California!!!!!!!!

As luck would have it, I acquired a laptop just before heading to the US for eight days with my friend Bernd from choir. So here is an (ever so slightly condensed) account of what we got up to, written actually at the time instead of two months later:

Saturday 26th February
Arrived at LAX after 11-hour flight, caught bus to Van Nuys airport. Met by our friend Ian, drove to his house. Dropped bags, out for a few drinks - THAT's how to nip jetlag in the bud!

Sunday 27th February
Ian drove us to hills above Bel Air for great views across Valley to snow-capped mountains. Then through to Venice canals, then LAX. Bernd & I picked up car, drove to Venice Beach, walked all along beach, ate at Fig Tree – delicious salads! – walked back to pier, drove to Getty Center but closed, so drove to West Hollywood along Santa Monica Boulevard, walked around a bit, had a drink in Hamburger Mary’s. Drove to Hollywood, saw outside of Oscars building, then back to Ian’s. Drove to Griffith Park observatory (guy with crazy laser firing at stars), back to Sherman Oaks Galleria (home of Valley Girls), ate Chinese, back to Ian’s for huuuuge glasses of Cointreau.

Monday 28th February
Breakfast at Café Marmalade with WiFi and crazy waitress who liked my shirt (we thought we were getting a parking ticket, but it turns out the woman was standing by her own car and fumbling for her keys, not by our car writing in a book!), back to Ian’s, drove to Getty Villa, architecture tour with mad old woman, great Roman house, met Afghan security guy who had lived in Germany, fantastic Greek & Etruscan (& Roman) sculptures, lots to see, lunch in café (not so great salad bit too cold - but I can see how that would work in warmer weather), drove to Malibu, up through hills, view on Mulholland Highway, faaaat strawberries from Mexican guy at side of road, drove to Santa Monica beach, walked out on pier for sunset, drove to Ian’s, met his friend Mikey, drove to West Hollywood to Hamburger Mary’s again, this time for dinner, walked to The Abbey for coffee & the biggest slice of cake I think I've ever seen, drove back to Ian’s for small glasses of Cointreau.

Tuesday 1st March
Breakfast at Ian’s, drove to Getty Center, two-hour dash through permanent exhibitions, saw Afghan guy again (the staff rotate locations it seems), excellent pictures, sculptures, Chinese photography, drove to Ian’s, then straight to Midori sushi (all you can eat but only for one hour plus normally evil but today super friendly service at tabeerrrrrlllll), ate own bodyweight in sushi, drove to Palm Springs, stopped for petrol from nice beardy chap whose only German was the phrase “rein, raus” (in and out) - bizarre! Drove to outlet shopping but overwhelmed by level of choice so carried on to my friend Mike’s house. Beautiful house and pool. Drove round Palm Springs and saw all the shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, city center, dog bowl attached to wall... Back to Mike’s, typed up all this, hit pool...

Wednesday 2nd March
Grapefruits for breakfast straight from the tree, then drove to Joshua Tree National Park. Bought packed lunch, drove in, Keys View (San Andreas Fault), dam, Hidden Valley, climbed through White Tank boulders, Cholla Cactus Garden, ocotillos, sunset over mountains, drove back to PS on I10, dinner at Trio with Mike – delicious sauvignon blanc from California! – back to Mike’s for another cheeky dip in the pool (amazing how cold it is when you get out and the dry desert air just sucks the moisture from your skin!).

Thursday 3rd March
Drove up to Palm Springs Tramway, up San Jacinto mountain, three hours walking through snow in inappropriate shoes, great views of valley, salad lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, back to Mike’s. Coffee at Koffi with Mike's friends Richard & Brian, walked through Village Fest, dinner at Grind burger bar, back through Fest, spot of teeshirt shopping, home.

Friday 4th March
Breakfast at Mike’s, went to Fresh & Easy for shopping, then back to Mike’s to give him flowers and make beds. Drove to Salton Sea along the 111, stopping for more shopping and muffins. Salton Sea, then inland through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Crazy dune buggy convention in Colorado desert! Beautiful cactus and ocotillo flowers in park. Church Lane with so many churches in Borrego Springs. Amazing changing landscape to Julian. Apple pie & cider in Julian, then drove to San Diego. Hotel, check in, then to Top of the Park to meet Elliott, Peter, and their friends Cecilia and another Mexican chap whose name escapes me. Drinks on rooftop bar, then to The Loft, a dodgy bar on Fifth Street with pool tables and a rough clientèle. Café round corner for “Night Owl Special” meals, back to hotel, quick nightcap with Bernd in local bar – nasty! Back to hotel.

Saturday 5th March
Smelly breakfast room, check out, to shopping centre for luggage, drove to Coronado, walk along beaches, drove to Gaslamp Quarter, walked around, nasty hot dog, drove through Embarcadero to Mission Beach, walked along, then Pacific Beach, then La Jolla, stopped at Starbucks for internet, drove halfway to LA, stopped for petrol and then steaks at the Cheesecake Factory, drove to bar in North Hollywood to meet Ian & Mikey, back to Ian’s.

Sunday 6th March
Brunch at Renaissance Hotel with Ian & Mikey. Drove into Downtown, looked at Walt Disney Concert Hall from outside, walked all through downtown, through Grand Central Market (mmm fish ceviche!), caught Metro to Union Station, El Pueblo, new Church of Our Lady (crazy tapestries!), Metro to Pershing Square, Biltmore Hotel (filming going on), MOCA, drove all through Hollywood again, then down Santa Monica Boulevard to LAX. Brought hire car back, got changed, ate a grapefruit from Mike’s garden, boarded. Screaming children, but still managed to sleep. Weather in Paris cool but sunny.

All I'd say in conclusion is that I had the best time with Bernd! We have a similar approach to travelling: attempt to do too much, and barely have a second to spare for anything mundane like resting. We probably did more in eight days than was sensible - in particular I felt like I could have spent a whole week just seeing San Diego properly - but it was a fantastic experience. Hurra for travelling!