Home Sweet Home, Simple Great Homes with a Heart

Summer is over, Fall is here with all its beauty and magic colors. Now I have time to review my tours, short and long, and remember the people I went with, the beautiful places I visited, and, also, their wonderful big smiles and the excitement in their eyes. It is the best reward for a tour designer!

Among the many places, archaeological sites, museums and all the other things I took people to visit, I want to write about homes, those who are now open to the public, sometimes throughout the year and sometimes on special occasions. They all have a lot in common: the signature of the people who lived there, not usual people for sure, an atmosphere that takes you back to the days those special people were going about their daily life, objects that reminds you of your own past life (unless you were born too late!!), and the emotion of being there, with them, for a few minutes.

Let me begin with Fork Lightning Ranch. It sits on the Pecos National Historical Park, east of Santa Fe. It is surrounded by an amazingly pristine scenery and it is beautifully preserved by the Park. It has been home to Greer Garson, a true diva at times and a real lady most of the time, and her husband Elijah E. “Buddy” Fogelson. They bought it in 1941. I'm not going to tell you the long and fascinating history of this ranch as I hope you will learn it when you go there for a visit. It was Tex Austin, entrepreneur and Rodeo Cowboy, who found the place and hired New Mexico's best known architect, John Gaw Meem, to build the house. Everything in the house is as it was when Greer Garson lived there: furniture, knick-knacks, upholstery, her desk with an ancient typewriter. This truly makes you smile and think "how could we possibly write with those archaic things?". Well, we did, also using carbon paper, yes!  The courtyard is simple and charming. You can roam through the whole house, from the kitchen to the living room trying to imagine what was her life there. Here she entertained her Hollywood buddies as well as businessmen and politicians. But this house also changed her life. Her love for New Mexico gave us a theater and her elegant Santa Fe home.

 Exterior and interiors of Fork Lightning Ranch

 




How can I not mention Georgia O'Keeffe that we consider "ours"! After all she spent almost 50 years here. In Abiquiu Village is an oasis surrounded by her orchard and garden. The house perfectly balances her love for simplicity with the sophisticated touches of the artist. The view over the Chama River is stunning, everything in the house is just perfectly arranged without any hint at her more mundane life in the big cities.

No photos here! Just the view framed by her corner window.

Let's move on and take a glimpse into the house of a modern art painter, Randall Davey, who -you've heard this sentence before- fell in love with New Mexico! His family left his home to be preserved as a Bird Sanctuary to the National Audubon Society, a place you have to visit when you are looking for peace, meditation and chirping.
It is full of things of his private and public life describing those years, his work which include the feminine nudes that made some puritan minds shake, social life and fine drinking. It is elegant and personal, the layout with a narrow staircase is perfect. And the birds are singing all around in the wilderness.

One of the homes I really love is in Taos, where Kit Carson and his wife Josepha lived and made tons of kids. It is for me the pure old New Mexico, simple, although pretty big for those times. The courtyard is where Josepha's daily life took place, cooking in the horno and minding the several children. He was often away doing his great things (read Blood and Thunder to get the picture). The house could be a perfect movie setting for a serious western movie. I can picture that rather short man, but strong like a bull, coming home to his large family, and probably every time contributing in making it even larger, and helping Josepha while getting the updates of the local whereabouts. Those days were quite agitated, to say the least. The West was being conquered!

There is another building, not exactly a home, but it feels like it. It's at the northern edge of Petrified Forest National Park, a jewel. Painted Desert Inn has a long history beginning in 1920 as a lodge and fifteen years later acquired by the National Park which with the help of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) created by F.D Roosevelt during the Great Depression, turned it into a totally different building, though with respect of the shapes dictated by the stone used for the construction. In 1940 the Fred Harvey Company started managing the property that was used by tourists who in those years were particularly attracted by Route 66. The war stopped everything but once it ended the lodge was once again renovated. And this time it was Mary Jane Colter, the fabulous lady who shaped the architectural style of tourism destinations. Her  taste and her Hopi friend Fred Kabotie's frescoes are for all of us to enjoy. It is so perfect with the delicate pastel colors, furniture, and painted glasses that one can't refrain from being excited.

