paseo del rio

After the party she wanted to attend was cancelled this evening (the hostess came down with the flu), C and I made a split-second decision to drive to San Antonio instead, to see the Riverwalk.

It was a chilly but clear evening when we left Austin. C had heard that the space station would be visible early in the evening, so we stopped in Buda to see it fly overhead at 5:54pm. It looked like a slowly-moving star in the twilight sky, and we watched it for a few minutes before continuing on our way.

Downtown San Antonio was packed when we arrived; there was a Spurs game there this evening. We parked at the River Center and set out from there, walking along the Riverwalk.

Bathed in the warm glow of thousands of Christmas lights, a mariachi band played outside in the cold air. We walked past as they were finishing a set, and the band leader began speaking to the crowd in the mixture of Spanish and English that I love to listen to. It is Saturday night, and the area is teeming with people.

It was a bit like swimming, moving along the narrow walkways with the crowd. We kept to the inside, afraid that the crowd might inadvertantly push someone into the chilly water.

Every hundred yards or so, an old stone bridge arches over the river, and each one is lined in white lights. Overhead, the trees canopy, and colorful lights dangle down, their palettes reflected in the rippling water like an impressionist painting.

A constant stream of river boats drifted silently through the water like ghosts, but on board, the passengers teemed with activity. Some of the boats were occupied by choirs of kids, who sang Christmas carols to people walking along the river.

An article I read recently named San Antonio one of the best cities to spend Christmas, and I can see why. It's almost exotic in its celebration, and the river was lovely. For whatever reason, I'd never been there around this time of year; I'm certain I'll return sometime.