Dec 28/29 San Antonio, click on picture and it becomes bigger.

We started a little late this morning 28th because of the heavy dew – rain. The breakfast was eggs and the like but one item I really liked, roasted salsa for my omelet and eggs. I paid for it later but worth it.

Because of the rain we thought we would stay around the area. Next door is La Villita arts area. This was worth the rain.

Many local artists selling their wears in the old village, they utilized many of the old buildings as sales area. There were many paintings of the Alamo, the three missions, local sunsets, and the Texas bluebonnet. There was some really different pottery, many different one of a kind flower pots, nice dinner ware sets and a nifty chips and salsa bowl, it was a deep big bowl for the chips and a four inch bowl attached to the rim of the bowl. Jewelry, many earrings and necklaces made of silver, many turquoise pieces used in the jewelry. Another interesting item was mesquite wood bowls adorned with turquoise chips filling in wavy strips in small areas of the wood. We have seen these in Arizona also.

We again walked the river walk area as the rain went to a drizzle, then misty and no rain and back and forth. We stopped for an ice cream cone at Hagen Dazz, as it started to rain again.

Across the street was The Alamo, always nice to see. 2011 will be the 175^th anniversary of the standoff.

One forgets that it is the cradle of Texas’s birth. http://www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/alamo-battle.htm The rain didn’t stop the Oklahoma and Arizona fans from seeing and taking there picture in front of the façade. There was even a flat Stanley picture taken, people were from northern Indiana.

The old metal gates, original limestone walls and a baptismal font.

Alongside the building was a beautiful large live oak, some branches held up by metal posts.

Well let’s find another dry place, right next to The Alamo was the Menger Hotel, a beautiful old hotel, art deco style. In the hotel was a fun estate jewelry shop. It had much to look at, I didn’t see anything less than a grand. Even these two inch Japanese carved people, I think ivory was the medium.

Back on the river walk, a little mist and rain can’t make me melt. We thought it was time for a wine and a crab cake and it turned out a dessert,

lemon chiffon cake with whipped Philly cream cheese and a couple pieces of chocolate and a couple black berries. This was really good at the Ostra restaurant.

We walked back seeing the colored lights of the river walk area. Now we sit in the room watching the Vikings. Tomorrow should be fun, my old high school class mate John, who lives in San Antonio, is picking us up and we will do lunch at a real Mexican restaurant. jerr