Spectator Sport
Back again in California, I went to see some pretty California landscaping and watch some famous old pros play golf for lots of money at the Toshiba Senior Classic. By the way... how come old guys are so much younger now than they used to be? (Just a thought, not a quiz... please keep your answers to yourself!) I sat just a little to the right of where this photo was taken (I did not take the picture... cameras were not permitted) and I saw a lot of good golfers having a lot of trouble on this hilly 17th green.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Even though the visit to the Getty Museum was early in my visit, I have saved it for last, because I am going to send you off on a web tour.... and you might not come back! :o) This photo shows a little of the architecture, a little of the very large garden, and a tiny part of a long waterfall:
I am famous for not being able to limit myself to one favorite thing when I visit a place, and so it was within the walls of the museum's buildings (and outside them, too!). There were many exhibits and individual pieces of art I saw that I would love to have photographed and shared on these pages, but flash photography was not permitted, so once again, no pictures. [ed. 2006 - sure wish I'd had my digital camera for that trip in 1999!] You can view more of the grounds and some of the exhibits on the museum's web site...
You'll find pictures of some of the architecture (it's pretty amazing!) and you can also see examples of art from the permanent collections. I saw paintings by Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet, van Gogh and many others. All of the paintings are in rooms on the top floors of the buildings, where skylights provide some natural lighting, perhaps similar to the light in the studios where they were painted. Decorative art, sculptures, etc., are displayed on the lower floors. Of all the collections, if I HAD to choose just one "favorite", I think it would be the illuminated manuscripts. The detail of the script and the miniatures (colored ink drawings, most of which had applied gold leaf), and the time and care and patience it must have taken to do them is remarkable. There was a display that showed how the parchment was made, and how the various colors of ink were achieved... very interesting.... and obviously a very good process! Thousand-year-old manuscripts are still in incredibly good condition.
This trip to southern California did not include visits to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, or Universal Studios (been there... done that), but even more fun was a trip to the weekend swap meet at the Orange County Fairgrounds (ok...yes, I've been there before too!). Didn't take the camera....too busy bargain hunting... and besides, it's something you really have to experience in person!
So ends this episode of "KayPoe goes to.....". I'm taking requests (and donations) for my next excursion. :o) I'll close with another of my bargain purchases:
Photos (unless otherwise noted) copyright ©1999 by "KayPoe"