Our last day in Santa Monica, LA ...

Our last day in Santa Monica, LA ...

We booked a tour of LA via the "Rasta Bus"...

Our Rasta Bus

... however, it looked a little incongruous parked outside Louis Vuitton on Rodeo Drive

in downtown Beverly Hills ... waiting for "the shoppers" ...

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, LA

... while we got escorted out of the Beverly Whilshire Hotel ... we only wanted to use their loos - our rastafarian driver/tour guide assured us we could use them - how precious are they?!

Beverly Wilshire Hotel - apparently has gorgeous loos, but we'll never know.

After touring through Beverly Hills, our tour took us to see some of the 'hedges and fences' of the rich and famous: "Look to your right and you'll see Bill Cosby's home, blah blah blah; and to your left is Steven Spielberg's estate ... blah blah blah; Whoopi Goldberg; etc etc.  We saw some beautiful mansions and estates perched high on the hills of the Palisades but mainly huge hedges and fences.

After driving up into the hills to the Griffith Observatory to see the sprawl of the city of Los Angeles, we were taken down to Graumann's Theatre to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the kooks and crazies ... sorry ... to see the stars' names and hand and footprints.  Two of my favourites - Helen Mirren and Barbra Streisand:

Helen Mirren's hand and footprints.

Barbra Streisand's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A couple of photos, especially for you Connor:

Monster fountains in downtown Santa Monica

And a neighbour's front yard, just down from where we were staying on 24th Street, Santa Monica!

And she's a real estate agent!

Cows, crocodiles, a cop, and a reindeer.

Now to find a speakeasy - or are they just in New York?  Maybe somewhere for a 'happy hour' drink.

Santa Monica - Malibu - The Getty Villa

Santa Monica - Malibu - The Getty Villa

I'm typing this as we prepare to leave our "home" in Santa Monica and take off for the day in the Rasta Bus - so this will be a very quick post.

A quick drive in the convertible up the PCH to the Getty Villa was yesterday's excitement.  Getty made his squillions investing in oil and built a replica Roman mansion to display his antiquities.  It is magnificent and deserved much more than the two and a half hours we were able to devote to it.

Inner Peristyle at the Getty Villa in Malibu

20 year old mummified bloke

Sarcophagus

Gorgeous mosaics

8 April - Santa Monica/Venice Beach/Malibu

This was the view from our NY loft looking toward the Empire State Building

I'm out of whack again but it will just have to do!

Louise took off early this morning for her jaunt to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.  What an experience she'll have - her first time to both LV and the GC.  I'm not thrilled with the idea of travelling to the Canyon in a light aircraft nor flying in a helicopter 4000' down into the Canyon, but Mary is totally excited about the prospect.

Thelma and I planned to hire some bikes and ride down to Venice Beach, but the clouds rolled in and the sun that had been shining brilliantly and giving us some much needed warmth, was snuffed out.  Decisions, decisions ... has the money been transferred to our cashcards? No! Can we head to the outlets to do some shopping?  No!

So ... we hired a convertible and travelled toVenice Beach and Malibu!  Venice Beach, the land of the muscle men who look like they're on steroids, pumping iron on the beach in front of gawking tourists, used to be quite exciting to visit, however Sandy and I both found Venice Beach to be quite disgusting.  It was just a couple of years ago that John and I took Joshua to VB and it was a shame to see how it has deteriorated into a junkie, grubby, haven for beggars and the homeless.  This before we had even got out of the car, a homeless bloke was trying to engage us in conversation, "just whatever you can do to help, a twenty or a fifty" was his line!

Anyway, the weather was foul and the TV weatherman, and Pat, told us that LA was experiencing it's worst April day in seven years; unseasonably cold and windy - just like New York's weather, so we made a very quick exit from Venice Beach.

Farewell NY, hello Santa Monica

7 April - Farewell New York!

What a wonderful week we've had in this fantastic city - we've had our senses absolutely filled to the brim having seen so many of the Masters' works at the MoMA and The Frick; we've laughed till we cried at "The Book of Mormon"; we've filled our tummies with spaghetti and linguini seafood dishes from our local restaurants ... we will never forget Kramer (although he told us his name is Tomas), standing in front of Pellegrini's restaurant in his expansive calf-length black fur coat imploring us in his broad New York accent, "Ladies, come for lunch ... come back for dinner ... free wine for you all!"  "You'll be sorry!" I replied.

Thelma and I went to explore some bars and found the magnificent Pegu Bar.  When in Manhattan ... well, we just had to have a Manhattan. "Mixologist" Audrey Saunders, has supposedly revived the art of the drink at this upstairs cocktail joint.  "Pegu" has been named after a late-19th century British officers club in Burma - why I don't know.  The barman made a huge show of producing our cocktails - something that probably needed to be videoed, but he was a bit annoyed when Thelma took a photo, even though I had previously asked if it was okay to do so ... scotty New Yorker!  The house cocktails are all made with fresh juices and ingredients and it was truly fabulous to watch them being crafted.  A special of the Pegu is the Gin-Gin Mule, spiced with homemade ginger beer, all the way to The Old Cuban, a champagne mojito and a cute play on words, they also make an infused Earl Grey MarTEAni!

