Yesterday, we got together with some long-time friends in Houston: Eleanor, whom we have known since our student days when we lived in Grenoble, France (long story), and her husband Roger, whom we met later at a few reunions of friends from those days. Eleanor has lived almost her entire life in Houston, as did her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and she says she just loves this city. She drove us on a tour of the historic district where many very old houses are preserved, and where her mother and father grew up and went to school. She drove us past former family homes and the elementary school building her father attended. After the tour, we went to the Menil Collection, a small and wonderful museum. Here are some photos of the restored Victorian houses in the neighborhood. I’ll write about the Menil Collection another day.
In a nearby neighborhood, we saw the building where the Obama election headquarters were located — a great mural on the building really impressed me:
Eleanor also drove us around the campus of Rice University, where she went to school and also where she participates in many alumni activities. It’s a very impressive and large campus!
We had a great day in Houston! It was wonderful to hear Eleanor’s memories of the homes and streets where her family lived. She now lives in a different neighborhood, where we also drove a bit.
Photos © 2025 mae sander
