So, I’m picking up where I left off. You remember we had gone to San Antonio to enjoy the city and to catch an Amos Lee concert. We’d also gotten being sick as the proverbial dog. Though exactly why a dog, and how sick any one dog might actually be, I have never known. But, whatever, there was much woofing involved.
Anyway, we went to bed early. Surprisingly, we slept well. I say “surprisingly” because the hotel is right along most the touristy area of the “River Walk.” This is literally a walkway along the San Antonio River. It extends quite far around the city...once you’re in the residential areas, it is a lovely, quiet, and enchanting nature path where you can stroll in the morning or the cool of the evening and lose yourself to the charms of Mother Earth and Father River.
But, downtown, it is a tourist attraction of much note. It weaves its way past expensive hotels, fancy restaurants, not-so-fancy restaurants, bars of every sort, and no end of tourist-oriented shops. It is really kind of a blast, and, if you’re there, do be sure to take one of the boat tours. They are a lot of fun, and most informative.
Here, btw, is the Riverwalk’s own webpage, https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/, and here’s the r’walk’s entry on Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_River_Walk.
Here is a daytime shot of the River Walk. Sort of has a Haussmann's Paris feel to it, doesn't it?
The only real problems with the Riverwalk I’ve found is that, in summer, the downtown section is really hot, and really humid...as you might expect given that its path beside a river in the middle of a southern state. You can also get lost there real easy. You feel like you’re underground...given that there are often quite towering buildings around you, and the river itself is actually several feet below street level.
This has meant that there have been times when we’ve visited and gotten into a little bit of trouble. One year, during a visit on particularly hot and miserable summer day, Martha almost fainted, and I had to rush her into a local hotel for a large iced drink. I must confess, I was worried.
But, we didn’t make that mistake this time around. We stayed away from the Riverwalk during the heat of the day. The problem we did have, however, was on that first night. As I say, there’s a lot of bars along the Riverwalk, and where there’s drinking...there are drunks.
Late into the night, I could hear groups of celebrating tourists and others...singing, yelling, giving soliloquies to invisible audiences...
Martha, fortunately, slept through it all, for which I was glad.
And here’s the River Walk at night. That's the view outside our hotel window.
I remember in the morning I got up early to go get us coffee. I happened to look out the window. Down below, along the river and on the stairs that led up to the “The Esquire Tavern” ...of which I’m very fond, and more about later...was a man sound asleep. Tourist, alas, overcome by revels? Perhaps. Local street person? Also a possibility. In any case, a policeman came along and prodded him awake. There wasn’t any hostility in his action. Just S.O.P. And while the formerly sleeping man collected himself and his possessions, the policeman took out his phone and snapped some photos of a rather attractive floral display that happened to be between the river and the walk. Just a little city incident...
Oh, as an aside, the floral display? My daughter-in-law may have designed it. They’re a talented couple. David’s an architect and Emily is a landscape architect. They keep giving us the names of places they’ve done work and telling us to check them out when we travel. The Canopy, which is a hotel on the R’walk, has an extensive bit of greenery about it, and the work was Emily’s. But more about that later.
The River Walk outside of downtown. This is from 2017 and is a view from under a bridge where I was sheltering from the rain.
Anyway, we got ourselves up and went down for the complimentary breakfast in the hotel lobby. Unlike most “complimentary breakfasts” (which deserve few if any compliments), this one was actually a good one, with eggs and bacon and toast.
We sat by one of the big windows in the lobby and looked down over the the Riverwalk while we ate. Today was the big day. Or, it would be the big evening. Amos Lee was to perform that night at the Tobin. So, we were eager and excited. But, the concert wouldn’t be until evening, so the question was, what to do with ourselves in the meantime?
“I know!” Martha said, cheerfully, just as we finished our eggs and I came back with refills on our coffees. “La Villita!”
I nodded. Of course. Where else but the La Villita?
Where, today, I was to find and purchase...
A psychedelic, polychromatic, kaleidoscopic, variegated...armadillo.
With the most adorable claws.
More to come.
And last, the most important photo of the bunch. Here is a picture which, as per norm, has nothing to do with this story. It’s of Martha at breakfast in Taos, New Mexico, in 2017. I just happen to like it.
Care to help out?
I provide these blog postings for free. That’s fine and I’m happy to do so. But, long ago and far away, I was told that if you give away your material, that means you don’t really think it has any value.
So, to get beyond that, I’ve decided to make it possible for you to leave me a “tip” for my posts.
If you like what I write or the videos I produce, and feel you could make a small contribution to support my efforts, please go here:
That will take you to a Gumroad page where you’ll have the option of leaving me a few pence by way of encouragement.
Again, I don’t mind if you don’t. I just want to provide you with the option so that I won’t feel quite so much like I’m just tossing my works into the wind.
Either way, thanks hugely for dropping by the blog :-)
~mjt
*
תגובות