I left off with us checking into a nice hotel with a surly desk clerk in downtown San Antonio. We then had our obligatory hotel room picnic. It seems like we do that whenever we travel. On the day that we arrive, we pick up wine, bread, and cheese...or, sometimes those little prosciutto-mozzarella rolls you see in the dairy case at grocery stores...and then, well, we eat in our hotel room.
And this trip was no exception. But we were surprised to find that we weren’t particularly tired after our drive down. So, we decided on a walk. We were near an entrance to the downtown Riverwalk Area. I’ve talked about the Riverwalk before, of course. But, briefly, it is a “special use pedestrian zone.”(1) In downtown, it is a tourist attraction, with all manner of shops and restaurants along the river. Outside of downtown, it has a park-like feel, and is basically a walkway that parallels the San Antonio River.
You’ll recall that I had plans for the Riverwalk, at least the part of it that is outside of downtown. It was going to be my jogging and dog-walking course when I thought we were moving to San Antonio. Sigh. Best laid plans of mice and men. And of Michael. Ah well. Maybe, to go along with our Casita, I’ll dig a little trench in the backyard and run around it for a while. I’ll pretend it’s the River Walk. “Not the real thing. But an amazing simulation.”(2)
About the photos: First, a shot of the River Walk downtown at night. As you can see, it is a romantic place. Second, here’s a rather lousy photo of a horse drawn carriage in San Antonio. I got the picture from my hotel window and it was at quite a distance. One day, I’ll get a real camera instead of just using my phone.
Finally, third, Martha in the lobby of the Hotel Emma in the Peal District. This was from our 2022 trip.
Anyway, we thought we’d take a stroll on the Riverwalk. (For some reason, I can’t remember why, we thought to take an umbrella. That will be important in a moment.) And so, pretty soon, we were down on the path, along with hordes of other tourists like ourselves. It slowly got darker and darker, but we had no shortage of light. The path and the space around us was brightly illuminated by street lamps on the walkway and by the glowing windows from the restaurants and shops around us.
Oh, and there are tour boats in the river, btw. I remember thinking how pretty they looked, with their own lights, as they passed us by.
We hadn’t been out very long when it started to rain...first, lightly, then heavily. Soon, vast crowds of tourists were squeezing into the open shops, hotel lobbies, and cafes, or they were standing under the bridges that are here and there.
We, however, Were Prepared. We Had Our Umbrella. So, we opened it up, and were invulnerable. Arm in arm, we passed the moist and shivering masses, and went boldly where we pleased...
It was all rather nice, actually. I’m afraid I’m going to have to use the word “romantic.” Really, really romantic. As in...whoa. As in...wow. As in this is like a stroll along the Seine in Paris or the Danube in Vienna or the Charles River in Boston. This is “Autumn In New York” by Vernon Duke (1903-1969), and, specifically the Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald duet version.(3)
Yes...yes...I know. Big tough guys who are tall and dark and handsome aren’t supposed to talk about Romance. But, fortunately, I’m short, pale, and gruesome...okay, maybe not really gruesome, but you get the point...so I get a free pass on all that and can Romanticize as much as I darn well please. So I will. Darn it.
Anyway...
We finished our walk. The rain slowed down, then ceased, and the rest of our fellow tourists emerged from their shelters. We folded up the umbrella. We were no longer special.
We walked back to the hotel. I think we watched television. Though, if we did, I don’t remember the program, so it must not have been particularly memorable. I do recall that we sat together at the end of the bed and looked out the window and down at the street. There’s a new thing in San Antonio, or at least it’s new to us. There are now horse drawn carriages around the River Walk area that you can rent for a ride. The carriages are elaborately decorated and illuminated with all sorts of lights. Particularly at night, they have a Cinderella air to them.(4)
Honestly, though, I personally found it unappealing. I’ve never been fond of horse-drawn carriages on darkened city streets when traffic is everywhere and visibility limited. It seems unsafe to me. Besides, I feel that horses should be in the open air, or at least in comfortable stables. Not clattering about on asphalt. But that’s just me.
Anyway...after that...it was to bed.
We didn’t know it, but come the next morning, we were to have a very full day, indeed.
It would include Ismo’s performance, which we loved...
And also, a dear friend...coming very close to death.
Which was not nearly so pleasant.
More to come.
Footnotes:
1. The Riverwalk has its own Wikipedia page, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_River_Walk. And, perhaps more useful for the traveler, there is an official San Antonio River Walk website here: https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/
2. I’m not certain, but I think that was the slogan for a brand of cubic zirconia jewelry that was advertised on TV during the late 1970s or early 1980s. But, I haven’t been able to find any references to that exact phrase on the web. Does anyone else remember those advertisements?
3. According to Wikipedia, Autumn in New York is a “Jazz Standard” dating from 1934. It has been done by any number of artists. The Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong version (which I love) can be heard here: https://youtu.be/50zL8TnMBN8?si=RZNgagOlG7M0aJPF.
For information on Vernon Duke, who had a fascinating life, see his Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Duke
4. See “Carriage Rides In Downtown San Antonio,” https://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/horse-carriage-rides-in-san-antonio/
Copyright©2025 Michael Jay Tucker
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