Letters to a friend...: Santa Fe, Cristo Rey church district

Santa Fe is a really nice city and we always enjoy being there. Downtown is usually busy but worth exploring. And I don't remember if we even missed walking narrow downtown streets, looking at the vendors in the open market and window shopping. But sometimes we feel like trying something new, going off the beaten path and finding something we didn't see before.

This visit we decided to explore other parts of the city. So we passed downtown and turned to Canyon Rd and continued deep into the Cristo Rey Church district.

Cristo Rey Church (translates as Christ the King) is the biggest adobe church in the USA. It was built in 1939 by very influential Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem.

It is also notable for its historic altar screen, the Reredos of Our Lady of Light, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The reredos was carved in 1761 and originally hung in La Castrense, a military chapel on the Santa Fe Plaza. It has been described as "one of the most extraordinary pieces of ecclesiastical art in the country".

The church is the heart of the surrounding area. We spent the next couple of hours exploring old streets around there and really enjoyed mild weather, nice adobe houses and fall colors.

Gates in the adobe fences are a special treat there. All different, some colorful, some faded, but they really bring individuality to every house in the area. Look at them!