The park takes up 1,200 acres in the centre of town, and
there are several parking lots where you can leave the car, for free, and hop
on a tram that takes you throughout the park, also for free.
Our first stop was at the San Diego Museum of Art, which was
a work of art in itself. Ornately
sculpted columns and decorations framed the front door, and inside was a tiled
lobby with high arched ceiling and a sweeping Scarlett O’Hara type staircase
with blue ceramic bannisters.
Modern American art was on display in one hall, and up those
stairs we saw halls with priceless masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rodin, Picasso,
Gaugin and more. Val was particularly
impressed that these works were displayed so a person could walk up and touch
them. Of course, each hall had
surveillance cameras and there were docents, but it seemed inadequate given the
value of the art.
The magnificent Botanical Building, made entirely of
rosewood laths, was the highlight of our day.
One section was devoted to orchids of every size, colour and
configuration, and another to ferns. Tall, exotic palm trees soared up to the
arched ceiling, and gorgeous flowers and plants flourished everywhere. We were enchanted! As we strolled through, we could hear strains
of music, coming from a saxophone player who provided an impromptu concert
outside, next to the fishpond.
By this time, we were ready for lunch, so we stopped in at
El Prado Restaurant, on the park grounds, for a delicious light meal, served on
the patio under umbrellas while a small fountain trickled next to us.
On to the San Diego History Center, where we learned about
the early years of Indian, Spanish and Mexican settlement and on to the humble
beginnings of this American city, up to 1880.
They had a floor-sized map of San Diego County that you could walk on
and that demonstrated the geographical features of the area. We spoke with Michael, one of the volunteer
guides, who told us quite a bit about the city he has called home all his life.
Aviation and space exploration were the theme of the Air and
Space Museum. A replica of the Spirit of
St Louis was on display, to commemorate the original which was also built in
San Diego and made the first trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in
1927 with Charles Lindbergh at the helm.
Portraits of famous pilots, plane builders and astronauts lined the
walls, and short films described the development of commercial flight and the
role of planes in World War II.
By this time, our legs were giving out, so we headed back to
the parking lot and home, armed with literature about Balboa Park for our next
foray!
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