Isaac took these with his Fish Eye..
Aren’t they fab…
Tag Archives: LA
Los Angeles Wednesday 18.04.12
I woke up at six, sensing the end of an adventure perhaps… Left the boy sleeping and, armed with iPad and fags, wandered down to drink tea, and later coffee, and blog at the firepit.
And, perhaps wishing to hold on to the adventure, I overlooked my usual tree-hugger-hash and ate eggs benedict – I’m such a dare-devil – at seven, while the sun rose over the monster downtown skyscrapers. Needless to say, they/it were/was delicious.
Isaac surfaced around eleven and on receiving his inquiring text I returned to our room to pack. We returned to the restaurant for midday, the room vacated, our sweaty and dusty belongings slung haphazardly into our cases, our minds on our last day… and home.
We decided on a ‘bit of culture’ to round off our trip and set off for the LACMA, only to discover it’s closed on Wednesdays. Can you believe it? Why fucking Wednesday? Random? They had such a cool exhibition on too – I’d been looking forward to it all week – In Wonderland – looked amazing. Hey ho… Off to the Getty Museum instead… Oh wow!
But in the mean time, the LACMA, this is just the outside… Imagine the treasures within!
The Rodin Garden… We gazed, like kids outside a sweet shop after closing, through the railings…
And Oh Wow! I’ll say it again. The Getty. Possibly my favourite museum/gallery EVER! Once we’d got there. Phew. They didn’t make it easy and we nearly gave up SO many times and the white- beast-of-bling positively turned blue with my expletives… But finally we wound our way up the hill and parked up and I’m SO glad we persevered. An electric train slunk us silently and stylishly up to the top of the hill and revealed to us the awesome beauty that it is. Mr Getty certainly knew how to flash his dosh, that’s for sure.
It was clean and perfect and white and dazzling, set against the unbelievable (to a brit) blue of the sky. Water bubbled and gurgled and swirled and swooshed cooly and enticingly everywhere. Greenery popped up just when you needed some vegetative respite. Sinuous and sensual bronze sculptures exploded into your vision just when you’d had enough of hard white surfaces and concrete. Plants and trees caught your eye just when you needed solace from intellectual pursuit. God… I loved it.
We took in two photography exibitions which were just wonderful.
and
In Focus: Los Angeles 1945-1980
We enjoyed both very much. Very much. Here’s a taster…
We left, pausing for a last few pics before returning to our car…
And then we drove to the airport. We hurriedly emptied and de-fag-butted the car, profusely sprayed around a can of deoderant, crossed our fingers. And then we flew home. And I slept ALL the way. Are you honestly surprised?
So… that’s your lot. Mundanity resumes. And I have got to get down to some proper writing. Stories are knocking at my temples to get out. Poems are rattling at my bones to be given a voice.
See you soon fellow-e-adventurers… Love x
Los Angeles Tuesday 17.04.12
Woke up bright and not so early and wandered down to breakfast around ten thirty. I indulged in more tree-hugger-hash-n-eggs and Isaac enjoyed his usual eggs benedict. Just as yum as last time.
We decided to explore Venice Beach. It had been heartily recommended to us by our Coachella chums and I’d never yet visited the area. The drive out was lovely and the weather perfect. And the place did not dissappoint. Lovely hippy vibe, as you would expect.
We parked up and sauntered down the main drag which runs parallel to the sea. It was exactly as I imagined and we started off at ‘Muscle Beach,’ the infamous outdoor gym. It was quiet with no body builders in sight – I guess they start late…
It’s possible for almost anyone to aquire a medical marijuana certificate for on average $40.00. Can’t eat? Eat too much? Can’t sleep? Sleep too much? Can’t breath? Hyperventilate? Addicted to the heat? Can’t stand the heat? The signs are everywhere.
And if, by some strange quirk of fate you can’t get certified… You can buy it off the street…
But the light… Oh! The light…
And the houses… Oh! The houses…
And the cars… Oh! The cars…
And the beach… Oh! The beach…
And the coffee shops… Oh! The coffee shops…
We both bought 30 incense sticks for $2.00 (and yes… they are incense… ‘onest gov’nor…) And I just had to look up the spelling for insence… shame on me… took me four attempts and each time I knew it was wrong… kept using way too many ‘c’s and ‘s’s.
We wound our way up to Beverley Hills which was a slow and painfully jammed drive, (we were both busting for the loo after that coffee) but we caught some good views and saw a lot of gates and walled gardens.
