Safe Return Doubtful

57 miles (92 km) – Total so far: 2,047 miles (3,294 km)

Chatting over dinner with Benyamin and his daughter and daughter in law made for a very enjoyable evening, and the food was great also. New Mexico only has a population of 8 million, and most of them live in the big cities, so the rural parts like Abiquiu are very peaceful. Nearby is an officially designated International Dark Sky Sanctuary, and the night sky was impressive outside the casita where I was staying.

Today’s riding was very much split into two halves. Firstly a rapid 25 miles of gradual descent (100 meters only), but there was a northerly breeze also which helped. As I crossed the river at Espanola and started to head up again with no surprise the wind changed, and it was at me, from the south. From here there is a climb of 500 metres to Santa Fe and it is on a major highway, 285, but for most of it there is a Frontage Road which had little or no traffic on it. Just as the road gets to within 10 miles of Santa Fe is the biggest climb, and there is no frontage road here, and also it was 30C by this time, so the toughest hour of the day by some way.

Despite that, today’s riding was quick and I was in downtown Santa Fe for lunch. Santa Fe has 80,000 people and has in recent years become an arts centre, and with that has developed a bar – cafe culture. It is a growing town that does well from tourism. Tonight I am staying at the International Hostel which is a couple of miles south of the centre. I have a day here tomorrow also before the last ride into Albuquerque.

Leaving my Warm Showers host this morning just after 7:30 – a tremendous night’s stay

A couple of sandy miles to get warmed up

The Rio Chama – controlled by the Abiquiu Lake reservoir 6 miles back

Not a bad morning for a cycle ride – first 25 miles in hour and a half

After Espanola on the busy highway 285 – good job there’s a frontage road for most of it

Looking down into the outskirts of Santa Fe

Downtown Santa Fe

St Francis of Assisi Cathedral at the top of the street

“In that depression was Santa Fe, at last! A thin, wavering adobe town…a green plaza..at one end a church with two earthen towers that rose high above the flatness”

Death Comes For The Archbishop – Willa Cather

Storytime:

About the house

When visiting the Westons in Houston I was often accused of ‘being waited on hand and foot’ and sitting watching sport with a craft beer in my hand for the entire time I was there. A gross exaggeration of course. From my point of view, Nigel was the master of his kitchen. With the open plan design he had a great view of all, like a prison guard stood high on his tower, giving instructions as to what he wanted everyone to do. My job usually was fetching beer for whoever was visiting (but mainly myself) from the fridge in the laundry room or garage.

Nigel was a good cook, and he very much enjoyed it. We would eat in in the evening and it would be something that he had conjured up. Boxing Day also, dominated by the football from England in the morning, the cricket from wherever England were playing, and usually a get together of friends in the afternoon. A Skype exchange with the UK was mandatory at some stage, and one of the pleasing things was that because of the 6 hour time difference, they were always far more worse for wear than we were. We would noticeably tut tut on the camera, all well aware that things would get lively later.