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Wednesday, Nov. 11
Our flight from London to Detroit left at 6:28 a.m. We bumped into Kate's colleague Sam at the airport. She was on her way to the UK via Toronto for one of Martin Plant's meetings. The flight was fine but we arrived at DTW (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport) at 7:25 and the customs guys don't come on until 7:30. Then we had to wait to deplane because the elevator didn't work. But we finally disembarked at about 7:50 and a very nice young woman was the custom officer. When we told her they occasionally had ice storms in Austin (there had recently been a really nasty storm in eastern Ontario and Quebec), she said her sister lived in Austin and complained if it even rained. We're hoping for warm weather and no ice storms so we can try swimming in Barton Springs. A bit of rain? Well we can take that. At least you don't have to shovel it.
Reg discovered that his camera has quit at the Detroit airport. He fussed about trying both batteries, taking off the vertical grip, etc. but it just wouldn't go. This is very odd as everything was fully charged before leaving. The stewardess was impressed by Reg's fancy camera and asked as we boarded if he wanted to take her picture. "Sorry, it's dead!" When we got to Austin the batteries were put in the charger at the Driskill so there are no pictures of this early part of the trip.
Our flight from Detroit to Austin: It's a long walk through the Detroit airport to make our connection but everything went on time. The flight attendants were very nice but, as on all other flights, there was someone sitting in our seat! Why does this happen? This isn't a Grey-Hound Bus, seats are assigned and clearly numbered. The guy across from us quickly drank about four beers, this was 9 a.m., and flirted with the flight attendants. We suspect he charmed no one. A woman across the aisle said her flight to Detroit, like us she was making a connection here, was delayed — while sitting on the runway, her pilot had come on the intercom and said, "We were scheduled to leave at 5:30, but the tower doesn't open until 6:00!"
At the Austin airport we had extra special treatment at the National Car Rental. At the counter they said, "Oh, you're Emerald club. You can go right on up and pick your car." They did not say, "Oh, you're Emerald club you can go and pick up any car." We did have a selection of cars to choose from but it was limited. Kate wanted to pick a "gangsta" car but we settled for a white Nissan Ultima. It's a small car by Texas standards but more than big enough for us and more than adequate for our adventures.
On our way into the city (the Austin Airport is to the southwest of the city), we stopped at the Magnolia Café on South Congress for a bit of lunch. Kate had blackened gulf shrimp in a black bean quesadilla while Reg had Huevos Rancheros (a breakfast plate) and a Shiner beer to wash it down. It's good food and busy, as always. We overheard another tourist who had just discovered the place and obviously loved it. He had been there yesterday for lunch, and then dinner, and was back today for breakfast! A local was telling him that it's open 24 hours a day and there are two other versions (we've been to two of the three). There are other restaurants one might try, there's no need to move into the Magnolia!
The staff at the Magnolia are busy, efficient, tattooed, young (college aged) and very friendly. They are all sort of the "starving artist" type, or perhaps in Austin they're starving musicians. We like the place and the food. Our meal, even with the drinks, was only $20; it was a heck of a deal!
We checked into the Driskill Hotel on 6th St (the entertainment district, aka Pecan) and Brazos (just off Congress, not too far from the capitol) which will be the RHI conference hotel. It's a lovely old historic hotel, rated 4 star, with lots of wood and leaded glass. This is our second visit to this hotel — we had stayed here with Jack, Doreta and Cindy several years ago. We have a tiny room in the old historic part of the hotel but it's very well appointed: there's the fake mink blanket, a cowboy blanket roll, widescreen TV, far too many pillows for sleeping, far too many telephones for such a tiny room, and even an umbrella (sic!) in case it rains (or perhaps it's a sunshade for the hot summer days?). There is a "new" tall tower in the hotel where we know the rooms are much larger. Ours seems tiny and crowded with too many useless accessories that we don't want or need. But we are checked in quickly and in the process Kate meets a colleague of hers (Bob Reynolds) who was glad to see her again. He phones our room to ask if Kate wants to go on a training session. But we decline — the "Sacred Waters of Barton Springs" beckon us.
At this time of year entry to the Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park is free. This seems to be the case from November through to March. Only the very determined swim beyond the dog days of summer as the pool, it's really a dammed catchment area on an existing creek bed, is quite cool. It's spring fed with the water always about 68°F; on a warm summer day it might make it up to 71°F. There is a unique Barton Springs Salamander with odd external gills that lives in one of the springs. The main spring feeds the swimming area, a smaller spring is fenced off for the salamanders (we've never seen them but are assured they are there).
It is a clear bright day with temperatures around 80°F so there are quite a few swimmers and sunbathers at the pool. It is chilly to get in but not too far off the water temperature that we had recently experienced on the Algarve (Portugal) back in October. We both swim without our wetsuits and Reg is able to do a reasonable breaststroke. He has an odd shoulder injury that has been treated with physiotherapy and exercise. His arm and shoulder are getting better and he's better swimming now. It's a bit chilly though. Reg recalls his childhood swimming in the spring fed pond at Walter's Falls where it was often "fine once you got in".
