Walking around as a tourist in Austin, Texas, on a summer's day can be very hot. Today was in the high 90s, and we were wilting as we strolled down Congress Street to see the state capital. There was not a lot of shade, nor even a breeze, and it was past lunchtime, so we decided to get a bite to eat... but where to go?
Aha! There on that beautifully restored antique car was a sign for the 1886 Cafe, just inside the main entrance of the historic Driskill Hotel. The architecture inside and out was spectacular, and the food gourmet. A salmon salad with candied pears and goat cheese for Suzanne, and huevos rancheros for Ty (the best ever). After lunch, we walked around the lobby and mezzanine for a peek into Texas history, circa 1890-1930. There was a bronze sculpture named The Widowmaker, of two horses at full speed, the lead horse dragging its cowboy rider, his left foot caught in a stirrup, the second rider with his Winchester carbine aimed to take down the lead horse to save his compadre... then we turned a corner and saw...
This patriotic bull is evidently used for public relations work for the Driskill. He fits in pretty well with Austin's other attraction, the University of Texas (yes, sir, the Longhorns, although this bull isn't one of that breed). To avoid unnecessary confrontations, I wasn't wearing my Texas A&M shirt today when we visited the UT campus... (daughter Elisabeth is an Aggie grad). Unfortunately, we won't be visiting College Station this trip, so A&M won't be getting much press. But for Texans, that's the big football rivalry here.
No comments:
Post a Comment