Exercising And Eating

I had a marketing birthday coupon from a Mediterranean restaurant twenty minutes away from the house that expires at the end of the month. There was nothing on the calendar for today, the forecast called for lovely weather, and the Grand Center area around the restaurant is quite walkable, so last night I told Hubby Tony I was going to combine exercise and eating. It took him about a second and a half to decide to come with me. 

This morning I was reading the newspaper. When I got to the page with the horoscopes I decided to see what mine said for the day. All I would have to do is substitute the word 'morning' for the word 'afternoon' and it was a great summary of today's adventure.

Parking can be tough in the Grand Center area, so I came up with a plan to park at a grocery store lot several blocks to the west and walk through the Saint Louis University campus to get to our destination. At 10:30 in the morning there weren't as many students on campus as I would have thought so we were able to get a good look at things.

The campus of the Catholic university is a mix of historic and newer buildings, some going back to the late-1800s. The Cupples House was originally a private residence, then a student center, and today is a museum and art gallery.

Cupples House

What would a Catholic university be without an awe-inspiring church? St. Francis Xavier was a missionary who co-founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The church named after him is built in the Gothic Revival style.

St. Francis Xavier church

The campus clock tower and fountain was in the middle a large plaza, and could be seen from quite a distance.

Wikipedia 

When we got to Grand Boulevard several blocks south of the restaurant it was still too early for it to be open, so instead of turning left we waited at a crosswalk, then followed a stream of students across the street.

 

We eventually ended up in the athletic complex area...soccer, baseball, and softball fields, and the Chaifetz Arena where the basketball team plays.

Main entrance

Across the street from the arena is the campus of Harris-Stowe University, a historically black college formed by the merger of two teacher training schools (Harris Teachers College for White students and Stowe Teachers College for Black students) in 1954. Tony and I wandered through a little bit of that campus, and then decided we were hungry and turned at the first main street we saw to double back.

I was surprised that we ended up on a section of the Brickline Greenway, which is still under development. By 2030 it will stretch for ten miles. This section of the trail was nicely designed, with separate sections for biking and walking. We passed some historical placards, several of them highlighting the history of the Mill Creek Valley, a predominantly Black neighborhood that was demolished in 1959 in the name of urban renewal.

We also saw a mural honoring the St. Louis Stars, a Negro National League team, who won the Negro National League World Series in 1928, 1930, and 1931.

 

When we reached the restaurant both Tony and I were hungry. The associate at the counter apologized for having trouble inputting our order into the computer, explaining she was new on the job. I told her to take her time. We ordered a falafel entree and a large chopped salad of tomato, cucumber, green pepper, and onion to share and each of us got a coffee drink. The food came quickly, and we dug in. Just about the time I realized I wasn't sure if there was enough food an associate came over with a piece of red velvet cake on a plate with two forks. She wished me a happy birthday as she set the plate down. After dessert Tony and I agreed we had eaten enough.

We walked back on different streets so we could see more of the area, but before we got in the car we stopped in the grocery store to buy a couple of items so we didn't have to stop on the way home. At the checkout counter there was a sample station with small oatmeal cookies. Tony and I each took one.

Five years ago: Oh My 'Gourdness'