California! The American Dream! A land where all the dreams could happen.
The airport.
I went to the airport more or less at 9 a.m. (Lisbon airport) and arrived to California at 10 p.m. It seems just 10h of flight, but it were 2h of check in, additionally 8h of flight (Lisbon-Philadelphia), more 5h of waiting (4h more 1h of delay) and further 6h travelling (Philadelphia-Los Angeles). 23h!
A day in and between flights!
ks in the movie “The terminal”. The enthusiasm, the expectation, and OK the stores/shopping in Philadelphia just saved me part of day.
23h and just 13h of “real” time. Fascinating the GMT gaps..!
US Airways disappointed me in equipment as a long course travel. They did not have enough mini TVs and moreover we had to pay for the phones. Additionally, at the flight (Philadelphia-Los Angeles) - 6h of traveling - they did not serve a consistent meal.
Finally!! I arrived at Cal, as American affectionately called.
Cal is plenty of contrasts.
Hot and cold.
Country and city.
In Cal we could be delightful with all the better of landscapes: polar, mountainous landscapes, vast arid desert landscapes, and coastal landscapes, densely forested or wooded landscapes. It is curious that the coastal California region is not warm. At the final of July beaches were not warm as I expected to be, even in some regions it were really cold, in Camel per example, people were with pullovers making fires in beach!
Yes, surprised me!
Nevertheless, what do not contrast are the cars. Generally, vehicles are potent and large.
Mercury Grand Marquis - car sit was really large. A car was never been so comfortable. It was really a sofa which is dangerous in the mean of the fiery ingredients: driving miles of distance, cruise control and a sofa - never resulted on a security driving!
NO! NO! Multiple Horses...:
Vehicles are potent and large. Even the traditional huge ones are even more bigger!
1st Day – Los Angeles
Landed at Los Angeles. Plenty of visual and audition noise, all that cabs and crowed –“Welcome to American Dream”.
We got a cap to hotel and I was wondering why I could not get enough space for my legs, in a country where the tall average are like more 20 cm than me!
The hotel was closed and the famous American policy - client first, client has always reason - was confirmed - as I had reclaimed one issue.
LA: ample streets, just cars ambulating…The movie industry has painted it as magician, and it seemed so simple and a kind of tasteless, exception for the beaches, Santa Monica and Venice!! An amusement atraction park close to the beach….MAGICAL is not enough to describe it. Also Universal Studios seems to me a good "discharge" option!!
The people in LA are very welcoming. Several individuals just make conversation on the bus, on the street or on the pubs. They are used to approach strange people just to be acquainted with, with any additional interest, just to get to know. Friendly.
Beverilly Hills
Generous mansions, a tidy architecture; huge is the term. I found curious and useful the politics of neighborhood: “neighborhood watch”, instead of the seals and the entrance barriers.
American native
Rodeo Drive
Purchasing power prevails over here.
Hollywood
A crowd of persons circulating – over there, over here.
Stars - Plenty of stars buttoned immortal art on the floor.
Famous people? Not at the busy streets…
~
Seeks to...
An athem to Chuck Norris....lol
An anthem to us....lol
Honey!!
And to finish: apple with chocolate....nham nham
Peterson Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum has 300.000 square feet, with 150 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Bugatti 94
Santa Monica Beach
The beach “packed” every activity. It is located along Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica with two miles long with a picnic area, shops, several infrastructures for sport such as volleyball and jogging and a pier with all that lifeguard stations that we used to see from “Baywatch”. And the “must see” (in my opinion, of course) is the amusement attractions park with its historic Carousel. I must to say that I was fascinated with the mix beach – attractions with beautiful eyesight as background.
I just make some research in Internet and I found this curiosity from Wikipedia “A section of the beach was referred to as "Ink Well" and "Negro Beach" in the early 20th century when it was one of the few areas in California where African Americans were allowed to enjoy beach access in a largely segregated society. Other areas for blacks were Bruce's Beach in Manhattan Beach and the Pacific Beach Club in Orange County. Nick Gabaldon, one of the first black surfers in California, lived in Santa Monica, and used the 200 foot roped off stretch of beach demarcated for blacks. He died after crashing into the Malibu Pier.”
Venice Beach
To finish the day in LA, nothing better as the vibrant Venice Beach. At this spot we can see people with different visual styles. Actually, we inhale art in every corner: creative persons skating and skateboarding, jugglers, painters, dancers, and exhibitionists…plenty of stores with all kind of stuff. I just sawed a guy laydown grass with its car opened and the music loaded. Difficult was to find a place to eat as all over are tents with a lousy aspect. I just associated that with favela in Brazil or Mozambique. Nevertheless, afterward walking a lot, we found a place very cozy where we had eaten.
“Actor Robert Downey Jr. kept an apartment on the boardwalk during the 1990s. Harding Avenue is also where the Lennon Sisters of Lawrence Welk fame grew up. Jim Morrison lived in Venice for two years where he met Ray Manzarek to form the nucleus of The Doors. Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career began after becoming a regular bodybuilder at Venice's famous Gold's Gym, whose present facility claims to be "The Mecca of Bodybuilding." Restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has owned and operated noted eateries in the area since the 1990s. Other notables include actors Viggo Mortensen, Rutger Hauer, Bryan Callen, and Elijah Wood, and film directors Henry Jaglom and Paul Mazursky. For many years, pro wrestlers Hulk Hogan and Sting were announced as residing in Venice Beach as well. Standup comedians, such as Nick Swardson, Eddie Ifft, Paul Provenza, George Carlin and Zach Galifinakis and street performers have proliferated in Venice, Wavy Gravy and Swami X being two of the more recent hippie busker alumni. Political contributions have been sent from homes in Venice from the actor Dennis Hopper and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. South Park co-creator Matt Stone lives in Venice as well.Harry Perry, the famous street entertainer, is one of the boardwalk's key performers. Photographer Helen K. Garber maintains a studio on Ocean Front Walk. Graffiti/Street Artist and painter Jean-Michel Basquiat lived in Venice in the 80's. Immature, an R&B group from the 1990s, used to perform on the boardwalk prior to becoming famous. Other notable residents included comedian George Carlin.”(source: http://www.venicebeach.com/about.php)
A cosy Pub with delicious margheritas!
Finally I must to point out the prominent residential area along the beach, with a really trendy and unique architecture. As I walked there at night, the photographs did not come acceptable; but I could not do not post some photos from Internet:
Amazing :D For sure you had a lot of fun :D
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