Casondra's Adventures: Mission San Francisco Solano (Sonoma Mission), California with Jeanette, December 23, 2016

Mission San Francisco Solano (Sonoma Mission)

with Jeanette, December 23, 2016

All images copyright Casondra Sobieralski

Mission San Francisco Solano is the mission in Sonoma, so to avoid confusion, throughout this post I will just refer to it as the "Sonoma Mission."

Sonoma Mission was established in 1823. It was the last mission of the chain, the farthest north. It was the only mission built in Alta California (Mexico) after Mexico won independence from Spain.

Ergo, Sonoma, California was the far north point of Mexico. Someone needs to teach the Orange Guy that, as my friends born in California say, "The Mexican border is not a line, it is a gradient." How does one build a gradient wall????? But in a time when facts are "lies," and lies are "truth," why oh why do I seek logic?

In any case, the Sonoma Mission is now one of three California Missions (there are 21 missions in the chain, starting in San Diego) that is run by California State Parks. The other two are Mission Santa Cruz and Mission La Purisima, where I also went in December. Due to a two hour SoCal-style traffic jam on the 101, I arrived at La Purisima, near San Luis Obispo, one hour until closing, and it is HUGE -- the most completely restored mission complex in the state, complete with enchanting olive groves, gardens...and goats! So I had to race through the buildings and gardens without pausing to take photos!

Missions run by the parks give more of the Native American perspective of what happened when the missions were established. (The Spanish Catholic Church killed half the indigenous population of this state. And basically enslaved most of the rest.) So while all the missions are all architecturally and artistically interesting, one can learn more balanced history at the State Park run missions.

That said, some of the congregations at missions that still function as active churches include a significant number of people who are at least part Native American. These congregations have interesting books in the bookstores, like books about priests learning shamanism. So it gets complicated... There are syncretic fusions going on that I do not fully understand.

What I DO understand is that I tend to have my BEST PHOTO DAYS with Jeanette! There is a fluidity when we go shoot together. We match pace well and inspire each other, I think.

On this day, I seem to have been very attuned to diagonal lines for some reason...

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