At the Getty in LA

What a welcome to 2008! Geoff and I traveled to Los Angeles the first weekend of the New Year and had an incredible time, in spite of unusually wet and dreary weather conditions. So much for sunny SoCal!
This is a picture of me at the Getty Center (www.getty.edu) which houses quite a large collection of art up from ancient and medieval through the 1600's and 1700's. The Center itself is an architectural wonder, constructed of travertine and surrounded by gardens, fountains, and rock sculptures.
While the storm dumped snow by the foot on the nearby Sierra Nevadas, Geoff and I ambled the damped coastline, in search of icons like the Hollywood sign and Graman's Theatre and open to the new and amazing. We found both in LA.
Besides the Getty Center, another unexpected delight was the Griffith Observatory overlooking Beverly Hills and greater Los Angeles. The sky broke that afternoon just enough for a memorable view. The observatory, which houses a large telescope open on clear skies to the public, has found its way into movies as recent as Transformers and as far back as James Dean's Rebel without a Cause.
Definitely a place for a return visit, Los Angeles is as dreamy as you can imagine--even without the spectacular weather it is known for.