|
The attractive city of San Francisco is situated on
a wide natural bay dominated by the Golden Gate Bridge. We shall be staying
near Union Square and on our first day we will explore the hilly residential
districts, where cable cars add a certain old-fashioned charm to the steep
streets of 19th-century houses. Our programme will include the Asian Art
Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, designed by the Swiss
architect Mario Botta. Another day will include the extensive collections
of European art in the Palace of the Legion of Honor and an introduction
to American art at the important de Young Museum. There will be a day’s
excursion to the Napa Valley, with visits to the art
collections of the Hess Winery and Clos Pegase. During our stay we plan
to include dinner in Chinatown, a concert of the San Francisco Symphony
Orchestra and a visit to a private collection of contemporary art.
We hope to visit a sculpture display and artist residency program on
San Francisco Peninsula before continuing south to historic Monterey
and our landmark hotel in the charming town of Carmel,
on a secluded promontory with views of the Pacific Ocean. Here we will
include the San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo Mission, founded by the
Spanish in the 18th century, a private art collection and some free time.
The spectacular Pacific Coast Highway leads – via the extraordinary
Hearst Castle - to Santa Barbara, where the Mediterranean-style
architecture reflects the Hispanic heritage. Our hotel is a converted
19th-century home set in an acre of gardens in the centre of the town.
There will be visits to the renowned Santa Barbara Museum of Art, to the
superb Lotusland garden and to the home of an art collector at Montecito.
The Getty Museum, one of the great cultural projects of our age, stands
in the hills of Santa Monica, where tranquil gardens
overlook the city, mountains and offshore islands. The light-filled pavilions
of Richard Meier’s vast marble complex contain displays of European
paintings, sculpture and furniture. We also plan to include the classical
works of art, now back on display at the Malibu villa. We continue to
Los Angeles and our hotel in Beverly Hills. A day in
downtown ‘LA’ will include an architectural tour and visits
to the the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art. Here we will concentrate on the American section with some
time for the remaining highlights, notably artefacts from the Near East
and 18th century French art. UCLA’s Hammer Museum, principally of
Old Master, Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings collected by
Dr Armand Hammer, will also be included and we hope to attend a performance
at Frank Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall.
Our programme also features two great art institutions in Pasadena.
The Huntington comprises the impressive Library and Botanical Gardens,
as well as the Art Gallery, with one of the most important holdings of
British art outside London. The Norton Simon Museum is a gallery of European
paintings of rare quality, ranging from early Flemish and Italian altarpieces
to the paintings of the French Impressionists. An afternoon will be devoted
to this museum, considered among the finest in the United States.
There will also be a day’s excursion to San
Diego, to visit the Museum of Art and the select Timken Collection.
On the last morning we plan to visit an important gallery and private
collection in Malibu before continuing to the airport
for our return flight.
|
PRICE
l £3,330
The cost includes accommodation in first-class hotels in San Francisco
(4 nights), Carmel (2 nights) and Santa Barbara (2 nights) and a first-class
hotel in Los Angeles (4 nights); economy class air travel London (Heathrow)
/ San Francisco : Los Angeles / London (Heathrow) by scheduled services
(overnight on the return); ground transport by private coach; all meals
except three lunches and three dinners; tickets for two evening performances;
guides; taxes; entrance fees and the services of a lecturer/tour organiser.
Price without flights £2,890
l Single room supplement
£670
|
