On Sunday, Enrico and I headed back for Colorado, stopping along the way at Capulin Volcano, which proved to be well worth the 60-mile detour.
You can drive to the rim of the crater and then walk up and around or down into the crater. We started with the longer rim walk, enjoying spectacular views all the way around. Turned out we didn’t have time to also do the crater – a storm blew up just as we were getting back to the car.
Enrico and I visited Steve and Sharon in Las Vegas, New Mexico (my third visit to them in 12 months!), arriving late Friday night. Saturday we all (including Robin) visited Pecos Pueblo and Santa Fe.
Before entering the park grounds, we toured the visitor center exhibit about the history of Pecos Pueblo. It was well done, as these things usually are at US National Parks, but I find the bloodthirsty history of the Catholic Church upsetting. I left the others watching an antiquated film about the Indians putting the poor, innocent padres to death, without waiting to find out whether it gave equal time to what the Church subsequently (and previously) did to the Indians.
Enrico and Steve went to the Georgia O’Keefe museum, but I’m not a huge fan and Robin emphatically did not want to go to a museum, so he and Sharon and I ambled around town, looking at art galleries (what’s the difference with museums, from Robin’s point of view? I dunno).
As always, I was most attracted to anything featuring horses, and was delighted to find the work of someone who actually can sculpt them well, Star Liana York. I’ll have to save up first, though…
Also saw some fun and unusual stuff I’d consider buying in Pop Gallery, a refreshing change from the overwhelming (and, in the aggregate, somewhat boring) mass of Southwestern-themed art prevailing in Santa Fe.
There was a “mountain traders’ fair” going on in the courtyard of the Palace of Governors. Sorta like a Renaissance festival, including the love of antique weaponry. Just slightly different costumes. Some of the “mountain people” looked like refugees from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
This is the full gallery from the day Tin Tin and I spent in Rocky Mountain National Park last year.
Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger version; use your browser’s back button to return to this page.
I wrote 18 months ago about my disappointment with KLM’s poor handling of a bereavement situation (KLM Tries Harder… But Fails). I’m flying a lot again these days (three trips to the US this year, plus several to the UK, and now India). I still receive promotional emails from Flying Blue, the alliance which KLM and Air France have now become, to remind me that they’re waiting to serve me, but it was hard to get over that incident. (NB: I receive nothing from British Airways, with whom I was also a top-level frequent flyer until 2001; perhaps they’ve lost track of me.)
But… I still had all this mileage sitting around with KLM (58,000+), and some flexibility (for once) in planning my upcoming trip to India. So I hopped on the KLM site to see what could be done.
The awards booking process (which gets good marks on usability) informed me that I needed 70,000 miles to go to India – but they would advance me the missing mileage. This was automatic in the system, though it was a little weird – at first it looked as if that offer was only valid if I flew on Tuesday, but when I tried again a few days later, it was offered for Wednesday (my ideal departure date) as well. So I got exactly the flight I wanted for "free" (still had to pay over €200 in "taxes and fees").
In the meantime, researching other airlines, I had learned, to my horror, that the baggage limit of 20 kg from Europe to India now seems to apply to all airlines. I know that on all my previous trips I have carried two heavy suitcases in and out of Delhi, and only one of those trips was business class. I guess this is some new trick of the airlines to squeeze more money out of their hapless passengers. The standard rate for excess baggage is €30 per kilo (!!!) – no less than Air India’s rate that I was screaming about earlier this year.
However… I’m a Platinum member on Flying Blue. Turns out that that entitles me to 20 kg extra baggage – just what I need to bring Ross her winter clothing and the food goodies she craves in boarding school.
The flight I’m booked on is actually Air France, which is a bit disappointing – I much prefer KLM’s home base of Schipol airport to Charles de Gaulle – and we will have to drive to Malpensa at an ungodly hour Wednesday. I reserve judgement on comfort and service til I get there, but remember Air France as being okay (last time I flew they still allowed smoking on board, which tells you how long ago it was).
In short, treating me well as a once and maybe future frequent flyer has won big points for Flying Blue. Let’s see how well they maintain this relationship.
Share your airline experiences – who do you like (or not), and why (or why not)?
I’m staying with my old friends Gianluca and Brian in San Francisco. Yesterday we participated in the Sparkle SF Bubble Games, a fundraising activity for Under One Roof, a local charity whose mission is “to generate unrestricted funds for agencies that provide HIV/AIDS education and support services.”
The activity was a scavenger hunt in downtown San Francisco organized by Go Games. It was a fun way to explore the city, in good company and for a good cause.
Afterwards, our team went to a new Brazilian restaurant called Bossa Nova Social Club, which proved to be excellent. We tried several appetizers: a brazil-nut crusted goat cheese, spicy ceviche, and tuna tartare. Our entree choices included a seafood curry-like dish in coconut milk, with sweet coconut rice; grilled skewers of assorted meats with three dipping sauces; and a spiced pork chop. The favorite side dish was grilled corn on the cob with a butter and blue cheese sauce, though we all regretted that the house special plaintain chips were not available that evening. Of the five desserts we shared, everyone’s favorite was the passionfruit mousse, with the creme brulee running a close second. Highly recommended by Geeks & Queens!
