Austin is a fine city. I've had a great week here. I enjoyed my work, I enjoyed my evenings, and I had a great day Saturday exploring the city. There's little I enjoy more than that first period of exploring a new city. Driving or walking, not being sure what you'll find around the corner, noticing unusual buildings, happening across odd contrasts that say something different than you're used to, imagining how it would feel to no longer see it all as new; in other words imagining what it would be like to live there.

There's really not too much high culture here. That's a shame since I'd otherwise not rule out the idea of moving here too - adding it to the pantheon of places I'm gonna move to - Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. :)

Friday night was my first club night in yonks. And I had fun, but I also remembered why I'd stopped going out in the first place. The fun part came from just hanging out with Bryan and swapping comments on cute boys. Bryan's an easy guy to be with.

Bryan

Oh yeah, and there were certainly cute guys! But what I don't and didn't like about going out is the crappy music, and the smoke. There was one glorious moment where I was on the dance floor for a while, after Bryan assured me that the claptrap coming from the speakers would transform itself into "New York Boys" by the Pet Shop Boys, but it was a disco mirage, and I retreated to the smoke-filled voyeurs' section, where I continued practising my trademark furtive, sinister glances.

Another big reason I don't like going out; if you don't like the music, then the only other resort, apart from chatting with friends, is to stand around like a dork and try to make eye-contact. This latter activity never ever seems to go anywhere for me. Despite being 6'5 I feel completely invisible in a bar. And yet I know I'm not ugly. In fact, if I'm to believe what I'm told, then I'm pretty attractive. So I'll never know why it is that I get ignored in bars. "I feel your pain", I'm sure you're saying - I guess everyone feels this way.

Despite scarcely ever drinking any more, having a drink has always been such a necessary part of going out that I felt compelled to do so on Friday night. I only had a couple, but I went to bed late with a thick head. I drank a liter of water before falling asleep hoping that would keep the hangover away in the morning. Even worse, I couldn't sleep. Alcohol seems to act upon my sleep very similarly to caffeine. I think I was awake and bleary-eyed until four. This is ANOTHER reason I don't like to go out! And Saturday was to be my tourist day - how was I to enjoy it with eyes like a racoon?

But after I was up and properly caffeinated in the morning, I felt suprisingly good. No racoon eyes, and no hangover. And outside, the rain had even stopped, finally, although the balcony railing was still soaking.

After faffing around half the morning, I was finally packed and on the road. I had a few hours ahead of me to find out what Austin had to offer. I started by driving downtown, of course. I wanted to see the famous Capitol building. I wasn't going to have time to take the tour, but it was certainly an impressive building, set in nice grounds. What amazed me is that the grounds about the Capitol have free public parking!

State Capitol

Nearbye is the beautiful Governor's Mansion. I don't suppose George was home, though.

Governor's Mansion

I sauntered South down Congress Avenue all the way to the river. The temperature was beginning to pick up a little, and the grey clouds were beginning to fray at the edges promising some sun later. Unlike most big American cities, Austin seems to have a downtown that is active on weekends. Part of it comes from the beauty of the parks that line the river, and their utility too - swimming pools, ballgrounds, biking and running trails. Congress Avenue wasn't exactly Picadilly Circus, but there were cafes that were open, at least.

Down Congress Avenue

(As an aside, that makes four thousand photos I've taken with my Kodak digital camera since I got it in the Spring. It was a gift - and what a gift it has been! If you're reading, you know who you are - thanks!)

The Northern side of the river seems more institutional - sections of river bank beautified by big hotels, or still ravaged by old industrial plants. I took a short walk along the beautified section. In University towns, the downtown hotels seem always full of aging parents, and it was pleasant to see an elderly couple walk slowly along the river bank, hand in hand. It made me think of my parents, who go out walking and exploring almost every day, hand-in-hand, no matter what the weather.

On the North river bank

After getting back to my car, I drove down 6th Street, the club district, which, during the daytime is more like skid row - kind of like the neighborhood in which I live in San Francisco, albeit on a more intimate scale. Heading North to check out the University neighborhood, I spotted an isolated block of magnificent antebellum mansions all in a row, looking totally unspoiled. For a few moments you could imagine Austin as it must have been over a century ago. Now this one block is hemmed in between parking lots, and small office buildings.

Antebellum mansions - 7th and Guadaloupe

I parked just off Martin Luther King and Guadaloupe to take a stroll around the University neighborhood. Those few blocks of Guadaloupe are typical of university towns - bookstores, cafes, and corport brand names cashing in. There was an anti-sweaht-shop demonstration outside the Gap. I took some coffee and a bagel at the Starbucks inside Barnes & Noble, and then walked over into the campus for a while, which was pleasantly leafy and deserted. I took a photo of the infamous tower, the site of a shooting tragedy in the sixties.

The infamous UT Tower

I still just had time to head back downtown and over the river to take a look at the Barton Springs area and Zilker Park. The Southern bank of the river, just West of downtown, is mostly parkland, and it's quite lovely. Now, on this beautiful winter afternoon, there were lots of people running, walking and lounging either on the river bank itself, or deeper inland in Zilker Park, where I saw some hunky young shirtless Texas boys playing soccer. Hmmm, would have loved to join them!

On the Southern bank of the river

In Zilker Park

I took a short tour of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. In all honesty, I wasn't too impressed with the sculptures whose scale was a little too small for their setting, but the gardens themselves were pretty. It was a nice place to end my stay in Austin.

In the Umlauf Sculpture Garden

The flight back was perfect - front row of First Class, a great dinner, an avuncular, courtly, smiling flight attendant, who must have been in his fifties. By midnight, I was in bed at home. Of course, I woke up too early this morning, as usual, but it was good to be home. I have so much to catch up with. This is really the start of the year for me now, and I have so much planned for this year. Now it's time to get going!