USA

Around one hour am I published the weekly page of my site concerning the week from New Orleans to San Antonio by using the WiFi connection at McDo close to Walmart. About 7:00 am I headed to Alamo City Truck Service which was too busied to hang in load the problem of my truck. The shop foreman advised me to go to Freightliner of San Antonio at the intersection between I 10 and I 516. I was more lucky. After having tested the various elements of the electrical supply chain the conclusion was to install six new Lifeline batteries which will be delivered on Tuesday morning. I was dubitative. I waited all the afternoon in a heavy air-con waiting room. I bivouacked on the car park with an electric connection, water supply and a sewer but without WiFi.

Heading through Houston by Hwy #I-10

Overnight on Freightliner parking

In the night I telephoned UNICAT to know the reference of the Lifeline batteries. In the morning I received an e-mail. The six new batteries had arrived, Dave undertook their installation in the exiguous compartment. The work was completed around 5 p.m. with the tests of conformity. Taking into account the late hour I spent a second night on the car park of Freightliner.

on the workshop

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New batteries Part #

on an army bus

The Alamo

On Wednesday, July 25 I left the car park of Freightliner very early to locate a parking close to The Alamo which I found for $10 a day. By foot I went around 9 a.m. to Alamo Plaza. I do not tell this known battle by the whole world in particular by the film by John Wayne (1960). The 13 days of The Alamo's Battle always cause controversies, however courage and abnegation of Texans for their freedom are without question. Only the frontage of the church remains of the terrible battle of March 6th, 1836, the other buildings were rebuilt. A video is shown in the Long Barrack. Near to the site the Riverwalk is a nice shaded walk along a channel builds in 1920 to control floods.

the Alamo before 1836	The Alamo during the battle

Church	Memorial

Riverwalk

I went to Museo Alameda by traversing Commerce Street. Walking on I visited San Fernando Cathedral of Hispanic style. Museo Alameda exhibits objects in relation to the Mexican culture at the time of the centenary of the Mexican Revolution. Of course No Photo, I was recalled to the order. Two paintings held my attention among others alas not photographed.

San Fernado Cathedral

The Cloaked Ones by José Chavez Morado	by Rubén Reséndiz

On the move to a bivouac at the edge of Lake Braunig I stopped at the Mission San José, one of the four missions of the Spanish era remaining in the south of San Antonio whose buildings are under restoration. The lake Braunig did not leave an imperishable memory, indeed a power plant is built on its shore.

Mission San José

On Thursday left Lake Braunig early I arrived in Houston in the early afternoon to head to Beasley Tire Service with whom I had sent e-mail three weeks ago to inform my arrival to buy four tires Michelin 1400R20XZL. I have a large disappointment, the tires were out off stock and the supply coming from Europe was not announced before the beginning of September. I recall that my visa fell on August 22nd, taking into account the American legislation its extension is impossible. The salesman had not informed me, I told him a caustic remark. He asked me to come back the following day because he was going to seek with Michelin their availability in other stocks in the USA.

A few weeks ago by Internet I had taken an appointment on Friday morning with the consulate of France in Houston to study the renewal of my passport expired in 2014. I met a very courteous and good advice lady. Contrary to all information collected before, she proposed to me to establish a new one in two weeks deadline. I was to make a choice which required reflection. I took a new appointment on Monday, July 30. Back I drove again to Beasley, no tire available neither Michelin nor Goodyear whose Michel Wehrlé had given me the reference by phone. We considered used military tires. Research was disappointing only tires Michelin 1400R20XL were available. The salesman continued his research and promised to send me an e-mail.

On Saturday morning I found an e-mail from the salesman of Beasley who proposed to me used Michelin tires 1400R20XZL available under two weeks. Moreover I received an e-mail from UNICAT announcing to me that the thermostat of the fridge will be sent from Miami only the next week taking into account the bad weather having diverted the flight coming from Germany. The three events, renewal of my passport, availability of four tires and delayed arrival of the thermostat were in favor of the decision to remain in Houston still two weeks. I will have at most a week to exit the USA at the border of Canada, without additional problem.

"The situation is hopeless but not serious" by Paul Watzlawick

Since my return on May 25th to the USA I accumulated problems due to the normal ageing of my vehicle, minors in Europe but stressing elsewhere in particular in the USA where the visa legislation is very constraining.