River of dreams
Welcome back, gentle reader. As this is an ongoing narrated story, please suspend your expectations of reality and imagine you are travelling with our ‘royal family’, through the wilds and intrigues of America. If it helps to have a quick scotch or Bailey’s on ice, we are happy to wait. If you wish to ‘catch up’ the list of chapters is at the end of this post. It’s heading for novel status, so you may want to take the bottle with you.
All settled? Alrighty then…
-0000-
When our family randomly selected San Antonio as a destination on the US trip last year Great American Fairy Tale tour, they had no idea how very pretty and welcoming it would be. Having already indulged in some great Tex Mex and immersed themselves in Alamo history, they decided to explore something the locals pointed them towards, called The Riverwalk.
The Prince and the Princess, heads still spinning with Davey Crockett and Bowie exploits and tummies grumbling, were keen to follow their noses…
And suddenly, strangely, the Family were no longer in Texas, but on some French or Italian or Spanish waterway…
Gentle, romantic, al fresco …
It even had primary-coloured riverboats!
The Princess tried to read a map. And least that’s what it looks like here, but the narrator suspects that she was really after a menu…
One that included the flautas (little rolled-up tortillas filled with shredded chicken) which she has amazingly let into her VERY limited list of edible foods just the day before!
They searched, climbing over the most fabulous little bridges…
‘
Taking in the sweet overviews…
Enjoying the pretty underviews…
Sharing their part of the river edge with ducks…
Until, at a fashionably late luncheon hour, they found what they were seeking.
(Flautas are plate-scrapin’, finger-lickin’ good apparently!)
After miraculously finding their way back to their hotel and flopping on the beds for a restorative nanna-nap, they decided: What the heck…it had been a couple of hours since they had last eaten… so off they set again, in search of sustenance. Walking to the same little mall that had introduced them to Tex Mex properly just the night before….
It was filled with all kinds of visual delights…
And pops of colour…
(Possibly the mother’s new favourite travel pic right here)…
Oh LOOK. Margaritas.
And PROPER corn chips. (Not those over-cheesed versions we so adore in our Ozzified nachos).
Dear Lord. It was like they hadn’t eaten for a year…
(And the Mother wonders where on EARTH those extra nine kilos came from, that followed her home via Qantas?)
But the day was REALLY finished off properly after the final highlight.
Not the flautas. Not the fajitas. Not even the Margeritas.
The MAGICIAN.
Dash was selected to ‘assist’.
Where assist equals grin and giggle and get VERY wide-eyed.
Too cute for words really.
There was one more adventure to be had in San Antonio. Which was quite possibly even MORE magical than this day.
If that is EVEN possible.
Stay tuned, gentle reader.
Or have another drink.
Your choice.
😉
BB/Narrator.
If you want to read back through the previous chapters, here is the list of links.
CHAPTER 1 (The Endless Day)
CHAPTER 2 (LA Rodeo Drivin)
CHAPTER 3 (LA Santa Monica Forrest Gump)
CHAPTER 4 (LA Venice to Hollywood)
CHAPTER 5 (LA Universal Thrills)
CHAPTER 6 (Flights of Fancy)
CHAPTER 7 (NYC Rousing Reception)
CHAPTER 8 (NYC How’s Them Apples)
CHAPTER 9 (NYC F for Friends)
CHAPTER 10‘ (NYC Screens & Scenes)
CHAPTER 11 (NYC Cold Outside)
CHAPTER 12 (NYC 2 Giant Ladies)
CHAPTER 13 (NYC Top of the World)
CHAPTER 14 (NYC Walk in the Park)
CHAPTER 15 (NYC Audrey & Mia)
CHAPTER 16 (NYC final hours)
CHAPTER 17 (Texas, Elm St, Dallas)
CHAPTER 18 (Texas, Wild Bill’s Western Store, Dallas)
CHAPTER 19 (The Alamo, San Antonio)
15 Comments
jeanie
Yay – I never realised that was on offer in San Antonio!!
jeanie´s last blog post ..Reports from 5.46am
Colin (HB)
OMG Amanda – so much food on a table.
How did you all cope?
It’s a wonder how you came back not looking like 10 ton “Tessies”.
The American psychic is to overload plates with food. Breakfasts could be a marathon task. Drove me mad on my visits to the great USA. This my grand finale on my first visit – 1970.
It was in Honolulu in the famous International Market restaurant precinct, I ordered what I assumed was a typical Aussie breakfast, I, to my absolute astonishment, got eggs (2)of the sunny side up version, more bacon than I thought was on a pig, harsh browns
(Horrible stuff), pancakes with ice-cream and maple syrup! And to top it all off strawberries on top with other various fruit. And then the ever charming waitress, told me in languid/lucid tones, “please enjoy”. Meanwhile my eyes were popping out of my head.
Have all that for breakfast for starters, and then if capable more for later meals of the day, you, Mr “I” and Violet and Dash would not have a horse capable of carrying you.
Great report from Texas.
Cheers
Colin
PS: Yes written, the above, with a Baileys and Ice for settlement of my nerves!
bushboy
9 Kilos lol….America – the home of full sized meals
Great story BB
bushboy´s last blog post ..Tales of a Distant Farm
Bush Babe
I am going to blame the lot on America… of course, some of it may have to do with all that post-trip comfort eating I did after getting back home too. *sigh*
Andrew
Was it just last year when you were in the US? It seems so long ago and your children seem so much older now. Very enjoyable read.
Andrew´s last blog post ..A vehicular bump
Kelly
Geez, BB….it’s only mid-morning yet you have me craving a Margarita and some Tex-Mex!!!
So glad we’re back on the Fairy Tale Tour with you again. 🙂
Kelly´s last blog post ..Shadow Shot Sunday #82
Leenie
I’m so glad you’ve stolen a few moments to continue your Grand Tour stories. Travel writing is my favorite and your photos and adventures just make me smile.
Leenie´s last blog post ..WIND–a rant and a poem
Hippomanic Jen
Lovely to get back to the Fairy Tale! Great pics, too.
JulieinOz
Nooooo….dont stop there! More please!!!!!
But seriously now…great to see the Fairy Tale back BB. Love that walk…didnt know about that either…someone should tell Getaway!
Love the photos…esp the guitar one.
How did you all fit all that food in…and how do we pronounce flautas?
Bush Babe
Well we say FL-OW-Tahs (the ow like OW!). Is that how you say it? We didn’t actually fit all that food in, but had learned enough to just order two plates between four instead of one each!
🙂
BB
Colin (HB)
Oh dear Julie of OZ.
I will be naughty, just blame the weather!
Try Flatulant with a Mexican twist.
A good old “Margarita” might be in order!!!!
Cheers
Colin
JulieinOz
Thanks BB!
Colin…a bit short on Mexicans around here for inspiration but I’ll give it a go!
Now my cats really do think I’m a little mad!!!!
Dorothy
Hi, Bush Babe. So glad to see you have returned to your American trip. I live on the South Plains of Texas, a good 8 hour trip to San Antonio. It is one of my favorite places to vacation. That and the Texas Gulf Coast. Dallas is too busy, Houston too big, but aw, San Antonio is just right.
Leonie
I am loving and missing the USA all over again, coz of this chapter! I loved San An, thanks to you for suggesting we add it to our trip last year! Bring on M-O-R-E pleeeeeeeeease?! xo
Scotty
Great post, BB, have followed all your US adventures with enthusiasm – glad y’all had a good time.
🙂
Scotty´s last blog post ..I’m Off