 

I always peek in the now-closed guests' rooms, so tiny that one could hardly get dressed in there! Tourists were less demanding then! The charm is everywhere with Mary's discernment and touches. Can you picture the Harvey Girls attending at the guests dressed in their simple black and white attire?                              

To round-out the beauty of the place you go out and marvel at the Painted Desert that is all around it.


Since this blog is not a tourists guide I'm not telling the full story of each place, which is incredibly fascinating, hoping that you will find the time one day to travel to those homes and enjoy them as much as I always do.

Where is Home?

I don't know anymore! Do I have to know where home is for me? No, I don't. Since I am who I am, home is where I have friends and people I like (who like me too!), where the sky is an important daily presence, where I can "touch" nature and, most important of all, where I can be myself and speak my mind. Well, this last one is not an easy factor in my search of home!

Let me try to make lists and see where I land.

The world:
Pros: exciting, all new, discovery, a lot of beauty and culture, surprises. new people.
Cons: I can get lost and feel miserable (good for a short time provided I have a lot of money), last-minute friends, many unhappy situations...and so on, and so forth.

Italy:
Pros: my original home, lots and lots of friends and contacts, a tiny bit of family, my roots, my culture, tons of memories, my houses, my family grave, much affection, generosity, FOOD, beauty
Cons: been there-done that, we are all older and sentiments may have change, too crowded, horrible political and economical situation not ending any time soon, deja-vu

At my (ex) country house

What I loved about this place was the presence of fig trees,a tiny vineyard, and a welcoming rosemary bush in front of the house, plus many mulberry trees with red and white fruits!

Torino, where I grew up

New Mexico:
Pros: a special beauty with a magic touch, a lot of nice and interesting people, my casita, a work I created and enjoy, cultural stimulation, animal world not too far away, easy life style, freedom (if you know how to use it and are able to spend a lot of time on your own), a challenging place both in a positive and negative sense,  I can create my life every day without any strings attached, affordable as opposed to Italy, friends are friends because they like you not for your name (not always true...), the mix of Latino and Anglo culture is good, the Native American influence is important, vastness
Cons: too many "entitled" people, too many "private" and self involved people, too much backward thinking and too little innovation, no sense of customer service (don't get me started...I could write a really fun book with all the unimaginable terrible experiences I have through my work), lack of a strong support system (I really can't stand when I'm told, intended to be of help "It's going to be all right"),

My Santa Fe casita

The roof deck

The emptiness of New Mexico

P.S. I didn't mention my cats as they were with me everywhere, although not the same ones. Morgan 1, Morgan 2, Charlotte, Willie, the black one I can't remember the name of, and now Principe and Gracie. Many more have been in my life, their names are gone but not their darling faces.

Of course these lists are limited but enough to ponder. Now.....

Any idea?

Things I Love

It's August in Santa Fe, and every day there is a festival, an event, a show (Ethnographic, Antique Indian Art, Objects of art, contemporary everything....), Pueblo Dances, the Flea Market, our lively Farmers' Market full of fresh veggies, fruits, and flowers, gallery openings a' gogo, music on the Plaza, sunsets not-to-be-missed,  or a concert. Oh, I almost forgot the Opera! Additionally, friends visiting, customers waiting to go somewhere (can't forget about them!), parties (not my thing, but one still has to answer).

My urge to possess (i.e. to buy) grows at every occasion. This is what goes through my mind when I stroll through the booths of any of the above shows: this is so unique, I will never find it again, if I don't get it it will be immediately bought by an awful lady with a lot of money, this is something I can enjoy every day, after all it's only a question of money...right! Money! So the monologue continues like this: you just realized you have so much and don't have enough time to enjoy it, you have to pay this and that already not in your budget, didn't you just put some of your precious stuff up for sale? I promised some money to that .... shelter and, oh ....yes, to that other amazing organization,  didn't I? My (numerous) friends I lent money to don't seem to remember, so don't count on that. Yes, but...it's so irresistible!

Who wins between Patrizia 1 and Patrizia 2? Until yesterday, the answer to this simple question was easy: Patrizia 1! But tomorrow it's my birthday and I seriously promised myself I would change. And I will. My word, Patrizia 2 will win!