There's the usual folks doing lengths back and forth in the pool and a few folks on air mattresses enjoying the sun. It's not terribly busy, there's about a dozen in the water and another dozen enjoying the sun. There was a senior fellow sun tanning in a string bathing suit. The suit included just the basket for his man parts, some string around the waist and up his arse to hold it together and not much more. Not a terribly great sight! We understand that there's topless sun bathing here but only this geezer in the string bikini today. We have been here on other visits where there are topless women.
We swam, well Kate swam quite a bit, Reg only a little, for about an hour and we packed it in when her hands were cold. She has gloves and a wet/body suit for the cold water but she doesn't like them for doing lengths. She says that for snorkeling they are fine but for doing lengths (or laps) they constrain your arms too much. A rather large cormorant (that's a bird) joined the swimmers. He didn't seem to mind the people and would take long dives under the water searching for fish. Kate had a cold shower in the change room after her swim as the single warm shower, which is solar heated, was monopolized by others. Reg met a man from Sandusky, Ohio (just across Lake Erie from us) in the change room and they both remarked on the beautiful weather.
On our way back to the Driskill we stopped at the Whole Foods Market on Lamar at 6th to buy some wine for Reg and some mix and vodka for Kate. There's not much luck for Kate as grocery stores cannot sell hard liquor — just beer and wine. Texas has "liquor stores".
We headed up Lavaca towards the university to find a liquor store we used to visit just north of UT. On the way we found a "Twin Liquors" (they're a chain of liquor stores) where we met Kate's needs and discover that they have a far better wine selection. The Whole Foods Market had some great deals on imported stuff — like two Chilean Pinot Noir for only $12 but only a small selection of California Zinfandel. Reg likes to believe that the "local" wine in the US is the California Zinfandel. California Cabernet Sauvignon is very nice as well, but often too pricey, even here in the USA. Since then we've had some Texas wines — a lovely "Becker" chardonnay from Fredericksburg. We talked about taking a wine tour (a conducted tour that is) with Alison when she comes to visit later. There are perhaps 50 wineries in the "Hill Country" around Austin and San Antonio that we might explore.
Back at the Driskill in the late afternoon Kate is tuckering out. She didn't sleep well and needs to get to bed early tonight. There's a conference schmoozer event planned down the street tonight at Maggie Mae's on 6th but we decline. Instead we have a drink together at the hotel porch on 6th street. It's quite noisy as 6th is a busy oneway street. It's closed off to traffic at night on the weekends. Sixth is also known as Pecan Street and is one of several entertainment areas in Austin. We later discover that the hotel has two open balconies — there's another one above the porch/restaurant on 6th and it's a nice place to catch the sun. Both these discoveries are on the mezzanine level where Kate has her meetings. Kate needs a rest so Reg heads out to explore and take a few snaps with his freshly charged battery.
He walks down 6th Street past Esther's Follies almost to the interstate IH35. There's an interesting Cajun restaurant on Waller Creek. The small creek, which flows south to Town Lake, seems to be a mini San Antonio Riverwalk without the restaurants, people, boats and water. We read later that there's a big project underway to divert the river, especially important for when there are heavy rains and flash floods, and make it into a scenic walkway with a better bike path. Reg thinks exploring the creek and the lakeside would be fun. Town Lake is a dammed portion of the Colorado River with interesting bike paths around it. Lake Austin and Travis Lake are up river from here.
Reg wanders north up Red River St. which runs off of Pecan at Esther's Follies. This is another entertainment district that runs parallel to the IH-35 and at right angles to Pecan street. At one bar an obviously punk act were gathering with their chums. These were more the "glam punk" than real punk. At Stubb's people were already queued around the corner to see Regina Spektor — a young woman who was recommended in some of the papers. From the one side Stubb's looks like an old timey limestone bar. But from the other side it seems to be more of an open yard with an outdoor stage, barbecue shack, and so on. It occupies much of a city block. We saw the Drop Kick Murphy's there one time.
It's here, near Stubb's, where Reg's camera fails again with a dead battery. He thinks it's one of the two batteries, a cheap off brand, that is now toast and causing problems. He's convinced it needs to be replaced. On his return path, he meet a few street people; there are a lot of poor souls living on the street in Austin. There seems to be a Sally Ann type of place around 7th and Red River. A couple of these homeless fellows ask him if he's working — he explains that he's just a tourist with a dead camera.
Reg picked up some pizza slices along 6th and returned to share them with Kate. Along the way a panhandler approaches and asks, "Excuse me sir, you wouldn't have a pizza would you?" Clever fellow, "Why yes, I do have a pizza!" We give to the panhandlers when we can. There's quite a rag-tag assortment of the homeless, cripples, missing limbs, etc. panhandling on Pecan and throughout the downtown area. Some are veterans, the casualties of the "War on Terror" we suppose. We share the pizza in our room. The California Zinfandel we had with it is a disappointment; we ought to have spent more or bought the Chilean Pinot Noir.
We are to bed early today around 8:00! Kate is tired and has a busy few days at the conference ahead of her. Reg (the lucky bastard) can putter around at will! There are benefits to carrying Kate's luggage.
Transcribed and edited during the OMIGOD! pandemic of February 2022 from notes taken at the time.
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