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Well, it had to be done at some point. Today was a mamoth day of much driving (thanks to my long-suffering friend).
First we headed for Sunset Boulevard, and from there turned on to Beverly Hills. For a Brit, it's easy not to be impressed by Beverly Hills - it's essentially a pretty, green, overgrown spot. Then you remember that the rest of LA is dusty, yellowing scrubland and you realise that the verdant greenery is proof enough of wealth, and also serves to mask the buildings and the occupants' privacy. We passed the elite school for starlets' bratlings, which apparently safeguards their privacy. I find it quite sad that the actors/directors/whatever feel that their children can't live normal lives, but I'm told that, for the top celebrities, their childrens' baby photos are leaked to the press within weeks of their birth, so perhaps they are justified in their belief.
From Beverly Hills we re-joined Sunset Boulevard and followed it down to Hollywood. Past the police station from Beverly Hills Cop (singing the 80s theme tune, of course) to the really seedy part of town, with dodgy motels and tonnes of HIV adverts... Then suddenly you find yourself in
Sunset Views of the mountains
This was the nice, Beverly Hills side of the road.Hollywood. Which is really really small!
We saw all the obligatory tourist sights: the Hollywood sign, the stars, the Oscars theatre (the Chinese theatre, there's also an Egyptian Theatre, all with mock-authentic decor), the handprints. It was fun, but weird.
After three days, I still find myself stunned at how LA is EXACTLY as it is shown to be in the films. My friend keeps showing me places in LA that have been used in films. Apparently LA has faked most other places in the world at some time or other. It's so strange, but I suppose shows quite how much this city has been moulded and dictated by the film-industry.
After Hollywood we went in search of somewhere to eat our lunch. My friend took us to this gorgeous little well-kept secret: a green park not far from Hollywood, outside a Frank Lloyd Wright building. So we sat under pines, high enough to give great views over LA with virtually no-one else around us! It was lovely.
Frank Lloyd Wright isn't an architect I knew much about. Apparently his speciality is concrete, and this particular house was no exception. I should imagine it's much cooler
Bevery Hills
As said - a quiet, green area. With rubbish roads to discourage tourists. in the LA climate, although it must be a pain to maintain. The house was pretty, with various Aztec-inspired features (at least on the outside; we didn't venture in) and, as I said, great views.
One of those views was of the Griffith Observatory - which, to me, looked like a mosque. We then headed up the mountain to see it up close. From that vantage point, there were also lovely views over the whole of LA (although I'm told that you can see right to the Pacific when the smog isn't as bad as it was today).
It's disorientatingly flat - most houses are bungalows, because of the earthquakes - and... varied. There's no single style that can be called the LA style. Genuinely anything goes, which makes it very tiring to look at because there's no consistency, no unity. I suppose that's the European in me talking.
There are very few skyscrapers and such as there are, are mostly concentrated in Downtown LA, which is where we headed next (I told you it was a long day). I liked Downtown (think the City of London, rather than a high street) as the buildings were the
oldest I have seen - mostly beautiful 20s art deco creations. Although some are very modern, like the Walt Disney Concert Hall (see the photos), bizarre but eye-catching.
Then we headed home via Chinatown, which was really sprawling and much more of a community area than the one in London - there were banks, places of worship, and clothes shops, rather than the normal restaurant-supermarket combo I'm used to. It's also apparently one of the oldest places in LA, and has been there from the beginning.
Phew! Quite a day.
Before I go, just to explain: bougainvillea. It's the LA version of hydrangea, ie ubiquitous. Although it won't surprise you to learn that I much prefer the hot pink everywhere than blue and pink bushes. The flowers in general are brightly coloured and interesting - although apparently in a few weeks' time they'll all be dried up past all colour.
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Mary
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Wow!
Wow Liz! You write so well- do keep them coming :-) So glad you are making the most of your trip and seeing all the big sites- exciting! Love the pictures also- can't believe you're really there, it's amazing!!! Lots of love, Mary x