A Sightseeing Tour in Santa Barbara

At my stay in my friends house in Santa Barbara I had one day the possibility to have a sightseeing tour with a tourist guide friend of hers. The woman was very nice and drove around with me to the most interesting and historically important places of the town.

We started at the port which I had seen a few times before as my friend and I had a walk there and she already did more than shopping tours with me. Here in the harbor there are also some tours offered. For example dolphin and whale watching tours. I wanted to do some but in the end I said next time (and unfortunately there will be no next time anymore) because to do one alone was not my ambition.

Next was straight into the middle of the town. Not only shopping centers and nice places to stay but also the Arlington Theater. I like especially the typical Spanish style of architecture here in Santa Barbara.

The very next place we visited was the courthouse. And we had a longer stop here. Not because we had anything to do with the court but it is such an interesting building with a lot of paintings, history and beautiful decorated rooms.

I took a picture from an overview pic of Santa Barbara and the hinterland just to show how big it is and where one can find the different buildings like theater, mission, churches and so on.

After the courthouse we have gone to have a look at the mission. This one was founded in 1786. Again this beautiful Spanish style architecture. We haven’t had a look inside as it was combined with a guided tour and I didn’t want to do so with this really so nice friend who spent time with me.

But I had a look at the church which was founded only in 1820 and destroyed in a 1925 earthquake and restored twice, in 1927 and 1953. I loved it because it seems to be a mix between native and Christian culture.

On the way back home we passed a beautiful tiny church: the Carmel church in Montecito. Again I loved the Spanish style and the many details in paintings. The ceiling is special and worth to have a closer look.

The churches here are for me so different as I know the European churches. Big, full of richest decorations in gold and other precious materials or the even naked churches of the Northern countries like Germany, Denmark, Sweden and so on with nearly nothing in I but benches and a pulpit.

The European churches have a lot less atmosphere. The make me feel little, a nothing, overwhelming me with splendor. The churches here in Santa Barbara were overwhelming me with warmth, coziness and a family feeling. I think I like more these ones because they are nearer to my way of seeing religion: near to the people, a warm feeling, something that wraps me like a warm, woolen coat.

The door and its details of course could not be missed! A great way to close a beautiful day at a sightseeing tour in Santa Barbara. I was back right for lunch…