If I weren't fortunate enough to be traveling to an even more extravagantly beautiful place in South America this winter, I don't think I could tear myself way from my rustically charming rented casita and studio only eight miles from the Santa Fe Plaza. But I am headed to Banos, Ecuador to volunteer with La Bib at Arte del Mundo, and am subletting my place which is comfortably, if somewhat funkily, furnished, for a three-month term.
It's actually two spaces-- a 750 sq. ft. casita and a 500 sq. ft. studio space in a freestanding building a few dozen steps down a curving path. Both are part of a compound which was the former residence of painter Helmuth Naumer, whose murals are part of the Bandolier National Monument. Every single time I enter my writing studio/living room, I pinch myself that Naumer's work once hung on these walls. Works like these:
The current residents of the compound, my landlords and two other renters, are very caring people and wonderful neighbors. It's a very sweet vibe out here, probably because we all have our share of the beauty of the place, and so I'm hoping to find just the right sublettor(s) who will meld into the landscape seamlessly and appreciate the luxury of silence, sun-dappled days, star-drenched night skies, and falling asleep to the comforting yet primal crackle of cedar, juniper and pinyon fires in the bedside kiva.
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| Living in the adobe casita is like being a kid at sleep-away camp, it's so relaxed and carefree. |
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| Tranquility, privacy and views over the arroyo are all available from the casita's portal. |
When you enter, there's a deep coat closet on your right and the eating nook on the left.
Here's a longer view and you can see the gas heater on the wall.
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| It's even prettier by candlelight and moonlight. |
From the entrance, you step up into the kitchen.
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| The water is from my landlords' well and it tastes delicious. And it's a gas stove and oven, which I always prefer. |
Here's a few more views of the fun-to-be-in kitchen.
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| I just bought the antique Cuisineart at a yard sale. It's so ancient, it doesn't have an on/off button, but when I plugged it in, it worked! |
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| The fridge is a month old, and the skylight lets the light pour down on the happy cooks. |
The sleeping space is a dramatic and large room which you enter by stooping under an arched doorway. The room has stone floors, high ceilings made of traditional vigas, and large windows looking out on an overgrown courtyard replete with stone fountain and peach tree. The wildness is its own kind of freedom.
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| It's just an incredibly comfortable and felicitous bed. An electric blanket warms up the sheets perfectly. And here's what you see from a position of repose. |
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| Just to the right, there's a second door to the outside and a wall-mounted electric heater.. You'll want a good pair of slippers to pad around on the stone floor, but you'll be snug enough. |
Down a path is the aforementioned studio/living room.
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| Natural light permeates the room, there are multiple windows on three sides. |
It has a wood-burning stove and gas heater for warmth, and its own portal and views for gorgeousness.
What else, what else? There's uncovered parking for three vehicles. A land line for local calls. Cable, wifi and utilities are included. You can rent it all per month for what a slightly fancier casita in town would cost per week. I'd appreciate receiving all three months up front, and my very lovely landlords have requested final say on the sub-lettor(s).
Finally, it's a very healing place. Bird feeders, wind chimes and gurgling fountains dot the compound. It's also a very inspiring place in its wildness and savage beauty--you will hear the coyotes! The surrounding roads are lovely and perfectly safe for solitary walks or romantic rambles, and there's a high quality restaurant serving breakfast and lunch not a ten-minute stroll away.
If you think you might enjoy spending a happy 3-month idyll in a laid-back, no-stress environment, please be in touch with me at francesmadeson@gmail.com Looking forward to sharing my little piece of heaven with you.
