After sleeping a big fat sleepy sleep of 12 hours uninterrupted sleep (that’s enough sleep references, Ed), I woke up full of beans and energy.
We left Arroyo Grande and hit Pismo Beach.
Early.
And hungry.
There really weren’t many people around at 9am.
So we walked out on to the pier…
And then we took some arty-farty photographs…
And then the food places were opening up so we went and ate. A lot.
Later we boarded our trusty steed and headed up the coast to San Simeon.
We were heading for San Simeon, and for a place with various names. We’ll not fall for the bullshit though, we’ll just call it Hearst Castle.
American media magnate William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951, 88yo) commissioned the building of Hearst Castle on 250,000 acres, in 1919.
Hearst, by the way, was the inspirational figure behind the film ‘Citizen Kane’.
Anyway.
A fortune was spent on the design and construction of Hearst Castle and there are several views of what Hearst’s legacy is.
The guide who took us around the house and grounds was of the unshakeable opinion that Hearst was a benevolent patron of the arts who left a legacy of great work for the people of California.
I’m not sure.
The bastardisation and corruption of architectural styles dilutes the greatnesses that Hearst was trying to copy.
There are pseudo-Catholic external features that sit uncomfortably with early 20th Century designs.
Inside the mansion, because although Hearst Castle is many things – not all of them good things – one thing it isn’t, is a castle, ancient Italian and classical Spanish artifacts jostle jarringly for the eye.
An over-large silver Mace sits behind Hearst’s place at the dining table.
When our guide was asked what the Mace was, he replied that it was ‘a symbol of democracy, something that Hearst believed passionately in’.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that English Kings and Queens have been using a Mace for over a thousand years, that the Mace is based on an ancient weapon of war and, by the way, no English King or Queen (or any other King or Queen from anywhere else in the world for that matter) is democratic.
Being expelled from one particular womb is not democracy in action.
The guide was a nice guy, but as well as this mistake he also told us that regular guest to Hearst Castle, actor David Niven, was Scottish (untrue), and that Hearst was a great believer in the arts in general and people in particular.
Other people think that Hearst was a tyrannical businessman who sought to downplay the value of Mexicans in California.
I don’t believe that Hearst was the shining beacon of humanity that our guide made him out to be, and I’ll stop there.
I do believe that the California Parks Authority, who now own Hearst Castle and a small portion of the 250,000 estate, are beatifying Hearst; transforming him in to a person he wasn’t.
Some people choose to look at Hearst Castle and see it as a work of art.
Other people see Hearst Castle as a failingly crude attempt by a tasteless, classless oligarch, to endow himself with qualities he plainly didn’t have.
That the house is already showing significant signs of age – and the place is less than a hundred years old – is a testimony not of quality, but of a lack of quality.
I tried to explain to another guest that Spain’s Alhambra Palace took three hundred years to build, was completed in the 14th Century, withstood three internal wars and two world wars and is still a work of art.
She didn’t get it.
Neither did WR Hearst.
To get the full majesty and/or horror of the place, you have to see it in person.
But in case you can’t get there, here’s a few photographs to be going on with:
Well I thought it was beautiful. I want that pool. With sea otters in it, preferably.
I want a pool.. oh I’ve got one… only Anne is sat next to it so the view is spoilt at the moment!
Clare, you wait until you see the video I shot of the indoor pool. You know, the one with the gold inlaid poolside tiles. And the gold decorations at the bottom of the pool. And the gold-brocade on the ceiling.
Umm. It looks a little…… over-engineered shall we say? But I am rather partial to architecture that inspires debate. But this building seems to abandon beautiful architecture in an attempt to impress visitors with wealth.
Annie, you’ve summarised the man.
Your dedication to blogging is quite something.
Ash, I can’t help it.
B, you have learned a little known secret. The docents at many – perhaps most – state parks are generally fairly ignorant about the site’s history. Fortunately, most of the visitors are fairly ignorant of history also. We don’t teach it in the schools anymore, and if it isn’t on facebook, they don’t care.
Congratulations on being an exception.
Nice choice of rides, BTW. The Chrysler 300 is one of the reasonably bright spots from a rather pedestrian automaker.
Bulldog, I’ve read quite a bit about that era; I’m fascinated with the way the film studios polarised along pseudo religious, quasi political lines. I love learning about the methods of control that the chief execs – in Hollywood and in other industries – used to exercise over their domains.
David Niven is a bit of a hero of mine; he had many qualities I admire.
And I like the car. It’s nicely balanced, has good build quality and is super spacious. The engine has a disappointing flat spot for a 6cyl, but economy is pretty good. And it took £42 to fill from empty, which would have taken £68 in the UK!