Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is San Antonio

Here's the daunting road system that's been keeping me from driving myself around exploring... It's hard to read a map and drive at the same time.



In 1968 the World Fair was in San Antonio. The Tower of the Americas was built for this momentous event. At 750' tall, it's taller than the Space Needle in Seattle, which is only a mere 605' tall. The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World Fair, so apparently San Antonio had to one up (or 145' up) the west coast.



If you ask me, I think the Space Needle has style galore. It's not always about being the biggest is it? What do you think, am I wrong?




And why don't we have World Fairs anymore???



Here's my first glimps of the river walk. This is sweet little outdoor amphitheater, the Arneson River Theatre, is right off La Villita, a charming little arts village, where some original buildings to San Antonio have been maintained mostly in their original states but converted into little art galleries. A little slice of heaven for me.


If you all watched Miss Congeniality, this is the stage where Saundra Bullock did her talent show for the competition. I believe that's what I was told anyway.



So the river walk, is actually on the San Antonio River. Oddly enough, it's one level down from street level. So to get there you take a stairway down to the walk. It's kind of like dropping down into a secret tunnel of water, ancient trees, and giant philodendrons.



This is the beautiful little path Tom, Karla, and I took down to the river. We stopped at a little outdoor bar on the way and got a margarita. Which by the way, is legal to walk around with, but just on the river walk, don't try going up on street level with it or you'll get nabbed by one of the bicycle police.












Tom was sure that I needed a picture of myself all lit up by the sun next to the historic bridge. I look like I'm on fire.



Here's a nice little example of how the city has devised a way to aerate the river to keep the waterway healthy for the fishies and wildlife. They have installed man-made waterfalls all around the river walk which also really add to the ambiance by adding trickling and splashing sounds. Very relaxing. I'm sure the ducks appreciate the ambiance too.




So as soon as dinner was over we ran down to jump on the river boat tour to get the low down on all the buildings and sights along the river.

La Bella Vita in all her glory...

A sailboat made of plastic bottles...

Last year I heard mention of a large garbage patch out in the Pacific Ocean. After recovering from the shock and bewilderment, I did some internet research and found that most major oceans contain such a patch. Apparently these patches are formed by the vortexes caused by the swirling ocean currents catching up the floatsom and jetsom.

Just days after finding out about this garbage patch, while sitting in a Chinese restaurant waiting for my take-out and flipping through a magazine, I ran across an article about David de Rothschild and the plastic bottle sailboat he was building and planning to sail across the Pacific ocean from San Francisco to Sydney Austrailia and along the way passing the garbage patch.

Check out the Plastiki's journey here.






Tree Hugger's website photos of the giant Pacific garbage patch.

Grape stompin' fun...

at Becker Vineyards. just north (?) of Fredricksburg, Texas.

Adventures in the yard...

The new La Bella Vita Gourmet Logo

This logo was designed by Karla! She is quite the creative lady. She gave me a drawing of what she wanted it to be like and then I drew it out in Illustrator. So really all the creative credit should go to her!

The lion and the banner are purchased from iStock then reshaped a little here and there. The coffee plant branches and beans were drawn by me.

So this was truly a group effort this time!

You'll be able to find La Bella Vita Gourmet's website here.

This little guy...

was hanging out over a little pond at Rainbow Gardens, in San Antonio. Talk about a big plant nursery! Holy cow... I wish I could take this place home with me. It had extensive paved paths leading to ponds, fountains and arbors. If I get to go back again, I'll be sure to take more pictures.

Here are the other pictures I took there:




Banana flower?





Banana Trees





Koi pond with a two foot white koi.



Raisins to raisins, grapes to grapes...



The ever creative Karla, saving the top of her homegrown pineapple to start a new plant for next years crop of pineapple.



Here are the two story cowboy boots I promised last time.



This guy is usually just a flash of green out of the corner of my eye. This time however, he sat still for a picture.

And out near Tom's mom's house in the "country", there is this pasture full of sheep. Quite photogenic.