I only bought $50 earrings at Indian Market, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! First time in 22 years, I'm so proud of myself.

So, since no more possessions in my life in the near future, I am going to enjoy showing you a few things I DIDN'T buy! Unfortunately I didn't take enough picture, so be satisfied with the few I have.

A Ketoh

Mexican boy Mariachi (?) costume

Keri Ataumbi's new ring

A Lonnie Vigil pot

An old Chinese sort of quilt

A third cat, just like this one, asking to be loved!

A couple of corn plants to keep indoor

A huge white truffle to last a year

Seen at MoCNA, at the Without Reservations exhibit

It's a short list, I know, but I tried to only feature my very latest desires. Luckily I forget the less recent ones!

Below the Surface, Written in Stone

Yes, true, I'm becoming passionate about geology since a trip with a geologist friend who taught me how to see through rocks. There is a whole world out there, written in stone, that can tell us about all the eras with those strange names, such as Paleozoic, with its ancient marine life and primitive plants, Mesozoic, dominated by reptiles and dinosaurs, and Cenozoic, with its more familiar ecology of flowering plants, grasslands, and mammals.

One doesn't need to be a geology nerd, just curious about our billion years past!

New Mexico is the place to find out what the rocks have to tell us.There is a wide choice thanks to this state's evolutions, transformations, volcanic activity and ocean tides.

While traveling through mesas, badlands, canyons and forests one learns to not only marvel at the beautiful scenery, which is indeed amazing, but also to look at the geological landscape. And it's WOW at first sight!

And yes again, I have just finished writing a new tour program about a geological adventure.

A personal note: I just got back from a short trip with a wonderful lady who wanted to discover more of New Mexico, after 20 years of absence. Her oh! and OMG! made me not only happy, as I enjoy seeing  people's enthusiam for this land, but it also confirmed, once again, that coming here, a huge life change for me, was the best decision I ever made.

 Some samples of what you can experience.

Why Hikes with an Expert?

When Rio Grande del Norte was nominated a National Monument I felt an incredible excitement. This amazing natural area undoubtedly deserved to be forever protected. And thanks to many people and organizations who did everything possible to make it happen, it happened!

The area included in the national monument encompasses some of the most spectacular lands in all of New Mexico and has one of the greaest migratory routes in the world. Wildlife is abundant, the whole area of the Taos Gorge offers a variety of trails up and down its slopes, with a surprise at every turn.

I also happened to meet some extraordinary people who knew every corner of this new National Monument practically by heart, with great respect and love. I learned so much from them and their enthusiasm!
I realized, one more time, how important is the role of an expert guide to get to the heart of a region and to understand in a profound way all that makes a place that particular place.

So, thanks to this National Monument I conceived Adventures with an Expert to offer a new way to understand the country one visits. By foot. Flying over a beautiful  area may marvel the lucky ones who can afford a helicopter flight but it will never give the same intimate relationship like stepping over the land, learning about its geology and history and feeling one with nature.

Since there are many other places in New Mexico I have been in love with since I first discovered them I started adding some of these beloved sites to the hikes.Chaco Culture National Historical Park, as an example, requires a particular - almost sacred - approach that only a walk can offer. Slowly one reaches the ruins, walks through them listening to the guide talking about the Chacoan people, and quietly immerse oneself in their culture, times, and mysteries.

As I wrote on the website

By hiking with an expert into these settings you become profoundly and intimately connected to the land, its spirit and soul. Our expert can share with you their knowledge and passion for the place they walk upon, love and protect and bring you on a journey you won't forget for a very long time.

I hope you will want to be a hiker with us and then tell us if I was was right in saying it's a very different way to feel the spirit of a place.

My two auction experiences

Somehow I got myself involved in two different situations that despite the anxiety they gave me at the time became part of my collection of fun memories.

From London, where I lived at the time, I went to Vancouver to meet carvers and local artists and buy for my gallery, P&A Collection. I traveled from North to South on Vancouver Island, visited all the museums I could possibly find, met wonderful people and then by chance I found a gallery dedicated to Inuit art. It is the most exquisite form of "art" one can imagine, carvings, masks and prints alike. I think I spent hours there, bought a few things and learned a lot.












