December 18, 2003
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December 2003 Armadillo Christmas Bazaar If you’re in Austin, there’s a lot going on downtown. 6th Street is known for its bars and Esther’s Follies.
I ran around the State Capitol the other day, and that’s free. It is a great piece of architecture, and my feet tingle when I stand up on the top tier looking down onto the 6 emblems of Texas below the cupola. Texas has 6 flags, one for each country it has been under. Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States. These 6 flags are what all those amusement parks are named after.
There’s some gorgeous gory paintings inside the Texas State Senate Meeting Room. Dark paintings that look like they could use a bath and some cheer. One is of the Alamo.
The state capitol building is gorgeous inside and out.
Downtown Austin from the steps of the capitol building.
The Colorado River winds through Austin.Jason and I also went downtown to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar on the corner of Nueces and 3rd Street. It only costs $3 (as opposed to $5) if you get in before 7 PM. Austin is known for its live music, and there was a band called Hot Club of Cowtown playing, but we didn’t get time to hear them, as my feet were killing me. (Cowtown is another name for Fort Worth.) Great crafts. Gorgeous stuff!
Copper flim-flam robots, beautiful beaded jewelry, and a gorgeous painting of Minna — the Middle Eastern goddess of fate. Unfortunately she costs $3000, otherwise I’d be heading to the post office this morning to ship her home.
There was also this one booth filled with the coolest plastic monsters, that were sort of a combination of Jim Henson and Hieronymous Bosch.
Austin has its own names for all the highways that run through it. For example Highway 1 is not usually called “Highway 1.” It’s called “MoPac.” I’m told that MoPac stands for Missouri-Pacific, which is the name of the railroad that runs parallel to it. There’s also the Ben White (Hwy 71) and the Capitol of Texas (Hwy 360). Hell! Who needs numbers!
