Tour de Balboa

My exploration of Balboa Park didn't stop at the Japanese Friendship Garden. I still had a little time to check the place out before I needed to head to my hotel... so I walked a bit and snapped a few photos.

This was the next building I came to, the Casa del Prado, spied through crazy overgrown bougainvillea.

I found this crazy serpent-like statue that was covered in a mosaic of glass pieces. It was clearly meant to be climbed on because the surface it was on was rubber and bouncy. (I didn't climb on it... it was too hot and I was in a hurry to see more... but yes, I was tempted.)

I almost walked right by the Alcazar Garden, but the sea of daisies lured me in and lead me to lovely Spanish inspired fountains and trumpet flowers that made me think of dresses dancing in trees, Fantasia style.

I loved the architecture of the whole park. Every which way I turned there was something else to admire.

One of the art museums was having an art book sale to raise money for something worthy. I stopped to browse briefly, hoping to find something quickly that I might be able to use for art at home. I wasn't able to look much because I needed to find a taxi, but one of the ladies recommended that I check out the museum. When I told her of my time-crunch, she said I should at least go to the Timken Museum of Art because it's FREE and they have Rembrandt... and you can't pass by Rembrandt without stopping to look.

I thanked her and told her I would... and I did. And I was/am so glad. Unfortunately photography wasn't allowed and I'm not nearly talented enough to try to replicate any of the paintings myself. Needless to say, I loved the entire collection and was in awe of what the artists were able to capture. I could spend the rest of my life trying to take a photo as beautiful as John Singleton Copley's Mrs. Thomas Gage, 1771 portrait. (I also really liked the still life paintings of food, because it made me feel like I'm not alone.)

Next time I'm in San Diego I hope to spend at least a day exploring Balboa Park, its gardens, museums, and even return to the zoo. I passed by the Museum of Photographic Arts and had to force myself to continue walking to the taxi station.

It was like I was a crow in a labyrinth of shiny objects, constantly distracted and wanting to go deeper to see what else I might find.