Back Road Whispers

ROUND TOP, TEXAS

My long time friend and I escape every couple of months to sip wine, poke around antique shops, visit local attractions and just catch up on life. This time it was to Round Top and the hospitality of The Round Top Inn. www.roundtopinn.com/

Cigar Factory

Wandke House


Gate House

With plenty of time on my hands, I made sure my GPS, Jezebel, was set to avoid freeways and off we went. She took me at my word and after a short distance down Hwy. 71 we were on one lane roads with nobody but the cows for company. I knew it was going to be a good trip when I passed Greasy Bend Road! Beautiful scenery and lots of wildflowers, but no where to pull over to take a good picture. I did pick up the camera a couple of times and did some drive by shooting.


What I saw through the windshield!

Much nicer than a billboard or semi....


Drive by shooting...fields and fields of yellow and white.

The Round Top Inn was beautiful, immaculate both the room and the grounds, and we couldn’t wait for our day to be over so we could come back and sit on the porch in the rocking chairs and sip that glass of wine. But there were things to see, places to go, and new friends to meet along the way. After unloading the cars we took off for the world’s smallest active Catholic church (their brag, not mine, but I don’t doubt it since it is only 12x16'). I learned about this church through Geocaching.com, and we easily found the cache (GC28QME). I love to geocache and I find interesting sites like this one through that hobby.


St. Martin's Catholic Church - Warrenton, Texas

Inside you will find a book similar to a ledger to write a prayer request, since the priest only visits monthly (I believe); offerings and religious icons. There is a reproduction of a painting of St. Martin of Tours above the altar. The original did hang here for many years but in 2002 it was determined that the painting was done by Johann Ignaz Berger, a prominent Czech ecclesiastical painter of the 19^th century. It was one of 7 paintings brought by immigrants to their new church in Fayetteville, St. John the Baptist. The other 6 were stored after the original church was torn down and a new church built. Since then the seven have been restored and hang in the church they were meant to be.

Interior of the church showing the painting of St. Martin of Tours

An offering on the altar


Holy Water

With our souls restored, it was time to restore our bodies and off we went to the world famous Royers Round Top Café for lunch. Although they are famous for their pies, we were too full after sharing a hamburger and a shrimp BLT to indulge. Just the visit to Royers is worth the trip.


Royers Cafe

No problem if you are having trouble reading the menu….each table comes with its own pair of reading glasses. Trying to decide on who to vote for president in the upcoming election….Royers has the answer. Antsy while waiting for your food…don’t bother bringing a book, read the walls!

Reading glasses on each table

Yep, he'd be my choice!


The whole place is like this....fascinating.

If you are going to eat here, the drinks outside are on the honor system…well maybe.

Body and soul satisfied, we headed for the herb farm

ROUND TOP / FESTIVAL HILL HERB FARM

Madeline Hill and her daughter Gwen Barclay had a very successful and renown restaurant and herb farm north of Houston.before they moved to Festival Hill right outside of Round Top. Gwen is an accomplished musician and Madeline had plenty of room to grow her herbs, they fit right into the lifestyle of Festival Hill known as a mecca for performing arts. Founded by James Dick a world known pianist it has grown to be a internationally acclaimed European styled music institute. Madeline's gardens were adjacent to the institute and she styled them after Roman ruins. Rock work throughout the gardens keep the theme alive.

Tucked here and there are many varieties of herbs in splendid color at this time of the year. Throughout the gardens rosemary was abundant, very suitable since it is known to be the herb of remembrance and Madeline will long be remembered for bringing the beauty and knowledge of herbs to the world. There are many fascinating legends associated with rosemary, good for a Google break!

Here are some of the plants we saw as we walked around. Unfortunately not all were marked as to what they were, and I don't know a dandelion from a lily so call them what you want. You will have to go to the farm yourself to experience the Heavenly aromas.

Madeline had included a Pharmacy Garden with God only knows how many varieties of plants used to cure illness. One was a pretty plant in its own right and called a "toothache plant". I Googled it and it is the numbing effect of the leaves and stems that gives it its name. Chew awhile and the numbing effect will work on a toothache...think I will stick with Orajel.

Toward the back of the farm is a beautiful pond with stonework, of course. It was interesting that one side of the bridge the pond was beautiful and on the other side the horror of pond scum! had invaded. Made me wonder what the difference in the two parts of the pond were. The bridge was grinning like it knew a secret that it wasn't telling. My friend Martha loves smiles, so this one was for her.

Dr. Jekyll

Mr. Hyde

There is a lot more to see besides the pond and the plants, tucked here and there are benches, statuary, a bottle bush, and even a cemetery highlighting the trash we all are guilty of adding to land fills. It made for a lovely stroll.