Tag: restaurant reviews

Road trip to art-walk in San Antonio

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Above: Looking northward to downtown from San Pedro Culture Park pathways

If you follow the ruta of San Pedro Creek, you are on a pilgrimage rooted in the past, destined for the future. As in some ancient legend, a city emerged out of these waters. A city bubbled forth out of this spring-fed stream, running from long before there was anyone here to witness it – or drink from it…. If this creek could speak, in whispers of song, or poetry, it might tell the story of the city that it birthed, brought to the light of history, its most extraordinary, and perhaps unexpected, progeny. Whispers of memories, echoes of song, rhythms of poesy, drumbeats and bugles, punctuated by cannonades – and long intervals of peace.”

“A Creek Tells Its Story: The Mythic Narrative of San Pedro Creek,” John Phillip Santos

Our rare quick trips to San Antonio tend to involve friends and family, so exploring the two miles of improvements along San Pedro Creek is taking a while. In December, we walked a small segment of the former degraded ditch that has been transformed into San Pedro Cultural Park.

Rather than repeat the background, here are links to my earlier blogs: first post, 2018; second post, 2024. Below, find images taken along a newer stretch.

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Postcard from Avignon, France: A brief restaurant sampler

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A colorful illustration of a French baguette with a decorative ribbon and text saying 'La baguette de pain française'.

Above: Perfect for the indecisive, a sampler platter at L’Epicerie Restaurant.

We didn’t stay in Avignon many days, so the list of restaurants we experienced is shorter than normal. Don’t be confused by the inclusion of two unrelated epiceries. Both have pleasant outdoor seating, but the food experience is totally different.

L’Epicerie de Ginette is more a cafe than a restaurant, but its seating on the tree-shaded plaza across the street is ideal for people-watching. Caramelized goat cheese on toast atop a salad was substantial, while a croque monsieur was spartan, a slim slice of ham and a paucity of cheese. The luscious raspberry custard tarte represented redemption. Perhaps best to stick with dessert and people-watching.

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Postcard from Aix-en-Provence, France: Vegetarian, Italian, North African, and, oh, French flavors

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A decorative postage stamp featuring a French baguette with a blue, white, and red ribbon.

Above: Shrimp risotto at Lou Mao

Off we go through the alphabetical list of restaurants we tried in Aix-en-Provence. The “c” ones clump together first – ones that would make a Happy Cow vegetarian list – but simply scroll down farther if you are vegetable-averse. Meat and fish are much easier to find than vegetable dishes when eating out.

The tomato Saint Marcelin salad and an ample vegetarian mezze bowl at the pleasant Cafe du Temps helped reward our quest for vegetables. The seitan burger was not to our tastes; we prefer veggie burgers that taste more like vegetables.

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