Rented a bike again, this time to go see the Palace of the Fine Arts.
I was supposed to see it last week when I went to the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s right by the bike route. But I missed it and forgot all about it until I was in Sausalito and took my map out. *Slap forehead* D’oh. (Such was the spell the Golden Gate Bridge cast on me.)
This time I was looking out for it as I passed Crissy Field.
Uh, it was not hard to find. At first it would have been blocked by the row of houses facing the sea, but at the end of the road, it was right there looming less than 50 metres from the road. I just was not looking in that direction, what with my eyes glued to the bridge to the north.
Anyway, you might call it an inspiration of grandiose proportions. Or you might call it tacky. That’s why I found it fascinating, that such a structure stands in such a modern city.
You see, the Palace of Fine Arts was constructed for the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. Designed by Bernard Maybeck, who took his inspiration from Roman and Greek architecture, it features sculptured frieze and allegorical figures created by Ulric Ellerhusen representing Contemplation, Wonderment and Meditation.
The original was built in wood, burlap and plaster. But in the 1960s, it was recast in concrete to ensure its longevity, so future generations could come seek inspiration from the rotunda relief Art Under Attack by Materialists, with Idealists Leaping to her Rescue.
Alas, it’s currently under renovation, so I had no such privilege.
Still, the whole idea of a Greco-Roman ruin in San Francisco is amusing.
Don’t get me wrong, it is pretty to look at. I saw it in the movie The Rock and knew instantly I wanted to see this. Perhaps tis a good thing it’s closed, and that I shall always remember it without see it too up close.
It’s now a favourite for wedding couples. Kinda like Tanjung Beach on Sentosa at sunset on a Saturday. Since it’s hidden behind scaffolding, here’s a picture from wikipedia.
Today, the Palace of Fine Arts also houses the Exploratorium, a science centre for kids. Also part of the Exploratorium is the Wave Organ, an acoustic sculpture at the end of the breakwater at the Golden Gate Yacht Club, made out of a series of pipes and tubes, and stone pieces salvaged from the Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Depending on the tide and wave movement, it’s supposed to produce rumbles and gurgles. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I pressed my ear against my dad’s stomach after dinnertime. (See, this is why I cannot be an art critic.)
Had a hot dog from the stand outside the warming hut, then cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge again.
The weather today was perfectly clear. Blue skies all the way, making the view magnificent still and less melancholic. (That’s why I like visiting places and cities over and over again. The time of year, the people you’re with — it’s always a different experience.)
I saw new things, such as signs I didn’t notice the first time round, such as this suicide hotline. I heard only one person ever didn’t die from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. But after they rescued her, she tried to kill herself again, and succeeded the second time.
The Bay was crowded with sailboats tacking and jibing, carving zig-zag paths across the water, not to mention kite surfers and wind surfers taking advantage of the good winds.
It was harder for me, though. At one point, as I rounded a corner at one of the towers and stopped, the wind was so strong I had trouble moving forward. That’s how strong the wind was. (Or how weak I am.)
The wind was such a major drag.
Tags: golden gate bridge, palace of fine arts, san francisco, travel
