San Antonio and its Missions-

San Antonio, la 7ieme ville (en population) des USA. Nous avons quitte le Roadrunner RV camping dans le village de Stockton TX. Un autre long trajet sans evenement special (sauf etre derriere une voiture sans chauffeur a une station service- Le gars etait alle se commander une pizza pendant que nous (coinces) attendions sans pouvoir manoeuvrer- GGRREUUU!).

 San Antonio the 7th most populous city in the US. We left Roadrunner RV park in the tiny town of Stockton TX yesterday morning. Another long ride but road was pretty uneventful (except waiting 10mn at a gas station because a car was parked at the pump and went inside to order a pizza while his car remained unattended in front of us with nowhere to move- GREEEEU!) 

                    Our rig with a gorgeous sunrise. Picture taken by Nancy just before we left Stockton TX.

                Notre caravane, le matin, devant un beau lever de soleil avant de laisser Stockton TX

        Arrival in San Antonio in a very tight rv campground but clean and not too far from sights to visit.

We wanted to celebrate Lou's birthday so that evening we ate a quick meal and drove to downtown San Antonio to experience its River Walk. A beautiful but hot evening walking down some stairs to reach the action: a narrow canal (water from the San Antonio river) below the streets lined with shops and restaurants and tons of Spanish speaking people. Felt like a different country. Found the Alamo up the stairs, down a block from where we started. Interesting to see the old Mission downtown.

Arrives a San Antonio dans un camping un peu serres les uns avec les autres mais propre et pas trop loin de nos destinations. Nous voulions celebrer l'anniversaire de Lou a notre arrivee. Nous avons donc dine rapidement puis sommes alles au centre ville pour nous balader et visiter le River Walk. Une belle soiree pour se rendre sur les quais d'un canal cree par un detournement des eaux de la riviere San Antonio (pour controler les inondations). Avons donc pris des escaliers pour arriver sur les quais bondes de monde, de cafes, bistros et boutiques pour touristes. L'espagnol etait de forme ici. On etait dans un pays etranger! Avons localise L'Alamo: la plus ancienne Mission de la region des annees 1700. Tres interessant.

                                    Alamo 1900

                                            Alamo 1744

                                                                    Alamo 2022

Le jour suivant, il faisait extremement chaud, 43 sur le parking. Les 2 autres couples ont choisi de rester a la caravane pour regarder des matchs de foot (pas de football/soccer). Tim et moi sommes alles a la Mission San Jose qui fait partie des National State Parks. Tres instructif pour mieux comprendre la culture de ce coin sud ouest des USA. Different du Mexique. 

Next day, so hot 109 in the parking lot. Some of us stayed behind to fill their needs of football (not soccer) but Tim and I drove to visit more Missions. No disappointment there. Great to understand all the Spanish/ Indigenous/ American culture of the Southwest of the US.  

Vue de cote de San Jose. Side view of San Jose. 

Vue d'un autre angle de la facade de l'eglise San Jose. View of the front of the Church of San Jose's Mission.

Outside in the Mission courtyard. Big space surrounded by over 80 little 2 rooms living quarters for the natives who lived and "were protected" by the Franciscan/Spanish conquerors in the 1700's. 

Dans la cour de la Mission San Jose entouree de petits 2 pieces pour accommoder les natifs de la region pendant la colonisation espagnole. Le but des Franciscains Espagnols etaient de controler et de convertir la population dans les annees 1700. Regime tres strict: prieres 

wells and fire places in the courtyard. Puit et four de la cour principale

Inside one of these 2 rooms housing built around the courtyard. Tim a l'interieur d'un 2 pieces construit par et pour les indigenes. 

The Church and its adjacents buildings. L'eglise et ces batiments adjacents 

Inside the adjacents Mission's buildings. L'interieur du presbytere. 

Inside the church still in use nowadays.

San Jose Mission facade. 

The Spanish took in the Native to "protect them and feed" them (please inquire more details on internet- very interesting)/. They used their native skills but taught them new ones as well; for exemple they introduce wheat and how to grow it and grind it hence the small but well restored mill behind the Mission operated by a series of canals from the San Antonio river which turn the horizontal wheel in the cellar. See pictures below: ( I was not able to order my pictures so I numbered them so you can better understand the system used)

mill and stairs to the cellar where the wheel is located.

5-  canal with water coming out of the mill. The water left the mill and was recirculated in the irrigation system. 

4- Inside system with grinding stone and handle to manage the water flow. 

2- coned well where the water was sent before it rushed through the wheel in the cellar.

1- irrigation where the water was controlled before it flowed in the cellar.

3- Picture of the horizontal wheel below ground. 

If it hadn't been so hot we would have loved to ride our bikes from San Concepcion to the 3 other Missions that remain south of San Antonio. But we visited 2 of them which taught us a lot about the 1700s life in the region. Again plenty of reading to do to get a better sense of how people adjusted, changed and created a new way of life during the Spanish Conquests and afterward. It explains what we see and hear around us as we travel through the area. 

Facade of Mission Concepcion. Less restored as San Jose. You have to imagine the vivid colors they painted these buildings. Nothing is left of that art. 

The inside here also has been restored. In fact the 4 Missions mentioned on this post are still in use. 

Next: by the border. Going to Brownsville, extreme South point of Texas on the golf on the Mexican border. Looking forward to visit the area. We have 2 nights there before driving to New Orleans.