If you can forget that it’s called The Walt Disney Concert Hall, (home to the LA Philharmonic) you can enjoy it for Frank Gehry’s genius and it’s absolute wonderous beauty. It stopped me at a green light, for what it’s worth, and to me it was worth the honks and irate commuters.
Arrived back at the hotel, finally, after almost running out of gas (see I’ve picked up the lingo pretty quickly…) and almost having to pee in a our Starbucks double walled thermos…
Quick change and out to Red O, a fantasmagorical Mexican restaurant which I’ve written about before. Drank and ate like Kings and Queens. Truly Scrumptious, especially the tuna and lime ceviche and the crab tortillettes, (my neologism, but that’s what they were…)
And then bed… Our last sleep in LA 
Los Angeles 11.04.12
Our taxi picked us up at 6.30am and we arrived at Heathrow about 9am having slept through most of the journey. Considering it was the first time I’ve flown economy long haul it really wasn’t too bad an experience.
I dozed a little and watched films:
First up – The Artist. Loved it. Made me laugh. Made me cry. Fell in love with both George Valentin and Peppy Miller. But most of all the dog.
Second up – A Dangerous Method, about Freud and Jung. Michael Fassbender was excellent and Keira Knightly – a revelation. Stunning costumes and great story. Very intense and provocative.
Third up – Shame. Michael Fassbender again and the gorgeous Carey Mulligan. Another really intense story and SO sad. Messy and dirty and really compulsive.
Landed about 3.30pm local time. Walked off my cankles, got high on my first fag at the courtesy car bus stop. Big queue and while we waited a vision suddenly entered my head – that of my driving license sitting in the kitchen drawer at home. The conversation went something like this…
‘Er… Isaac… I think I fucked up… Big time… I’ve not brought my license…’
‘You’re joking right?’
‘Er… No.’
‘Shit…’
‘Shit…’
Silence as we both look at each other. Then I have a brain wave.
‘I’ll ask Jacob to scan it in and email it. That might work?’
‘Do you think?’
‘It’s worth a try…’
So I phone Jacob and he sets to it and when I get through the queue to the front I ask the nice Mr Avis in my sweetest voice, wearing my sweetest smile if it would be OK to email a scan because I’ve been an idiot and forgotten my license?
‘It’s not usual procedure… Let me ask my supervisor…’
In the end, half a nail biting hour later, they agreed…
And gave us the biggest, blingiest car I’ve ever seen. I ordered a biggy as we knew we would be sleeping in the back on our blow up bed. But the reality of it was quite another thing. And it took us fifteen minutes to work out how to move it from park, through reverse, into drive.
Had a good run to LA though, and found the hotel easy-peasy thanks to the don’t-get-lost and Isaac’s superb navigating skills.
The lovely Standard Downtown… Cool, cooler and super cool.
Unpacked. Explored the minibar. Quick drink of vino/beer.
Suddenly feeling exhausted, delicious steak, greens, home-fries and bed.
Sunday 22nd January 2012/Tuesday 24th January
Just back from a lovely weekend in London.
We stayed in the very homely Dean Street Townhouse, London, in the heart of Soho. It may be my new favourite… Gorgeous restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious Sunday roast served to us by a very laconic, very French waiter who flirted companionably and we were looked after by always delightful staff throughout our stay. Our enormous bed was feather pillow soft and the feather pillows themselves were so abundant I dreamt I’d fallen asleep in IKEA’s bedding department. The Cowshed toiletries were so luxuriously and liberally used, I spent the whole weekend smelling of everything other than roses, and in true Arnie style, I’ll be back…!
Supper was at the divine Vanilla Black, Farringdon, the most amazing veggie restaurant I’ve ever eaten in and the wonderful conversation courtesy of the man, and Lee and Nick, my favourite Antipodean couple, just over from Paris for le weekend…
I’m now in LA, jet propelled and time-lagged, just waiting for my pics to download so I can post my travel adventures forthwith. At the mo, chilling, drinking tea and smoking on my balcony whilst sitting on a silver bean bag staring at the Hollywood stars… That’s Ursa Minor, Orion and the Seven Sisters BTW, not Clooney, Damon or Hathaway…
a taster for tomorrow…
OMG… I’m in LA… I bought silver trousers… And I’m wearing them… Will I ever grow up?
