Observatory Sunday

Sunday morning of this weekend with glamorous people, Market, at 8 30 we set off with John toward Hollywood farmers' market, that takes place every Sunday on Ivar Avenue between Sunset Bld. and Hollywood Bld.

For those interested in urban phenomena, I signal that Ivar Ave is the only street that is not totally straight, I think that this is not just a coincidence. Fruits and vegetable in the first place, but also flowers, some food, and some clothes for those people that in Italy are called "alternative". Prices are high as one would expect, but not higher than in the Santa Monica market--I have not yet been in the Pasadena's market--, we buy tomatoes, salad, hummus, oranges, fava beans. Here is John as he is choosing some flowers.

Breakfast.
After open air farmers' market, organic food, hippies style clothes and nostalgic singers, one leans towards nature again, thus, there is nothing like a good coffee and cholesterol based American breakfast in a diner: two eggs, bacon, potatoes and fatty muffins with butter. One feels is connecting with the world again.
One of the way this day functions is also with on and off conversations about work, and breakfast is a good moment for that.

On our way to the Griffith Observatory () I ask John to stop, there is a construction site. It is a good opportunity to show to viewer of stone and bricks countries like me, the wood houses here.

Reiforced concrete is only used for the platforms and for the walls that have to sustain the land around, however both the structure and the walls are entirely in wood. This technique makes houses cheaper to build, (however, not to buy) and gives you a completely different perception of the house, when you are in. I should talk more about this in a future entry.

The Griffith observatory is strangely positioned, overlooking LA, right over Los Feliz (pronounced los feelis), right down from the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park.

A rather ugly head of James Dean commemorates Rebel without a cause. A strange site for an observatory, so close to the lights of a city. A 1934 PWAP (Public Works Art Project, one of the New Deals program) realist monument to great astronomers decorates the courtyard. However one of the halls inside is called Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theatre. One wonders if the stars it is supposed to point to are solely those in the sky.
The air is very clear and it is a great day to enjoy the panorama of LA. City views get standardized, LA is seen almost always from north to south, as in this case.

LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art is our next stop, http://www.lacma.org/
this is its main entrance.

it is a huge site, the latest buildings are by Renzo Piano. We are here for an exhibition of German Art from the two Germanies in the after war period. http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibColdWar.aspx

It is such a treat, the most interesting moment is probably the forties and early fifties, before the wall. The seventies with terrorism are touching.

The evening is spent cooking dinner with what was bought at the market in the morning. And a couple of beers.