Travelous

Free association with "Albuquerque" used to produce "Bugs Bunny" and "that the airport you go through to get to Santa Fe." But the largest city in New Mexico came into its own in recent years. Thank you for tax breaks and large landscapes, the film and television industry is booming: Joss Whedon mega-budget "Avengers" wrapped up here this summer and next year, "Breaking Bad" begins to take its fifth season as a backdrop to Albuquerque. For visitors, urban sprawl may seem daunting, but it is tempered by new trails. On the main street, Central Avenue, the neon glow of Route 66 during peak revitalized neighborhoods pedestrians. And along the banks of the Rio Grande, lush farmland offer an oasis of calm, not to mention the old beans, corn, and to feed bustling city organic movement.

Friday

3:00 p.m.

1. Mother Road

At night, for better or for worse, the city of Albuquerque can be revived a bar crawl bleary seven blocks. Per day, however, you can enjoy the ornate buildings financed by the boom of railroads, such as Pueblo Deco exuberant style KiMo Theatre (423 Central Avenue Northwest, 505-768-3522; cabq.gov / kimo) , which opened a movie palace in 1927 and is now the city's public arts center. Enter the business office to admire wall sconces and chandeliers cow skull pueblo drum. Another attraction of the day: classic stores as Maisel (510 Central Avenue SW, 505-242-6526, skip-maisels.com), an emporium of crafts American Indian is just the place for pick turquoise bolo tie and money. Look for the mural paintings of the 30 above the display windows, by artists from the surrounding pueblos. Opposite is the studio of the old man's hat-Timey of (511 Central Avenue Northwest, 505-247-9605; manshatshop.com) stacked to the ceiling of ten gallons, fedoras and more.

6:00 p.m.

2. Healing potions

Go early for a seat along the edge of the roof to the newest hotel in Albuquerque, the central Parq, a renovated 1926 hospital employees of railways, the disabled tuberculosis and the mentally ill. The menu at the Apothecary Lounge (806 Central Avenue Southeast, 505-242-0040; hotelparqcentral.com). "Not a licensed pharmacy," says the place is the place, he prescribes a dream Margarita made with the juice of prickly pear and elderflower liqueur ($ 11). At sunset, watch the East-Side Sandia ("Watermelon") Mountains turn a luscious shade of pink.

8:00 p.m.

3. Home Grown

For a taste of the old school of Albuquerque, at the head of Golden Crown Panaderia (1103 Mountain Road Northwest 505-243-2424; goldencrown.biz) for empanadas, Mexican-style pizza and bolillos corn with blue or green chili crust ($ 6). Salads ($ 9) are mixed with chopped green of a garden tangled. For dessert, get a classic anise cookies laced biscochito (35 cents, if the owner does not Pratt Hospital Morales hand as you walked in one) and a double shot espresso milkshake ($ 6.05).

10:00 p.m.

4. Beer Run

The wing drinking beer is called Marble Marble Pub (111 Marble Street Northwest, 505-243-2739; marblebrewery.com), which is a bar to eat in New Mexico: benches, players Banjo or salsa drummers, and lots of dogs. Rehydrate, after dancing with a cup of beer in barrels ($ 7). More in the Nob Hill neighborhood, east of the University of New Mexico, the Kellys more established brewery (3222 Central Avenue SE, 505-262-2739; kellysbrewpub.com) is located in a Service Station 1939 Ford. Find a Field, weather permitting, the vintage gas pump and watch the fashion show: flip flops, graying ponytails, tattoos sumptuous.

Saturday

9 hours

5. LUCKY STRIKE

In many cities, a place bowling, farm to table and to produce a chef-owner with references Chez Panisse could add up hipster overload. But in Albuquerque, Place of Ezra (6132 Fourth Street Northwest, 505-344-1917) is just another family restaurant, a three-headed Dennis Apodaca and his clan. Fluorescent-lit room overlooking lucky 66 Lanes, Ezra offers lace blueberry pancakes with pine nut butter ($ 10), and eclectic Mexican dishes (enchiladas duck tomatillo salsa-Serrano, $ 13). Place Sophia (6313 Fourth Street Northwest, 505-345-3935) has a similar menu, and better lighting. And new this year, the Place of Jo (6100-B, Fourth Street Northwest, 505-341-4500) serves burgers and towering powdered red pepper and chips.

