We opted the northern route up I-215 to Route 60 and I-10, and breezed downwind into Coachella Valley, being heralded part of the way by the electricity-generating wind turbines. We only caught the last few minutes of the parade, as it turned out, having arrived at Palm Canyon Drive a bit later than expected. They were playing Village People's YMCA and everybody was dancing to it...But why is YMCA such a gay anthem to begin with? (I really haven't a clue)
Afterward we went and wander around their excellently maintained Palm Spring Art Museum... and even caught a free piano recital at their underground auditorium (they have this 'Free 2nd Sunday' promotion going. Free admission to the museum and performances!). They have some really cool abstract arts and American Western theme exhibits... I don't know why, but I found myself quite mesmerized by this interestingly proportioned sculpture. Perhaps my math-loving friends could come up with an equation to describe her! 
We didn't get back until after 9PM that day. I've been too zapped to write the trip up properly, though. Anyhow, if you'd like a glimpse of the famous celebrity oasis in the California desert, here's a little slide show that hardly does it justice at all.
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7 comments:
Hey Smorgi, just want to wish you a very GREAT start in the new week!!! Greetings from cold and rainy Germany, geisslein
Bonjour Smorgy,
The California towns look very different compared to towns over here. Elisabeth said when looking at one of your videos of SD "like in a Western movie".
Thanks, too, for the visit of this desert museum. They seem to have a bit everything. I would have liked to have a closer look at those metal rider sculptures.
The abstract painting will all those color dots looked great.
Georg
Really enjoyed the video...feels warm and welcoming in contrast to the cold, bleak and blustery weather here in the NE.
Hallo Geisslein:
Thanks very much! Your wishes are working, I think. It's gloriously sunny and mild here in San Diego. I think Old Man Winter missed his stop here on his way to the US east coast! :o) Hope the air is full of beautiful music in Frankfurt!
Bonjour Georgy:
Palm Spring does look quite different from San Diego indeed. :o) It's on the dry (east) side of the San Jacinto Mountains. A real desert! It is lovely there this time of year, though way too hot in summer (where the high temperature goes into the 40's Celsius).
I really like their Desert Museum, too! Will mail you a better photo of the rider sculpture. :o) They really have the Western Theme down really good there. It was too bad I wasn't allowed to film the current exhibit section. They were doing glassworks. Some really cool ones that play on light distortion by cut crystals. :o)
Hiya Id:
Good to hear the video had a good effect on you! :o) I really rather miss the Midwest this time of year, actually. Somehow have taken to getting nostalgic about the gray and dizzly November days in St. Louis. We do have too much sun here in the Southwest!
Thanks very much for stopping by. HOpe everyone is having a great November (and Happy Thanksgiving to our American numbers, too!)!
Smorgy :o)
Hallo Smorgy,
Had a second look at your video and especially at that painting on 3.02 minutes.
Would like to have it at home, splendid colors. If ever you go back there, try to find out who made it.
That was a very good idea to do something inside the museum. The administration should be thankful instead of prohibiting making a little film.
The surroundings made me think of southern Spain where they made those Spaghetti Western. Totally barren. I wonder where the water comes from.
Georg
Hallo Georgy,
I'm glad you like that painting at 3:02. That was done by Sam Francis, I believe. :o) I don't really know how to interpret expressionist painting, but that one somehow seems just right to me. It hit the spots!
I really don't know much about the various places in Spain. Here in Southern California we buy our water from both the Colorado River (it's shared between many bordering states) and the California Aqueduct from the rivers up in the northern part of the state.
It's rather bad, really... We use too much water too wastefully even though much of Southern California is actually a desert or semi-desert. If we don't get a lot of rain this winter we'll probably have to ration water again next summer. :oP Perhaps they should increase the fee! That worked with gasoline (people drove less when the price got close to $4/gallon) here a few years ago.... though the inflation accompanying it wasn't so nice. :o)
Hallo Smorgy,
Thanks for giving the name of that painter: Sam Francis. I'll google a bit around this name.
As to interpretation: there is nothing to interpret, because it is abstract. Sure, there are people working in the arts business who do a lot of interpreting but that's for better sales at a higher price. It is sufficient to look at a painting as you look at a landscape. And if you really like a painting looking at it (without knowing the name of the artist or the price it might fetch business wise) you can be sure it has harmony = beautiful simplicity.
As to water, well I suppose you'll do like the Spaniards - desalination. It's the only way we know to get more from the stuff but it is expensive. So the price will go up anyway.
Here we have really a lousy weather, cold, humid, rainy short days. Water aplenty but nobody is thankful.
Georg
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