The Norton Simon Museum Trip

After living in the Greater Pasadena area now for over 5 years I thought it time to visit the Norton Simon Museum. Having Xiao Hui and Rebecca here from Shanghai was a great excuse for the trip. Even though the weather here is Los Angeles has been very warm lately the pleasant afternoon breezes made the gardens of the Norton Simon a real treat.

The gardens of the Norton Simon are really beautiful with a wonderful pool full of water lilies and floating lotus in bloom. This is one of the nicest pools here in Southern California and reminds me of China and the Temple Gardens of the Forbidden City and surrounding areas.

The gardens surrounding the wonderful pool at the Norton Simon features picturesque statuary the best of which are from the bronze work shop of Rodin. An afternoon stroll through the garden is an especially nice way to spend a pleasant afternoon. There is a little cafe just off the side of the pool where you can enjoy lunch. We had the Chicken Cesar Salad which I must say was very good except for the soft croutons – I really detest croutons that are not crunchy. Other than the croutons the lunch was terrific.

While the gardens are certainly wonderful and a treat to not miss, the inside of the museum is the main course of the day. In the coming days I will post several ongoing explorations of the Norton Simon Museum and the artwork from their collections. This past Sunday was such a wonderful time here with our guests from China. What has given me pause to think is that all of this beauty is here around us locally. After all of these years it is only now that I have looked at this treasure that is the Norton Simon. Now is a time of wondering – what else is available that I have not seen.

You can find this and the rest of the story of the Norton Simon Musuem at DavidGodden.com