On Sunday afternoon we took a stroll in Balboa Park, right in the middle of San Diego, it is about 1200 acres of gardens and museums. This has been on our To Visit List since before we actually got to San Diego, but fairly low. Public parks are always good on a Sunday as people come out to just be there, Even good old Albert Park comes alive on a Sunday. Balboa Park is no exception, except on a gigantic scale.
First off we had to find somewhere to park, in the park, the only way was to actually follow a family through the car park as they returned to their car. Once parked we strolled briefly down the centre promenade along with hundreds of other people. We ate our picnic as we watched others out enjoying the sunshine, many were appreciating the sideshows, magicians, jugglers, religious zealots, buskers (we saw spanish guitar, guitar and banjo, cello, steel drums, saxophone, another cello and violin) an outdoor art class and a display by the local rescue parrot club. Most were moving between museums, there are 14 museums in Balboa Park, like the Aerospace Museum, The Model Railway Museum, The Natural History museum, The Museum of Mankind, I have run out, but they are there. Or perhaps they were on their way to the San Diego Zoo, or maybe the huge fairground. Unless they were between gardens, the Botanical gardens, the Japanese garden, the cactus garden, the Alcazar garden, the Palm garden, the arboretum, the California Garden (sorry I can't remember all the 19 gardens there).
So where were we going, just strolling? Well actually no, we had planned to attend an afternoon performance by Carol Williams on the Spreckel's Outdoor Pipe Organ, with, as we were told by the curator, no less than 4500 pipes, from a 32ft bass to a pipe the size of a pencil. The organ is a permanent feature of the Spreckels Organ Pavillion, a massive outdoor amphitheater which can seat 2400 people. We took our seats and at 2.00 the concert began, with The Trumpet Voluntary, followed by a variety of pieces which were great fun.
Following the concert we strolled up the main thoroughfare in earnest, stopping off to see a room full of beautiful orchids, as there was an orchid display, competition and sale. We walked among the blossom covered trees and Sally stopped to talk to the rescued parrots, well their keepers anyway. I spent a lot of time taking snapshots, it is a very photogenic place. We finished off by dropping in on one of the smaller Art Galleries, taking in the Reubens on display there as well as the priceless 14th C Russian Icon screens.
Eventually we returned to the car having had a really enjoyable afternoon, and we still didn't even see the miniature train or the carousel, or the replica of the The Globe Theatre. Maybe another time.
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