Santa Monica and Los Angeles

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So, I've made my way from San Diego to Santa Monica (Los Angeles) via La Jolla. A 3 hour drive (that actually took closer to 6 – traffic is a bitch). My first night was a chilled out one watching (American)football and chilling with the guys; Jim – a friend I made in Israel, and his housemate Tony and girlfriend Carla. The second day is spent eagerly awaiting Hannah's arrival; so to kill some time Jim and I walk Toby the dog and sit in Le Petit Quitodien in Brentwood. As I arrive I see lots of paparazzi with their cameras – it seems that Brentwood is a celeb hot-spot, with the café we are going to being Arnold Schwarzenegger's local. I finally head to the airport to collect Hannah – the buses are so cheap at just $1 – the UK could certainly learn a thing or two about public transport from the Americans.





I collect Hannah, all the while texting her mum to let her know Hannah's whereabouts – I'd sent message every few hours letting her know where the plane was located and how far from LA she was. A bit of a faff at the airport as she arrived at terminal 4, but I had been directed to Tom Bradley terminal because 4 didn't have a customs and immigration desk. An hour of to-ing and fro-ing about where I should be and she finally arrived. Back on the buses (she's equally amazed about the $ cost) and we get home in time for more (American)football as I explain the rules to Hannah and she becomes engrossed in it despite having been awake for 40 hours.







The next few days I show Hannah around Santa Monica; the pier and beach, Third Street Promenade etc. and then further afield in LA; Brentwood, Venice Beach, Hollywood, WeHo etc.







The Hollywood Walk of Fame is what it is; a long walk staring down trying to recognise 50% of the names and remembering every now and then to look up. I'd been there before so this time around I decided to look at the surroundings – it turns out it's just tourist glitz and glam of tours and sequined shirts, so not really much other than the stars. We then decided to walk from Hollywood Boulevard to West Hollywood to check out the 'scene'. We walked down La Brea and stumbled upon The Jim Henson Company (Kermit's home), as well as Kat Von D's tattoo shop, LA Link which was pretty cool.







We walked to Weho and stopped off for a drink or two at some bars along the way before getting to the rainbow coloured pedestrian crossings – you'd think I wouldn't really be bothered about these as I've seen them before, but they still make me smile. We stop off in a sports bar that I went to last tim and had good memories with my lovely chum Molly. As we leave and await the rainbow crossing to allow us to cross we get asked by a drunk guy if we want to mule 3lbs of coke. I bluntly say no and start to move away as Hannah (naively and new to the States) says in a quintessential polite British manner “Oh... no thank you!” whilst flashing a big grin. I pull her away and then we chuckle at her expense.







We get home with the view to book tickets to a pre-season Lakers home game the next evening but it seems in the last 12 hours they've decided to rejig their schedule and play in Hawaii that evening instead.









We plan a road trip to get to see the rest of California as well as some of the sights such as Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

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Photos

Jamie Lee Curtis
Who I am named after

The Magic Tree
A further 30 minutes hike/rock climb from The Hollywood sign brings you to here and it's well worth it.