10:30

6. ROLLING ON THE RIVER

Sixteen miles of paved bike happiness, hugs Paseo del Bosque trail of the Rio Grande plains of the city. Pick up your wheels in Bicycles Happy Stevie (4583 Corrales Road, 505-897-7900; corralesbikeshop.com, from $ 25 per day) - perhaps a retro three-speed tandem? Stevie may suggest a zigzag path along the irrigation canals lined with trees Corrales, a village in the city to reach the track. A destination is Los Poblanos Farm Shop (4803 Boulevard Northwest Rio Grande, 505-938-2192), which stores the lavender soaps and ointments.

3:00 p.m.

7. Clang, clang, clang

Even if a tour bus false carriage does not normally appeal to you, hop on Adobe-look ABQ Trolley (303, Romero Street Northwest 505-240-8000; abqtrolley.com). The two owner-operators (called and other readers and rings the bell) the return wave of happy locals and the breath of Chuck Berry as they cruise Route 66. The tour features sites for "Breaking Bad" and tales of a young Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen here before he returned to Seattle. Special outputs from Albuquerque tradition in the form of interviews on public art, ghost stories around Halloween, and visits to see Luminarias holiday, the paper lanterns, which cast a light bag on winter nights .

6:00 p.m.

8. RED MEAT

Carne adovada - pork cooked in earthy New Mexico red chili - is the engine of Mary & Tito (2711 Northwest Fourth Street, 505-344-6266; maryandtitos.com). His recipe has not changed in decades, nor has its decoration - qualities greeted with a Classic Award 2010 James Beard America. Try the carne adovada, wrapped in puff pastry and fried ($ 6.95).

Sunday

5:45

9. UP IN THE AIR

Since 1972, when the first ball called Fiesta, Albuquerque was the sky balloon, with wind and sun friendly ample. Take a flight with Rainbow Ryders dawn (505-823-1111; rainbowryders.com, from $ 150). The overview covers Sandias and dormant volcanoes, but most remarkable is the sense of drift a few meters above the muddy waters of the Rio Grande. Your ride includes snacks and champagne - a tradition balloon, through the French roots of the sport - but you'll want to strengthen you in the Grove (600 Central Avenue SE, 505-248-9800; thegrovecafemarket.com) before your next stop . Go for the pancakes with raspberry jam from a local farm ($ 8.25) and a chocolate scone day ($ 2.50).

10 hours

10. WORSHIP

Free espresso fuels the congregation of the Church of Beethoven (1715 Fifth Street Northwest, 505-234-4611; churchofbeethoven.org), Sunday morning in a series of chamber music (15 $) founded in 2008 by cellist Felix Wurman just two years before his death. His vision of a weekly ritual, without the restrictions of religion has become one of the most beloved of the city of musical events. Arrive early to score the best seats, a row of chairs thrift store easily on a wall of the converted warehouse space of art.

Noon

11. Tower of Power

Stop at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street Southwest, 505-246-2261; nhccnm.org) to see Frederico Vigil 4000 square foot mural covering the inside of a defensive tower and Adobe representative three millennia of culture Hispanic. It was unveiled last fall, after almost a decade of work. The varied collection of contemporary art center is free on Sundays.

1:00 p.m.

12. Sweet and spicy

No trip to Albuquerque is complete without a meal (or more) in 40 years Frontier Restaurant (2400 Central Avenue Southeast, 505-266-0550; frontierrestaurant.com), which occupies the best part of a block of city. The walls are adorned with portraits of Frontier John Wayne and cabins occupied by all social strata of the city. Standard order at the counter: The breakfast burrito with bacon ($ 5.89), fresh orange juice ($ 2.50) and a killer sweet roll ($ 1.69), dripping liquid goo cinnamon. You can even take a pint of frozen New Mexico green chili ($ 4.19) at home on the plane.

IF YOU GO

Agriturismo, New Mexican style: Los Poblanos Inn (4803, Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, 505-344-9297; lospoblanos.com, from $ 165) is attached to an area larger than the supply of organic Farm Town-part program. The brick and adobe rooms impeccable balance with textile Alexander Girard, and sumptuous breakfast and dinner (guests only) represent the products of the farm.

