Postcard from Oviedo, Spain: Sacred relics attract peregrinos and thieves

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Above: Central detail of the main Gothic altarpiece, dating from the early 1500s, in Santa Iglesia Catedral Basilica Metropolitana de Oviedo

He who goes to Santiago and not to the Savior visits the servant and forgets the Lord.”

Back in the year 40, the apostle James was preaching in Zaragoza when the Virgin Mary miraculously floated down on a cloud to assist him with his efforts to convert pagans living under Roman rule to Christianity. Soon after establishing a chapel in her honor, James traveled all the way back to Jerusalem. His preaching incurred the ire of the King of Judea, Herod Agrippa (11 BC-44 AD), who had him beheaded in the year 44. Avenged as, according to Acts Chapter 12, Verse 23, King Herod Agrippa met his maker within the same year:

“…an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.”

The head of Santiago, as James is known in Spain, is said to be entombed below the altar of the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of Saint James, the church built on the site where he was martyred in Jerusalem. But what became of the rest of his body? As Santiago is the country’s patron saint, let’s go with the miraculous version. A band of angels arrived on a cloud to retrieve it, placed it in a simple boat and guided it to shore in northern Spain.

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Postcard from Morelia, Mexico: Vamos a comer

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Gaspacho. Spelling the word with an “s” and not a “z” makes a world of difference in Morelia. Cubes of refreshing fruit with no tomatoes in the mix. Traditional gaspacho stands are found everywhere in the heart of the city, with locals more than willing to line up at their favorite ones. Although customized for the individual, don’t miss out experiencing estilo Moreliano with its contrasting flavors of tangy lime juice, cotija cheese and chile layered into the combination of regional fruit. Beware. It’s highly addictive.

With that ideal breakfast out of the way, time to head out for more substantial repasts at restaurants listed alphabetically. By chance, these first three spots are a bit off the main tourist grid but are all a walkable distance from the center.

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Postcard from San Antonio, Texas: Time to toast the Alamo Trust

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Above: Rendering of plans for the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum from the Alamo Trust

Recent international trends in museum design and development have emphasized the reuse and transformation of historic industrial and commercial buildings for interpretive programming, providing stronger links between complex layers of history and dynamic visitor experiences. Through the historic preservation treatments of exterior restoration and interior rehabilitation, these three buildings on Alamo Plaza can provide the opportunity for a unique twenty-first century museum experience that is innovatively housed within some of San Antonio’s most historically significant commercial architecture of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

“Historical Assessment of a Trio of Historic Buildings on the West Side of Alamo Plaza,” John G. Waite Associates’ study commissioned by the Alamo Trust, 2020

The Crockett Block (1882); the Palace Theater (1923); and the Woolworth Building (1921). All three recognized as significant historic landmarks in San Antonio and nationally. The 2020 evaluation by John G. Waite Associates let preservationists breathe a bit easier.

A cause for celebration: The block is no longer in danger of complete demolition to make way for a new museum directly across the plaza from the Alamo Chapel. The rendering at the top of this post is the current one espoused by the Alamo Trust. Most of this complex on the west side of Alamo Plaza will be transformed into a handsome museum and visitors center designed by a team of architects and designers from internationally renowned Gensler and San Antonio-based GRG Architecture.

In addition to private donations, the overall Alamo Plan is receiving an amazingly generous boost in the Texas State Budget – a whopping $400-million. In other words, the museum, preservation of the Alamo itself and redo of Alamo Plaza are all moving forward.

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