Pining for the Fjords

Don't forget about Part 3 ! Welcome to the blog, Jeff! When last I blogged, Mom and I were chilling back at our Airbnb in San Antonio, after a morning spent wandering the streets and shopping at Historic Market Square.  After a few hours of napping, reading, and some preliminary packing, we changed clothes, hopped into an Uber, and headed north to the Pearl , a shopping/dining/entertainment district just outside downtown proper.  The Pearl was San Antonio's historic brewery, and while they no longer make beer there, they still serve it (and all sorts of other things) in several locations on site. While we'd been planning to make a trip to the Pearl anyway during our time in San Antonio, we had an extra compelling reason to so - we were meeting an old friend!  As fate would have it, my friend Jeff from high school (we dated for a few years during that time) was also in San Antonio for a radio broadcasters' conference.  His wife, Christy, back home in Saint Augustine/Jack

Did you read Part 2 ? Colorful flags on display at Market Square Thursday morning for me started pretty early (not surprising at all, of course), so I figured I'd take advantage of the slightly less scorching temps and head out for a quick run.  I followed the same path we'd taken to dinner the night before, then headed further into the Southtown/ King William area, winding up and down the tree-lined streets and gawking at the gorgeous houses and historic spots.  This part of San Antonio was settled by German immigrants (this area would be "Kaiser Wilhem" to them, I suppose), and it includes the old flour mill founded by the Guenther family.  While the neighborhood took a downward turn in the 1950s, thankfully, most of the historic homes were saved, and they're still around today, having been fixed up and looking absolutely lovely. A few shots from my run: The second half of my run took me back toward the Bexar County Courthouse, which is also quite picturesque:

Do you need to catch up?  Here's Part 1 When last I blogged, I'd had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with folks on my Dad's side of the family as we gathered in San Antonio, Texas to celebrate Nancy and Ron's 50th wedding anniversary! On the Riverwalk! When we received the invitation for the celebration, and I realized I'd be halfway to Florida, I asked Mom if she might like to fly to San Antonio as well, so the two of us could spend some mother-daughter time exploring the city after the anniversary festivities.  She thought it was a great idea - it had been almost four years since our last " walkabout " to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles - and she booked her flights without delay!  While I was visiting with the Ashley side of the family on Sunday afternoon, Mom landed in San Antonio and made it to the second Airbnb of the trip, very conveniently located just a few blocks from Courthouse Square and the Cathedral, and just under a mile from the most ce