Accidental field trip to the mission (Maria)

This weekend was very interesting and full of events. On Friday I've walked in San Francisco, visited Fisherman's Wharf and downtown, had dinner in the Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and many other things.

But I'd like to tell you about my Saturday, because I've been to one of the missions - the Mission San Francisco Solano, which is situated in Sonoma town. The missions were our Thursday class topic, but it's not the reason why I went there. My cousin invited me to join her and her family in a one-day trip to Sonoma valley. I was glad to spend a day with my family anyway, that's why I agreed quickly. And when it appeared, that we're going to visit the mission, I've thought, that it's even better, it would be my little accidental field trip for the class.

The Mission San Francisco Solano was the last mission in California and, as it' said in the information leaflet, "the only one founded under Mexican governance" (it was founded in 1823).

I won't tell you much about the mission itself, I'll tell about what was interesting for me. So there are two thing that I have found interesting. The first is the structure of the mission. As I understood, it was more or less common for all missions. So the structure consists of mission buildings: the chapel, padres accommodations, wide yard surrounded by low wall, - and of the barracks where troops lived. Everything is built from adobe.

The chapel

The yard of the mission

The yard with an owen

The bedroom of the soldiers (in barrack)

So, there were padres to convert Native Americans to Christianity, and there were soldiers to protect padres from different attacks, including Native American attacks.

Another interesting thing I'd like to tell you about is the approach to those events in the museum. The European expansion wasn't either pleasant or beautiful for Native Americans. It hasn't been done good. But the museum isn't trying to embellish it. The main idea of all information given there is: yes, Europeans did those horrible things to Native Americans, but this is our heritage, and we must remember them even Though not to repeat them. It seems right to me.

Also I discovered the biography of General Vallejo, who was very interesting man, but that is another story.