Horses charging through the sky in Madrid

Quadrigas Higinio de Basterra in Madrid

My first night in Madrid, despite a full day of exploring, I was still energized to keep walking the streets and taking in as many sights as I could. At one point, I was in the Cortes neighborhood, which is just south of the famous Calle Gran Via, and walking along Calle de Alcala. This … Read more

Three countries in one city

African Masks at the African Market in Harlem, NYC

There’s a feature in the Sunday NY Times that I enjoy, called “Routine.” It’s an interview of sorts, where the person being profiled explains what they like to do on a weekend day. One that caught my attention recently was a “Routine” with Wendell Pierce, an actor that I enjoyed seeing on the Tom Clancy … Read more

Room 25 and the Door to Nowhere

Room 25 at a home in Wurtsboro

I drove up to Wurtsboro, NY yesterday to see an open house that seemed too good to be true: the listing describes “Nestled on over eleven acres of serene, wooded land in a peaceful Sullivan County community, this classic six bedroom, one bath Victorian stands as a testament to timeless architecture.” A reasonable price with … Read more

Lost Cat Sign Art seen in Santa Fe

Lost cat sign in Santa Fe

I was walking around Santa Fe’s Railyard Arts District when I saw this unusual “Lost Cat” sign. I’m assuming it’s a joke, or some sort of artistic statement, since the “cat” in question is an image of a stick. I didn’t call the phone number listed, and have blurred it out here for privacy’s sake, … Read more

Artistic entrance to a questionable property

Santa Fe adobe gate with longhorn skull painting

If you like the Southwestern vibe, as I do, wouldn’t you love to have a home with an entrance like this? This adobe wall with the painted longhorn skull over a weathered turquoise door makes for a very cool front entrance to a property on West Rodeo Road in Santa Fe. Of course all I … Read more

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners Retablo

Our Lady Refuge of Sinners Retablo

As I mentioned yesterday, I went into Mexico Lindo Furniture in Santa Fe with a specific goal: I wanted to track down the retablos I saw in this store in 2022, and hopefully buy one. As I was looking around the store, I saw plenty of cool things – like this double-headed angel carved out … Read more

Vintage rustic door as a table in Santa Fe

rustic wood door repurposed as a table

I have a favorite home furnishings store in Santa Fe: Mexico Lindo Furniture. The showroom features a collection of unique, rustic and custom-built furniture which is hand-crafted and designed by artisans. The material used to create these phenomenal pieces comes from salvaged antique doors and shutters which have been taken from haciendas located in small … Read more