Built in 1939 by New Mexico native Conrad Hilton, downtown intelligent Andaluz (125 Second Street NW, 505-242-9090; hotelandaluz.com, from $ 149) reopened in 2009 after a period eco-five years of review. The 107 rooms earth tones, with their faux-Moorish doors and Frette linens, welcomed the visit of Hollywood royalty.

Kyee Myintt Saw, a Burmese artist, joked as we chatted in his sweltering studio on the ground floor of a laundry-festooned building in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar. But for many in this society traditional Buddhist, his plea would not be funny. Although impressionistic oils of scenes seen Mr. Market is selling like hot cakes in a local gallery, his passion is painting the human body. Nu.

"Our Buddhist culture can not accept nudes," said Saw, a teacher of 72 years, ancient mathematics, perched on a chair in the oil layers of lushly beautiful naked. "In your country, students studying the human form of art school. I think in this broader artistic knowledge. "

Mr. Saw is not the only artist to venture into new creative territory Burma these days. Thank you to reinvigorated local galleries, an influx of international visitors and the Internet, artists are emerging from Myanmar decades of isolation caused by a military government and international sanctions, which over the years have stopped economic growth and creative impeded cross-pollination with the outside world. Although the military is closely monitoring public life, it appears, based on conversations with local artists and business people, the atmosphere is becoming more open to outside influences.

On an exploration of the local art scene in Rangoon last year, I found a few days to visit contemporary galleries and studios provided something much deeper than the Myanmar pagoda-traditions and tourist trail: a chance to engage with contemporary culture and the people of this fascinating, complicated country.

I started with the Museum of Fine River six years in the annex to the colonial era Strand Hotel. On the way, shook my taxi from the Shwedagon Pagoda, a mountain of gold shimmering mirage through sheets of rain of the monsoon, and rough streets lined with large government buildings dilapidated. Inspired by the local population, I removed my sandals before leaving the water to the ankles in front of the entrance to the river side of the gallery. Within the space high, the walls were hung with generous work figurative and semi-abstract.

"Art is a wonderful way to understand this country," said Gill Pattison, the New Zealander who has transplanted New Gallery. "Although the subject remains largely traditional, there is often more a painting than meets the eye, "she added, referring to a landscape with gold saturated pulse, purple and orange by the artist Zaw Win Pe. "For example, colors such as red can be an outlet for those passionate emotions culturally or politically banned in everyday life."

Although River Gallery is easily accessible, Yangon other serious galleries are mostly run by artists with a limited budget and around the city in office buildings or residential areas. Thus, on the advice of Dr. Pattison, I hired an English speaking guide who booked a taxi, traced our route and called in advance to ensure gallery owners would be available.

But wait for the next gallery visits, because I needed to recover the flight before dawn on the morning of northern Myanmar, where I spent a few days at the historic site of Bagan, flashlight in hand, exploring the genesis of the paint on the walls Burma temples and monasteries built by the former Burmese kings, their courtiers and other patrons of the 11th to 13th centuries. Considering the lack of government protection, it seemed miraculous that these early paintings Burmese, using natural pigments to illustrate scenes from the life of Buddha, had not collapsed.

In fact, it seems that the Burmese artists, like artists everywhere, have largely prospered or withered over the centuries under the patronage, the prevailing winds and trade policies with external influences. Andrew Ranard, a journalist who was on the market for emerging art of Burma in 1994, wrote of a "Galapagos Islands of art, where styles have evolved into fixed forms." In his book, "Painting Burma," he writes that modernist painting had died after a brief period of experimentation in the 1960s and 70s, mainly due to a lack of local support. This led to a flowering a realism, naturalism and impressionism - the "fixed forms" that is still evolving in Myanmar.

This legacy, combined with a leaning toward culture and avoiding controversy by insisting on acceptable images as Buddhist monks and markets, would calmly to the visual arts in Myanmar, even though there was no censorship policy, according to Aung Aung Taik, a Burmese artist who lives in California. "Painters learn the technique excellent, but there is no Allen Ginsberg in the Burmese tradition," he said.

Perhaps the closest country's response to the Beat generation is 64 years old, Aung Myint, who defied convention to express his vision experiments. Mr. Myint, who has had exhibitions in Asia and Europe, was the first artist to win a prize Burmese at the prestigious Art Prize of ASEAN in 2002.