New Mexico

Hector had a little conference in Albuquerque but really it was an excuse to get our needed Marriott points for the year and to visit Santa Fe. I couldn’t tell you what the conference was even about. We stayed at the Marriott Pyramid North. That name may sound promising but really it’s just one of those 1970’s hotels that have an indoor atrium that goes up ten floors and some tacky fountains and things. It’s in dire need of a remodel. We had a cave-like suite with battered furniture.

Albuquerque has a nice little historic district, with a plaza and some cool old buildings around it. Nothing like Santa Fe, of course. We drove up and had a few meals there, took a hike in the Santa Fe National Forest and drove around looking at gorgeous houses we can’t afford. We still haven’t given up on our fantasy to live there some day.

We saw Kent and Bob last night. They are well, fit and slim (bastards). And busy as usual. We all had dinner at a restaurant named Trattoria Nostrani and just as we were lamenting that we hadn’t seen any celebrities this trip, as we normally do, in walked Jeremy Irons. He sat alone, dressed like a homeless person, and had dinner reading a magazine. Nobody knew what he was doing in Santa Fe but clearly he wasn't hiding.

Hector and I, in our shallow way, collect our celebrity sightings. The best are at restaurants because it's something a bit more than just passing them in the street. My all time fave is dinner with Paul McCartney and Heather Mills at Kampa Park in Prague.