Last night (Monday) was a night of thunderstorms. It seemed like it was raining every time something woke me, so I think it rained quite a lot. Sometimes I think that God’s creation is there for the sole purpose of making sure we use all of our senses.

This morning when I emerged from my camper my nose was greeted with a new and wonderful smell. It immediately brought me back to walking out the back door of the house I grew up in and smelling lilacs having their coming out party. This smell was not near as overwhelming as blooming lilacs can be, nor as sweet. It was far more subtle but left no doubt that something was in the air. My first thought was that the rain had caused something to bloom. As if knowing my need, a park ranger came rolling through the campground in his pickup.  We were the only two moving. He rolled his window down and I asked him about my blooming theory. “No, we don’t have anything blooming this time of year. That’s just the way the sage and the cedar trees smell when they get wet.” I wish I could put that in a bottle and pass it around to all of you. Instead you’ll have to come to the cedar covered hill country of Texas and chase thunderstorms.

The trip into San Antonio was far less adventurous than yesterday morning’s wanderings. Go in on Hwy 281, get off at Commerce Ave., take a right and park in the River Center Mall parking lot a few short blocks from the Alamo. Simple right? Almost. The Mall had no parking lot but there was a small public parking lot right there between a Denny’s and a La Quinta. The small public section had two spots left.

The rest were posted by Denny’s that a plague would be visited upon you if you parked in one of their slots. Ten bucks in the kitty, a couple of pumps of air in each tire and I was off.

I must say I loved downtown San Antonio. So much of the old architecture has been preserved or replicated. It still has the feel of an historic town. The day was partly sunny, cool, and very windy, so the relative protection of downtown worked.

This is the picture that everyone who visits San Antonio has to take, the city’s ultimate heritage, the Alamo. The grounds inside the Alamo site are very beautiful and there is plenty of information about the place and people. I only took one other photo thinking that if your interested you can find all kinds of very good photos online.

This is the other picture I took. This tree was the first mature tree ever to be moved in San Antonio. It was moved in 1907 when it was 40 years old and has been on the Alamo grounds and thriving ever since. They said it couldn’t be done.

Maybe the most talked about part of downtown San Antone is the famed Riverwalk. It winds and loops through the city below street level like an aquatic subway. It is indeed unique and beautiful and you could spend the entire day down there walking, eating, drinking, and shopping and never come up for air. It’s like no place I’ve ever been. Maybe people who have been to Venice would liken it some to that. I don’t know.

The Riverwalk has an outdoor theatre.

 

 

 

 

This is the San Fernando Cathedral in the Main Square.  Travis, Bowie, and Crockett are interned just inside the door on the left.  The square is laid out in the old tradition; Cathedral on one side, courthouse and government offices across from each other, and places of business across from the Cathedral.  The Parque Centro in Antigua, Guatemala is laid out exactly the same.

It was well after lunchtime and I was hungry and needed water.  I’d walked past a dozen or so cookie cutter restaurants.  I was ascending a staircase back up to street level with my bike on my shoulder.  A man with an official looking hat and shirt was coming down and said, “Good day sir, can I help you find anything sir?”  I asked him where the locals go downtown for good Mexican food.  Without hesitation he told me the Blanca Cafe.  He told me where it was and said they were only open for lunch during the week but they closed at 3 and I could just make it.

The place was packed, with a din of noise.  I had to put my mouth near the ear of the gentleman wanting to seat me when I said, “This must be the place to be.”  “This is where all the locals come,” he replied with a proud smile.  There wasn’t a touristy looking person in the place.  Great chicken enchiladas with rice and beans.  At the table next to me were to older gentlemen and one of them looked like an 80 something version of Garrison Keillor; sport coat, bow tie, funny glasses.  I could tell they were talking about politics but I didn’t listen.  I didn’t want to spoil my day. 🙂

Did I mention that I loved downtown San Antonio?

I am well and hope you all are too.