Buellton, Ca to Tulare, Ca

Today's highlight (in fact, it was the only thing we did) was the magnificence of William Randolph Hearst's unfinished Castle (designed by Julia Morgan) at San Simeon - also known as La Cuesta Encantada, or the "The Enchanted Hill". Many of you will be thinking of Citizen Kane - one of the best movies ever made - as I was (but apparently the only one on the tour who did), and there are at least a few parallels: Kane was also a newspaper magnate, he also created a monolithic paradise on a mountaintop (Xanadu), and he also tried to make his mistress into a star (including buying here a music hall to sing in). Hearst was enraged by the film, and offered Orson Welles $805,000 (via RKO) to burn all prints and destroy the negative. His life story (shown at the castle on IMAX) paints a rather prettier picture - though one would not expect less, from a family of immense wealth (wealthier today than back then) who controlled all aspects of a media empire.

This is the reception room, which greets you at the main door. Guests of Mr. Hearst (there were many, including Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Greta Garbo, Harpo Marx just to name a few) would gather here before being led (through a somewhat secret door) to the dining room. One thing the guide said impressed me - when asked how many servants he had, Hearst replied: "I retain the services of many well-paid staff". He worked tirelessly for worker's rights, and the average length of employment at the castle was 27 years.

Our guide (who sounded suspiciously like William Hurt) showing us where the big man sat. It appeared he liked Heinz' Tomato Sauce (just off-camera).

Architectural oddities abound in the castle - these windows were collected from all over the world, and installed with only a nod to regularity over the course of 28 years. It is said that La Casa Grande (i.e. the big house) was created as much to hold Hearst's bulging warehouse collection as it was a dream enterprise. To put into perspective: in the last 10 years it was being built, it cost over $10 million - yet during this time, Hearst made over $400 million in profits from his empire. Far from being a major investment, it could be seen as a minor vanity project.

The castle is created in the same european/mediterranean style seen in Hearsts' youthful expedition with his mother. These steps lead to the main entrance.

Morag ponders the propensity of wealth... does it really make one happy? Can one be happy with no money at all, or do we require a certain amount? If so, how much is too much? Or perhaps she was just staring at the pacific ocean, wondering when we'll get to New Zealand...

One of the two gold statues that look out from the Casa del Mar towards the ocean.

Tarantula! Morag saw it first - I almost stood on it (shudder!) as I walked down the stairs. This one was about the size of your hand. We filmed it as it walked slowly along the bottom step... Later, when I asked the guide if it was the dangerous kind, the reply was 'oh yes, they roam all over the property'. Thanks for the warning sign!

The Neptune Pool - at 345,000 gallons, it was (at the time) the world's largest heated outdoor swimming pool. The IMAX film said the pool was installed, moved and ripped out three times before you see it here. Many of the trees were also repositioned wholesale. The film also made mention of the fact that Hearst enjoyed the process of creation, perhaps much more than completion.

Quite stunning. It's amazing how enough time and money can create such beauty (but as I've said before, we don't all need to be artisans). How does this compare to Salvation Mountain? I'll leave you to decide for yourselves...

One of the three smaller buildings in the complex - Casa del Monte.

The breath-taking indoor roman pool (inspired by mosaics found in the 5th Century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy) is tiled floor-to-ceiling in byzantine 1-inch square glass, mostly orange or blue glass or with gold fused inside (called smalti). The roof is covered in night blue, powdered with stars. I really liked the way the roof, reflected in the water, creates a completely encapsulated vault.

I think this must be the key to unlocking the art of Hearst Castle - Leopoldo Ansiglioni’s "Galatea on a Dolphin" sculpture, which faces the main entrance. Galatea was a sculpture made so beautiful and lifelike by Pygmalion (the sculptor) that he fell in love with his own creation. Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation) took pity on him, and brought the statue to life. Perhaps Hearst was attempting to create a tiny world, so perfect that it would come true - food for thought, and it's only my personal theory... we were all left to wonder what really motivated Hearst on the bus-ride back down to the carpark, and the next stop on our journey.