If you have traveled to Greece and can't wait to go back—like myself—in the interim you can enjoy the LA Greek Fest on the grounds of Saint Sophia's Greek Orthodox Cathedral (just a couple of miles west of downtown Los Angeles). Every year in September the tents go up and the dancers and musicians come out to celebrate all things Greek. There is no real Greek community in Los Angeles so Saint Sophia's is the next best thing, located in Koreatown and surrounded by hispanic neighborhoods.My friends and I arrived at 4:00pm on Saturday, September 12, just in time to see one of the cooking demos. Although the vultures lined up for samples after the demonstrations, as the dishes were mostly made of wheat or meat, or a combination of both, I only had a small taste.
So we went in search of dinner. I had my taste buds primed for grilled octopus, remembering the delicious meals I had enjoyed in Athens. As I arrived at the line, I was disappointed to see octopus being scratched off the menu. So my only option was to order the calamari at another booth. Huge mistake. I've eaten a lot of calamari over the years in various forms but this was unequivocally the worst I have ever eaten. I would rather have chewed on my shoes as I am sure they would have been tastier and more tender.
The highlight of the day for me was the cathedral itself. I have lived in Los Angeles all my adult life and consider myself to be reasonably knowledgable about the city and fairly adventurous in discovering her nooks and crannies. But I don't recall ever seeing Saint Sophia's before, not even in passing. Or maybe, not being sure what the building was, it just wasn't on my radar.
The exterior is elegant in a southern California eclectic, art deco-ish way with both Mission and Greek influences. With its three domes I imagine this is what Union Station would have looked like if it had been built on an island in the Aegean. As stunning as the exterior is, it in no way prepared me for the lavish interior. I have had the good fortune to visit cathedrals and churches in various parts of the world and found many of them to be awe-inspiring. But I don't recall ever seeing so much gold leaf work in any one place before. Amazingly, the interior is not garish in any way—it is gorgeous.
After visiting so many European cathedrals I decided if I ever felt the need to follow a structured religion I would convert to Roman Catholicism, or at least the Church of England, just so I could be attached to a beautiful cathedral. But after visiting Saint Sophia, I'm thinking Greek Orthodox might be the way to go! Now, of course, I am being facetious and probably already offended somebody, although that is not my intent. As a non-religious person I always have the sense of being close to heaven (or at least the Christian perception of heaven) when I am in a cathedral—and certainly no less so in this particular place.
Although the beauty of the main part of the cathedral is overwhelming, my favorite spot is in a side chapel. In the dome is a mosaic of Jesus (not painted as it seems to be on the dome of the cathedral) and the altar and walls are of exquisite marbles in varying shades of greys, tans, and beige. Stained glass panels of Jesus, Mary, and saints hover over the altar.
Saint Sophia's story has an interesting connection to Hollywood and 20th Century Fox which I won't go into as it is ably described at this website.
The cathedral is worth a visit if you are in the area, but you should check their website listed below for the cathedral visiting hours.
Saint Sophia Cathedral
1324 S. Normandie Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
323.737.2424
You can view a gallery of my photos by clicking here.
(photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)
Roslyn, you are always having neat NEW experiences, I so admire that! Ha, too bad about the calamari though. (:
ReplyDelete