At the bottom
of the garden is the ballroom, one of Mr. Hand's favorite areas. You
descend into this complex and emotionally powerful space on curving
staircases, reaching a wide expanse -- indeed the widest part of the
garden -- with five ponds, a cascade, the cliff wall, and benches
offering panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay.
You
can munch on a tangerine from a tree in the ballroom and gaze into a selvatic area below -- the woods
-- which blends the cultivated garden into untended parkland. Deer graze
in the park, squirrels leap through branches, birds sing. The cities
of San Francisco and Oakland, visible in the distance, seem far away....
Visit the left side of The Ballroom |
