Monday, June 8 - On our way out of town, we stopped at Ranchos de Taos to see the mission church San Francisco de Asis, which is one of the oldest churches in the country. It was finished in 1815 and is made of real adobe - none of the "fake" stucco stuff you see on modern buildings - and it has to be re-plastered every year because it cracks and flakes off with the weather. They are actually in the process of replastering it with the mud and straw mixture now, which was really interesting to see.
The church has been the subject of many artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams. The back of the church is what you see first from the road, and is really striking.
Seems like a lot of upkeep. Other than that, cool!
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