Albuquerque from the air

Aerial photo of Albuquerque taken just after taking off on my way to Denver. The river is the Rio Grande and the buildings in the mid left-hand side are the downtown area.

San Felipe church in Old Town

The historic San Felipe de Neri church in Old Town. The original church was built on the west side of the Plaza in 1706 but was destroyed in the late 1700's. The church was rebuilt on the north side of the Plaza where is stands today.

Adobe wall artwork

A good example of the artwork seen throughout the city. This is a wall at a residence on Rio Grande Blvd.

Summer's End in New Mexico

A sure sign that summer is coming to an end in New Mexico is when the chile roasting begins. The last big crop of New Mexico chiles comes in around late August and early September. All of the grocery store and produce stands have a chile roaster. The fresh green chiles are roasted over an open flame in a rotating basket. The roasting gives off an incredible smell, like burning leaves with a spicy overtone.

The roasting loosens up the skins and stems which are then easily removed. The fruit and seeds are then cooked into a sauce. Green chile is used in many recipes in New Mexico. It is used breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros or on chicken enchiladas.