Suddenly I found a group of amazing prints. But unfortunately they were going to be auctioned the day I was flying to come to Santa Fe. No worries, I was told, because I could bid by phone. Ehm...yes... but I couldn't make it anyway as I was going to be up in the sky and at that point I wanted to be among the first bidders! No worries, again. "You can call us from the phone attached to the seat in front of you, madam"!!! To make a long and exciting story short, I made the call from 10,000ft or more, shaking like never in my life. And I made it, I got the print I wanted.
I just made a search and ta-da there it was!

Seagulls chasing fish by Luke Anguhadluq

When I was living in London the important auction houses had regular shows of Native American Antique Art. I would always get the catalogues to feel I too was part of that world but I didn't have the courage to attend any of them. Until I saw a magnificent Zuni pot. I knew that a friend and art dealer in Santa Fe would love to have it, so why wait? I called him and he asked me to bid for him. Who...me????
I was sitting among famous and established international dealers wondering how to behave. I was so scared to move my hand in a way that could be interpreted as a bid or not raise it in time. When should I begin bidding? Should I show I was serious from the start or wait until the price was closer to what I was given as a limit?
I then noticed sitting two chairs away from me a very famous dealer and I thought I would never be able to beat him. Why not? I don't know, but that's the way I was feeling. Things were moving fast, my hand started going up, and up, and up...I got it at the right price!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of THAT pot, but here are some others that give you an idea of what it was, although it may have been very different!

This ended my bidding experiences!

Agritourism and my Passion for Country Life

I recently launched the first Seven Directions' Agritourism Experience http://www.sevendirections.net/english/2010featured/High_desert_farm.html. I had an urge to do it. Let me explain why.

I grew up in the countryside and later on a small farm surrounded by vineyards and wheat. poppies and cornflower blues. I used to play with goats, cows, geese and chicken (plus cats and dogs). My life then moved on to a corporate life with no cows nor poppies! A lot of other weird kind of animals though!

When manure's smell is in the air for me it's like being home again. I know you are beginning to giggle, but it's a question of imprinting! I was born and raised with that thing in my daily life.

Get the idea?

New Mexico is still a rural state with many farms of different kinds and sizes scattered from north to south. Here especially, but all around the world too, we all want more of the real thing in terms of food and produce. No GM organism is safe here! Therefore the appreciation for organic and genuine food is great and farmers' markets flourish. Most farms in this state are still today similar to those I remember from my childhood because here it sometimes feels to be still living in the post-war years. I'm not saying this in a derogatory way, on the contrary!

I was extremely interested in the growing agritourism movement since my days near Lake of Garda where my country house was embraced by corn fields, alfalfa, sunflowers, persimmon and fig  trees and cows with their "natural product". I don't mean milk!!          
                                                                                     

Not my house, but it gives you an idea

I observed some small farms I used to buy my greens from embracing the then very new idea of opening up their homes and fields to people willing to share their life for a few days and work along them in the fields, rewarded by simple farmers' food at night. Was that agritourism? Yes, indeed, at its very beginning.

Nowadays, around the world one can find deluxe farms with fluffy beds and all the rest or other creative variations on the theme of agritourism. That's not what I like nor what it is. That is the usual distortion of good ideas carried out by people only looking for..guess what...money! This is how it works: a new concept is gaining ground but you businessman want to cater only for the wealthy; therefore you use the new concept's name and adapt it to your target. Et voila', another great fake!

I think that the simplicity of rural New Mexico's life is an experience every urban citizen should have once in his or her lifetime, if not more often.

I have some pictures of myself, age 3, carrying a basket which was bigger than me to go pick fresh eggs. I will never forget the excitement of my daily ritual! We all need to pick eggs more often, don't you agree?

It's not me as I was only wearing white (my mother's idea!0

By the way, someone should tell Google to allow the word agritourism without marking it as a mistake. Get real, Google!

I can go on forever about my life on a farm but this long foreward just wants to send a message to all my readers: there is a fantastic life out there in the fields (and a lot of work too) that can't be missed.

So come with us on one or two days agritourism exploration and then, I can guarantee you, you will want more!