Our Manhattans at the gorgeous Pegu Bar.

Louise is sated after filling her suitcase with a new winter wardrobe.  Thelma and I are yet to do any damage in that department, so roll on Camarillo Outlets in LA!

Our flight out of JFK was an early one so we were up at frog’s fart getting sorted, and packed ourselves into a yellow cab at 7 am.  Then of course come the long lines (queues) to get through security – it’s one time you wish you weren’t a few more years older, the 75 year olds don’t have to take their shoes and belts off!  There’s the usual screening, then the x-ray screening, then the pat-down by the burly officer outside the screening booth. Then comes the scramble to get your luggage off the conveyor belt, the phone and incidentals out of one box, the laptop out of another box, your shoes out of another box ... all the while being hurried along by the impatient ones following.  Aahhh! The joys of travel – but I’m not complaining, true!

The flight across the States took forever ... we flew out at 9 am and arrived here at 3.30 pm.  A 6 1/2 hour flight without food - the joys of travelling with Delta Airlines.

We’re staying in a private home once again, in Santa Monica.  It’s very comfortable but typically doesn’t have a kettle – these Yanks drink coffee and have coffee percolators and dripolators and espresso machines, but no kettles - so we’ve had to resort to boiling water in a saucepan (if we can find one – they eat out too so that’s been a challenge in two of the three places we’ve rented).

We walked into Santa Monica and watched the beautiful people down on the boardwalk primped and preened for a Sunday night pose. The weather was mild with a cool breeze blowing across the Pacific.  Totally famished, we found “Buddha’s Belly” and enjoyed some gyoza and salmon and fresh veggies for dinner had a poke around in Nordstrom’s then it was time to head home.

We grabbed the #2 Blue Bus to take us back to 24^th street. But we didn’t have any $1 notes or coins – and the machine didn’t give change and we didn’t want to put a $20 or $50 note in the machine, and the driver was getting very cranky.  I probably didn’t make his disposition any better because I wouldn’t run across the major intersection to catch the bus against the red light – Thelma and Louise did and managed to dodge the traffic – and then they dilly dallied while on the bus trying to delay it until I could get there.  The lights changed and I made the dash across the road and onto the bus – only to find that none of us had the right money!  “I’m not a taxi” he said, “I’m not paid to wait”!  Laugh!  A lovely young girl who was born in Tennessee, raised in New York, and now lives in Santa Monica gave us two $1 notes, we scrounged around in our wallets and between us, managed to get four quarters for the third fare, and by then, we were at 24^th street!  

Saturday 6 April

Louise has definitely done her bit for the economy - she's had another wonderful morning of shopping.  Thelma and I did the Hell's Kitchen flea markets and took in some amazing sights of some very kooky locals. 

One of the kooky locals.  Although it looks like a female, it's actually a bloke. 

I've finally managed to upload some piccies - I hope you enjoy them:

Here's the cute little bloke at '14 Station' - keeping an eye out for everyone. (He's just above the word 'Station'!)

And some more subway sculptures.

AND THIS IS OUR Pièce de résistance - THE ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITION!!!
I didn't have an issue with my nose ... we were meant to be taking "funny fotos" ... but Thelma and Louise
weren't co-operating very well!!!

We happened upon an exhibition of Andy Warhol and Bugaboo, in SOHO.  I presented myself to the Door Bitch and she asked if I was on the list.  "I should be if I'm not!" I declared and walked straight in - with Thelma in tow!  What a lark.  I think she thought I was "somebody" with my pink-streaked white hair!  We rang Louise to come and join us and downed a couple of glasses of bubbles and filled our tummies with hors d'oeuvres. Talk about a laugh - three grannies in an Andy Warhol exhibition full of baby buggies.  And they treated us like celebrities!

Now this is all getting a bit mixed up - too many nights in New York without decent access to internet connections so it's all here .... pick out what you want! LOL!

Here's a pic of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre ceiling ... glorious - absolutely glorious!

Eugene O'Neill threatre - "The Book of Mormon"

At dinner tonight at a local Italian restaurant across the road Thelma chatted with some folk at the next table.  Ear-wigging she deciphered they were here from Italy, making a movie, and the star attraction, was a Mal Malinga ... a so-called Italian soccer star from the past.  "Someone" has 'googled' the name but is yet to find it! Wound up? Their card states they are stand-up comedians.

We walked up to Times Square this afternoon; there are so many homeless people we've tried to help, and out-of-work actors, but I couldn't help but make a donation to these folk from Sesame Street - Olivia and Connor, I hope you enjoy this picture!

Sesame Street characters and Nana!

