From my hotel, I could hear a group playing
conjunto, that unique accordion-based sound
that is a fusion of Spanish, German, and Cuban music, Polish polkas, and
American jazz, blues and rock. It was part of the contagious enthusiasm that is
perfectly suited for San Antonio, a city with a vibrant mix of heritages and an
effervescent attitude.
Later, I listened to the energetic rhythms of
Mariachi bands that punctuate the restaurants and sidewalks of the three-mile
long Paseo del Rio (River Walk.) This
area is always crowded (in that wonderful European way) with tourists and
natives shopping and strolling the river’s edge. Flowers bloom along its river bank,
and tall Cyprus trees hang their branches over the canals. The River Walk was
originally constructed in 1941 as a flood control project for the San Antonio
River. An extension added in 1968 linked the River Walk with HemisFair Park for
the World’s Fair and proved to be a turning point in the city’s popularity and
tourism. Today the city is a major destination.
Here, history and culture abound. Art lovers enjoy
the San Antonio Museum of Fine Art located in the former castle-like Lone Star
Brewery and the nearby McNay Museum with an impressive collection of Post
Impressionist painting and an outdoor Sculpture Park. But you can satisfy your
need for visual art just by walking through the city. The downtown is marked by
a 65-foot sculpture La Antorcha de la
Amistad by renowned Mexican sculptor Sebastian. Like a flowing red ribbon,
this “Torch of Friendship” was a gift to the city in 2002 to commemorate the
bond between the two countries. At El Mercado,
Market Square, the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico, you’ll find a farmers’ market and plenty of shops overflowing with authentic Mexican goods
from sombreros to pottery. When I was there, I stopped at Mi Tierra Café and
Bakery (Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia).
With piñatas hanging from the ceiling and walls of decorative tiles, it was
like walking into a Fiesta.
On the south bank of the San Antonio River, I
visited La Villita, the city’s first
neighborhood, originally housing the soldiers from the Alamo. Today it’s an
arts and crafts village with shops offering handmade products from
hand-hammered copper to hand-woven clothing. There are also art galleries,
restaurants and The Little Church of La
Villita built in 1879.
History permeates this city. San Antonio del Valero (The Alamo,)
built in 1718, was their first mission and is the beginning of The Mission
Trail, which connects five sites, the largest concentration of Spanish missions
in the United States. Of course, at one time the area belonged to the Spanish,
and a visit to the Spanish Governor’s palace allowed me to get a sense of that
period. I also visited San Fernando
Cathedral. Originally built between 1738 and 1749, it is the oldest
continuously operating Church in the United States and the oldest building in
Texas. But, for some modern history, I took in a performance at the city-owned
Majestic Theater, one of the country’s most ornate stages. It was built in
1929, abandoned, rescued, conserved, and reopened in 1989. Once a movie theater
and now home of the San Antonio Symphony and a venue for concerts and Broadway
shows, it is elaborately decorated with back-lit colored windows, balconies,
columns, and carved flowers that make it seem like a fantasy Spanish villa
under a canopy of stars. San Antonio is truly a feast for all your senses.
