Alarm 7am! Shower and dress! Pack cases again!
The cases had to be ready or pick up by 8am! Breakfast after this and departure by 9am!
Breakfast was good! We were back in the 'Happy Hour' room....but no beer for breakfast! Every place has a different set up and so you take a second or two to suss out how to work everything - although a aster is pretty much a toaster!
The day started like the previous ones...foggy and grey and with a slight chill in the air! The bus was on off and we were ready to make for The City of Angels - Los Angles! Again we had a pretty constant commentary and bursts of music all the way! Southern California has spawned a huge raft of ones and so we had a mixture of The Beach Boys and The Eagles, Cher (as we passed her home - but no one was in!) and a few songs from 'The Graduate' as we passed a tunnel in which Dustin Hoffman drove through on his way to Santa Barbara in the film!
So, here's lady's fact of the day! The whole of California obviously has a heavy Spanish influence use to the fact it was part of their 'empire' way way back! Hence the names of the iTunes and towns and areas are Spanish! However, most are named after Saints and in Spanish 'Santa' is female for saint and 'San' is male!
Hence San Franciso, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and San Jose! All named after male saints! Which leaves us with the likes of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Cruz and Santa Monica! So, where would Santa Claus fit in here?
So we set off for Santa Barbara which is right on the Pacific coast! The homes here are in the 'mega pricey' category and some make it in to the 'ridiculously mega pricey' bracket! A lot of the rich Hollywood stars and other entertainers live r have lived here! Even Prince Charles and Prince William have played polo here. Paul McCartney lived here and Oprah has a house here which she paid.....$65 MILLION dollars for! She must have needed some of her own advice before deciding on that one!
We were getting around an hour here! Almost everyone headed for the famous Santa Barbara Pier which was bustling with people on holiday, walking dogs (in some cases here really little dogs that are more like rats!) and people working! The un was out, the beach was beautiful and the pier afforded great views on the walk out and even better views of the town once at the end! People were sitting drinking coffee, fishing off the per or just people watching! I really enjoyed it but some of those seagulls and the pelicans ket eyeing me up much to my dislike!
Everyone agreed it would be a great place to live! The temperature is great, but not excessive, and the scenery is gorgeous and the houses looked spectacular!
So, we were soon off once more and eating now for the main metropolis area of LA! As the road hugged the last those on the coast side of the bus really scored! Needless to say they are on the other IDE at present...and by my reckoning they will hit the other side by the time it ceases to matter!
We followed the coast line and to distract from the stunning sea views or views of the mansions up on the mountain tops we played our game of 'Name Bingo'! Whoever got a line of 5 first or a full house of ALL 25 won the exotic prizes on offer! I waited and waited....but Turra Ted was never called!
We headed on and soon hit Malibu! Well, not the drink.....but the actual place! It was stunning and again a range of houses hugged the beach line running into the millions! Would the rich and famous really want a freeway running right behind their house? Id sooner be on the hill top with stunning views down....and no spotters looking n my back yard! After a brief 'rest room' stop below 'Pepperdine University' and a walk to see the sea views down over Malibu we headed in to Santa Monica! Home to the rich, famous and just like everywhere else the homeless!
We had around two ours here! Traffic slowed us own a bit and so 2-4 was our lot! We had to have lunch, see the 'Third Street Promenade' and visit Santa Monica's own pier! We decided to get lunch first and ended up in a lovely French Crepes Cafe Which seemed to be favoured by some very trendy looking people indeed! I must remember to give my fur a good brush before tomorrow and our visit to Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard!
After a lengthy lunch we had about an hour to scot Lund and hit the pier! This was like Santa Barbara's but on speed! It was hoaching with a huge amount of tourists and locals alike! The beach was broad and the strip next to the sea was heavily populated with California's body beautifulls and a number of those who perhaps need a bit more exercise!
We made our way out along the pier and it offered a great opportunity or people watching! You can spot the body confident ones easily and they like to flaunt themselves! Between the vendors and stalls and shops were a myriad of street, or pier, entertainers! Some were super talented while others were super confident! One, a certain Lenny Hoops, was just calling out for a photo opportunity with me! So after throwing a dollar of change in his bucket I took up my place on the stool next to him as he bongo'd away for the photo! I told him he'd be online by the end of the day! I need to google him to see if he is famous! He looked like an eccentric Will-I-am to be honest! But he was good fun and was bringing in the trade like nobody's business so who am I to growl!
By this time we had time to visit the end of the pier before heading back to the sea front to get the coach! We walked back looking at the range of sights on offer from the grand and glamorous to the grim and gormless! But it takes all sorts!
So...Friday night and heading in to downtown LA! It was like Aberdeen's North Anderson drive but with 6 lanes and much much more traffic! But we made it and are now in the Downtown Marriott which is our nicest hotel so far! Very grand and lovely rooms....but tut tut....NO free wifi! Cheapskates!
They are heading out Now and are going to do an Alistair and Michelle and go up one of the neighbouring hotels to the 34th floor to get the night view over LA!
Tomorrow....no check out....but up for an 8.30 pick up for the LA tour to Hollywood etc before going to the Universal Studio tour in the afternoon!
Update again soon....when I can find wifi which is free!
Day 4 - Evening out in LA!
The Marriott is a lovely hotel! We are right in the middle of the CBD in downtown LA. After a rest for a while which allowed me to do the bog the two of them unpacked some stuff - although for two nights is it worth it? But they set out to find somewhere to eat after 7pm. The walked down the street we are on and most places seemed closed! But it is a Friday night and most people would be heading away from the city.
After a while they found a place called 'Cafe Primo' and they had a nice meal. The highlight of the night was heading for the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The guide had told us that we should go in to the hotel to see the lobby area which was spectacular. The lobby was vast and was two or three storeys in height! There were bars, shops, fountains and a restaurant. However, the mission was to go to the bar on the 34th floor. We had to take the escalator down a level, and then the 'red' lift to the 35th floor! This took you to the 'posh' restaurant but if you went own a level to 34 you could visit the bar there for a drink! The clincher was that it was a revolving bar and so you got spectacular views of the city all lit up in the darkness! The views were amazing! We had a beer and a sparkling wine which was not cheap but was well worth it for the view! They say thy may return tomorrow for dinner there! We hall see!
Anyway, here we are in LA! Tomorrow old be my big break!
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