Art Galleries and Towers

This post will cover two days, yesterday 21 February and today, 22 February.

Yesterday, Chris and I did a pilgrimage back to SF's justly famous Legion of Honor, its world-class art gallery, perched up on a hill with lovely views.

We have been here before, back in 2018, and were greatly taken by its simplicity, its openness, its collection, and the special exhibition it was showing at the time, the Pre-Raphaelites.

This time, we slowly made our way through all the galleries, about nineten of them, lingering here and there, enjoying the various periods and seeing the artwork of a particular time. The building itself is impressive. Its outer courtyard, which has Rodin's Le Penseur in pride of place, is surrounded by beautiful columns with a portico running around the perimeter. They are a light stone and are stunning to look at.

Inside, I was taken with Arundel Mill by John Constable ca 1835 where you can see part of Arundel Castle in the background, a castle that Chris and I have visited back in 2022. The other artwork that impressed me was Monet's The Grand Canal Venice 1908. Hazy, faint, hot, beautiful. We'll get to visit it later this year. Banks of the Loing 1891 by Alfred Sisley also took my eye for its reflections of the trees in the water.

A more expensive dinner last night than what we would ususally do, but we're on holiday and we felt like eating out. SPQR is a Michellin rated Italian restaurant. The food was mouth-wateringly delicious and the atmosphere sitting up at the bar in the dim lighting was a bit magical.

Today, we visited Coit Tower. I have often lamented the fact that Newcastle doesn't have something to look at with a soupcon of awe and wonder. Alas. Coit Tower is a monument built specifically as a gift to the city by Lilly Hitchcock Coit after her death. Its in its nineties now and will be one hundred years old in 2033.

There are beautiful murals painted on its walls on the ground, first and second floors showing life in California during the Depression. The tower itself is a thing of beauty. Despite its concrete manufacture, it is not brutalist in any way and its top has ornamentation and an open to the sky viewing platform that offers spectular 360 degree views of the city, bay and mountains. I'm so glad we took the time to visit.

Macy's followed and we were frankly underwhelmed and bought nothing. Mason's Cafe offered us lunch in a diner atmosphere, and then, groceries and home to relax. It's been a good day, although Chris is still getting through his cold/virus affliction and has had to work harder than me to have these experiences. I am hopeful now that his symptoms have peaked and that he's on the mend. The weather has been glorious since we got here, apart from one rainy morning. San Fran is still feeling like it likes us.Read more