate Cheeseheads -- and their amazing headgear -- the cheese and so much more. And like so many places with impressive attractions, it also has some little, quirky treasures. I'd have to say the National Mustard Museum heads that list.

It's located in Middleton in the metropolitan Madison area. Barry Levenson is the founder and chief cheerleader. An attorney, he's a former assistant state's attorney general and an adjunct professor of food law at the University of Wisconsin. And he has a wild and wicked sense of humor.

The Mustard Museum features over 5000 mustards from every state in the union and more than 60 countries. The museum store carries mustards from many of these places -- and features a mustard tasting bar.

The museum itself is an exploration of mustard history and includes displays of antique mustard pots, advertsing and actual jars of the condiment. Guests can view a video in the Mustardpiece Theatre. It's also a seat of higher learning with school songs like "Roll Out the Mustard" and university fight songs. And I, myself, received a diploma from this institution.

As you can see, I am now a D.D.S. -- Doctor of Diddley Squat. And my alma mater -- Poupon U.

After receiving my credential, I headed for the school store for memorabilia. Here's one of my favorites.