SUNNY CALIFORNIA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 618, 24 August 1933, Page 2

SUNNY CALIFORNIA

LAND OF RPSES ROTORUA RESID^NT GIVES IMPRESS jpN S AFTER HOLIDAY. A VERDANT COUNTRYSIDE. A delightful record of a most inferesting holiday spent in beautiful California, in sunny Honoluluj and on the broad bosom of the tropical waters of the Pacific is given by Mrs. C. M. E. Mellsop, of Rotorua, who returned last week by the Mariposa from four months' holiday spent in Honolulu and California. The whole adventure was a happy one and interesting throughout, she states. Among the cities visited was Los Angqles, which has.'a population of 1,500,000 — ias many people as there are in the whole of the Dominion — and San Francisco, which counts 700,000," while very many others of the towns visited made New Zealand cities look like mere villages. The size of the buildings was rather overwhelming to a traveller accustomed to the modest two and three storeys common in New Zealand. The Rqss building in San Francisco has 23- storeys and disgorges, at closing tiine, over 40, Q0 people — almost as great ia pumher as Rotoroa, itself contains. Everywhere there were great pi^blic budldings, universities, churches, libraries, art galleries, wonderful schools, and so on. In San Francisco a fine open-air swimming pool has been provided and endowed by >a man named Fleischacker. It is tiled and heated and measures approximately 1000 yards by 150 yards with a depth of 25 feet where the diving boards are placed. Pleasant Countryside. Th'e country near San Francisco was interesting with its redwood forests, its beautiful peninsula of many fine towns, its Stamford University and a wide extent of beautiful fruitgrowing country. All along th,e ;. coasts of California were evidences of the great missionary efforts of 'Roman Catholic priests who in the lafcter half of the 18th century estahlished a chain of mission churches and stations from San Diego to San Rafael, north' of San Francisco. These churches were built of adohe, often 15 feet thick, but the action of sun and wind had worked havoc in the soft material and many of the buildings had had to be rebuilt, 'although every here and there wore remnants of the original construction. Missionaries' Work. These old missionaries carried on a work of conversion among the then uncivilised Indians -at great personal risk, hut by a display of kindness and moderation they finally won them over to Christianity. This mission work accounts for the naming of so many of the towns on the seacoast, names like San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis, showing the route they followed~in their work. There are many wonderful things everywhere. Near Hollywood, there was a great mausoleum at Forest Lawn; this was a magnificent place of supulture — the interior constructed of beautiful marble and adorned with many fine statues of Canova and Thorwaldson, with replicas of some of Michael Angelo's finest work. It contained also a magnificent reproduotion in stained glass of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci a world masterpiece. In some of the larger theatres open-air services are held on Easter morning; these took place usually in natural amphitheatres surrounded by the verdant Californian hills. On one of these, a tall cross was erected, so situated as to catch the earliest gleam of light from the rising sun. When this ray struck the summit of the cross, the service began — non-sectarian and attended by many thousands of worshippers. At Hollywood, the service was held in the Punchbowl at Mt. Helix, near San Diego, and took place on the summit of the mount. Wide Panorama. The hill overlooked a wide panorama, with' the Mexican hills in the background and presented a most inspiring sight. This particular site was given by a son and' daughter as a memorial to their mother, who so loved the spot that she wished that all could see it and gain some of the inspiration that she had derived from it. In July, California was wreathed in roses growing in most luxuriant abundance. One of the towns was called Santa Rosa and it justified its name by holding a week's rose festival, concluding with a pageant of rose-decorated vehicles. Another town ! Petaluma, seemed as though it too had to do with flowers but it was the h'ome of chicken farming. The town was large and seemed to thrive on the poultry industry. Just outside the city were to be found fowls by the millions — literally fowls without end. On one stretph of road a pretty touch was given by some person who had sown hollyhock seed along the highway and these tall stately flowers greeted travellers kindly as they passed on their way. Ii\ San Francisco. A touch of a different kind was given at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, which was lined. with stalls where fish meals could be had. Out- ; side on the pavement were crates and crates of live crabs and crayfish' in boiling cauldrons. If the purchaser wished to huy a crayfish, he selected the one he fancied and it was plunged into the cauldron. It seemed a little callous but as it was the custom oue could only hope that the crayfish got used to it as eels are said to get used to skinning. The poetical name. of Golden Gate for the harbour entrance to the Bay of San Francisco did not aiways justify itself. During the ten weeks ■ of her visit, Mrs. Mellsop stated that she, never oncq glimpsed the 'golden touch. This was only evident when ■a brilliant sunset was seen between the points that formed the gate. Unfortunately, fog rolled in constantly ; from the Pacific and formed a -grey background. These fogs had a tempering effect upon th'e climate and San Francisco was comparatively cool while' other pla'ces were swelter- , ing.