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San Diego/Vegas get out 21 May
(Sun. 23 May)
Its actually after midnight here (what is new with me starting blog at that hour? - what keeps me tired and wretched folks!) Anyway there is no point in trying to catch up with things I might have "missed" etc - "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" as they say (but will for skae of 'continuity'). My flight x Vegas was 10.15 am (OK I will backtrack with hilites) and the shuttle said 7.30am pickup - no way 8am will do - we cannot guarantee you will get your flight sir (at about 6 mins from the airport - and no doubt last virtual pickup - think I'll take my chances thanks). So I was there well ahead of time and even had time to have a breakfast for really the irst time in US - (I may have likely aready told you that I have otherwise defaulted to the only one full meal-a-day diet - dinner - cos they are so big that would last enuf calories for a normal person for almost 24hrs. There may be little snacks along the way but that's generally it. Anyway breakfast was a
Bellagio tables
a bit classier than they usually areflorentine omelete which was OK - but little potato wedges on the side? - at that hour - man o man, you get what I mean.
Anyway the flight down was Delta - which did not serve anything refreshment wise (unlike American up which at least gave us a quick juice). I cannot imagine why people would pay "business class" on this particular flight - seating was 2x2 all the way down the aircraft and their seats did not really seem any bigger - I think they got a Coke and the chance to jump out first - some value. My baggage arrived on the "wrong" carousel but I found it - and then the world's fastest Flyaway bus down town to Union Station - 25 mins must be some of record - no traffic holdups on the freeway at all. Then about 50 mins wait for the 2pm Amtrak train for 3 hrs down the coast to San Diego - which cost $30, not bad - I think that is an offpeak fare as at more peak timees might be a surcharge. Pacific/business class - with wifi etc - is $44 cos that is what she I was
Paris-Eiffel tower
but not in France.... goign to be sold until I said - "coach" thanks. The train down the coast relatively uneventful - some short stretches of beach & ocean close to the track at 2 or 3 points as we got closer to San Diego. You have prob already seen the pic of the typical Pac/Mex tiles of the Santa Fe station which is at the bottom of Broadway. It was just along that about 8 locks to the Ramada Gaslight - as I had only booked not paid anything should have inquired at the W500 on Broadway v. close to station - the old YMCA now converted to rooms with communal bathrooms (some dubious comments on cleanliness about it online - but I cold not do so) - but asked later - at only $49 + tax it would have been way cheaper than $402 for 3 nights at the Gaslight - the old St James hotel with the lighted sign still on the roof top patio - went up there for a view. Old style roms which were (relatively) small - compared only to the acres of the double twin at the Luxor in Vegas. But nice enough. The original lifts more
Paris - inside
the trompe l'oeil effect of the tower disappearing into the sky is quite neat or less still here - people came to marvel at the fastest elevator on the West Coast/entire world in 1905 or whenever - now the manual sliding grill doors just about cut you in half with their spring back action. Seemed to have a mind of their own with floor selection and go to Lobby despite what you pressed.
A view from the roof on floor 10+ - you can see a bit of the Petco baseball stadium at bottom of 6th Ave - and the arc of the very high flyover over the harbour. Some of hose igh clverleafs in LA woudl fak me out in the eevent of an earthquake. I saw in the papers, in the weather section, some shock scales for some small quakes in S. Calif. of 4.8 and 4.9 - must be routine here. Then out for a wander. 5th Ave and the Gaslight quarter is where all the restaurants and pubs and clubs are - as my room was at back of hotel facing 5th you could hear the carousing going late on Fri. and Sat. but not bothersome. The Rough Guide recommd a Persian restaurant which was close - but i
decided to go with the Bella Luna Italian. Usual thing is avoid restaurants with no patrons right? well this was motherless with only one couple inside at 8pm on a Friday not a good sign. I was later told it was still the same owner so I think it was really just a case of a helluva lotof competition - there must be 6 other Italian restaurants within 200m. he food was OK despite lack of customers - I sat outside near the street trying to attract other customers - who probably thought loser guy eating on his own - avoid that place! It did not work until the end when a table of 4 came in. There was nothing wrong with the food - I almost cannot remember already but it was large veal ravioli with supposedly some sorta marina sauce, which sounded a bit wierd. It was somewhat warm/peppery sorta heat, whcic is a bit unusual. I had a beetroot/goats cheese salad for a (real) entree which was mostly lettuce but OK. Despite (or because of lack of customers) the staff did not seem to be very interested in selling anything else - I practically had to badger
them for dessert - a trio (?) of creme brulees - one normal, one blueberryish, the other chocolate mousse like. Unusually I did not feel too packed after first 2 having chosen relatively light courses so wondered what they would do with 3 creme brulees - not much smaller than Aussie size single serves natch but I can always manage dessert (usually). I think I will split this into another chapter - see you later after the break.
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Huddo
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USA Food, and more.
Hi Mike, Know what you mean about the size servings! They are usually huge. Amazed you can write so much detail, when I was in San Deigo (1978) the killer whales where the big go at the zoo! Huddo.