The Brownstones

Friday 5 April

We started the day trying to get the blog up to date and published without too much success.  :(

Thelma and I walked the Lower East Side and found a few boutiques but didn't buy.  Louise went shopping and helped the US economy again!  Glad somebody is - I'm certainly not doing my part!

The days are getting a bit mixed up because I can't publish when I want - Thel and I went to see Carrie's, "Sex in the City's" home yesterday and it was quite gorgeous.

A glourious brownstone

One of the properties in the same street - so cute.

Carrie's apartment - "Sex in the City"

And who wouldn't want to live here?!!!  We are yet to have a Manhattan, but we've still got another 24 hours in NY to go!!!

We had a quick feed at a popular 'local' Mexican joint - it's literally a tin shed on the corner of Houston St (pronounced "How-ston) and Kenmare Streets. Lines form from early morning till late at night and you call out your order over the top of other customers, pay your money, then wait till your name's called to collect your food.  It is truly delicious and such authentic Mexican food.

Our "local" Tex Mex - brought back fond memories for Thelma! LOL!!!

We checked out the Frick Collection this afternoon - what a wonderful museum of art and an absolutely glorious home.  It was difficult for me to come to terms with the opulence of this "home" - a private art collection as a museum, considering the wealth of this bloke was in part at the expense of blue-collar coal miners.  Frick committed an act similar to the one committed by Patrick's ball-busting of the stevedores in Melbourne, a decade or so ago.  However, it was uplifting to see the works of the iconic masters Jon Constable; El Greco; Van Gogh; Degas; Picasso; et al.  It would have been lovely to visit on a Sunday when piano and violin concerts are given.  Next time!

Tonight we caught the subway line up to the theatre district and saw, "The Book of Mormon".  I don't think it is coming to Australia - so get over here ... it is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!  I told Thelma and Louise that I am going straight to hell for seeing it - and for laughing so loudly at its sacrilegious message.  But I can't begin to tell you how funny it is!  When we left the theatre it was so cold, our noses nearly fell off - it was bitter.  Still, we enjoyed a beautiful New York spring day today - so we're not complaining.

It's great to be able to blog tonight without the line dropping out.  We have had some very poor experiences with the internet here in NY - just one of the downsides to living in the heart of the city centre, I guess.

Thelma and I have just come in from having dinner - a gorgeous seafood pasta with a glass of red at the joint across the road - at 12.30 am!  It truly is the city that never sleeps!  But for me, that's where I'm headed - for some sleep.

Till my next instalment ... stay well and happy.  Hugs to all.  xo

(I've tried to post other photos ... no luck.)

Thursday 4th

We walked the High Line this morning - on a gorgeous New York spring morning. The High Line is located in the old Meatpacking District which was once a fairly desolate part of the city but now it's a "must see" and obviously on everyone's 'to do' list.  The Line is a 30' high stretch of abandoned railroad track that has been transformed into a long pathway of beautiful trees and shrubs. It has brought a bit of greenery and life to an otherwise dull brick and concrete jungle.  Some magnificent artworks are interspersed along the pathway.

We stopped at a café and had a lunch made by immigrants from Yemen.  When I chatted to them about their life before working the café, they were surprised that I knew where Yemen was - no Americans know of it, he said.

We came across six black American youth doing some hip-hop in the subway this morning - fascinating stuff.  Louise was mesmerised and quite exited.  We gave them a good donation, and then they were quite excited!

We had a brief look at The Rockefeller Centre - I would have liked to take the girls up to The Rainbow Room, but it apparently closed a couple of years ago.  We watched the people on the skating rink and bought a few pieces from the giant Lego shop.

On our way to the MoMA we passed by Radio City Music Hall.  Some HUGE burly blokes were out on the balcony parading themselves.  And a huge crowd had gathered down in the street cheering for them.  Turns out they're the wrestlers who will be "performing" soon here in NYC.

Then the second highlight of the day - the MoMA - Van Gogh, Picasso, Rodin, Kandinsky, Matisses, Suerat, Andy Warhol, Munch, all magnificent and all in such a beautifully designed space.  Great for the senses and the soul.

Then on to Macy's - not much bought here again though.

We had to go back to our Sex in the City bar for a couple of Cosmopolitans seeing as we didn't do it yesterday after seeing Carrie's 'house'. 

Should have called the trip, "Miranda, Samantha and Carrie" ... then again!

Tonight we went up our street past an exhibition - Andy Warhol and Bugaloo - they asked if I was on "The List" ... I said "Pobably no" ... it must pay to have bright pink hair streaks, they obviously thought I was a Somebody! LOL!!!  "Come in, have some champers" was their call ... so we did!!!

We got some fabulous photos taken in a booth - but I don't think I'll be able to share them till I get home and get a handle on how to share a .gif file.  Great fun and a huge hoot.

From there we had a fabulous meal of seafood paella at a local restaurant.  I must admit, there have been some fantastic meals enjoyed here in NY.