San Antonio Missions

Mission Road

Driving a short ways out of San Antonio, taking Mission Road, we came upon the

missions of:



Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan 

and Espada.

Here I have a mix of pictures from the four missions. Of course, the pictures show what I was interested in. I loved the original walls and stones left, from years gone by. I also was taken by the very old trees. The bell tower at Espada Mission took me back to those days. The missionaries strove to make life in the mission communities closely resemble that of Spanish villages. Trades were taught, to the Indians, which later proved beneficial to the post-colonial growth of San Antonio.
(Yup, I read the brochures!)
A couple of the missions are still active churches. Mission Espada was having a wedding, a birthday party and a quinceanera party the day we were there. (Quinceanera--party for a girl turning 15yrs. old.)
We saw/heard a Mariachi Band and entered a building where there was a
Minnie Mouse birthday party just starting. Opps! They did invite us to stay, we thanked them, but declined. I did get a picture of the pinata though!

The doors at the mission were grand!

I love doors everywhere---I take pictures of them, just so I can see them again.

This is Miroslav Maler. He is a sculptor from the Czech Republic.

He has been commisioned by the San Antonio Missions, to help restore some parts of the missions, with original building techniques.

(He was so kind to pose with Flat Stanley, even though he never heard of the project. Thanks Mr. Maler.)

Gardens were planted by the Missionaries and Indians for food. Now they plant gardens, at the missions, for the "eye pleasure." 

             

                                                                             A View Through the Window

Looking out of windows the view seems so different than looking straight at it. The trees at the missions are so old, even if limbs fell, they continued to grow, making for some interesting natural sculptures.





We saw several photographers taking family portraits by the wonderful trees.

In one of the windows above, you will see Flat Stanley, in the lower lefthand corner. Double click and you will see Joe, in the distance, reading a sign on the door of the mission.

The missions of San Antonio were well worth the tired, sore feet I had when we were at the end of the road.

(Flat Stanley did the tour with me, so I figured his feet were tired too!)