Sun, sea and cheesecake

Mon 7 Feb

I don't think Los Angeles believes in winter. We woke up to beautiful, bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. Something like high of 23 Deg C expected. In February!

After breakfast (the usual - fruit, cereal but today ending off with some Peck's anchovy toast!) we phoned some local friends and family and then set off to do the Pretty Woman thing in Rodeo drive (I mean the bit where the shopkeepers sneer at her, not the bit where she shows off in heels and a hat). Walked up and down and in and around Rodeo Drive for a few hours. Anyone know why it is pronounced to rhyme with Galileo? It was blissfully sunny with a cool breeze and pleasantly un-crowded as we artfully resisted the temptations of the store-front displays.

We settled on an unassuming Venezuelan cafe for lunch, Coupa Cafe on North Canyon Drive. By this time I was starving (famous streets make me hungry). La had a Nicoise salad, without the anchovies (skandaal) and generously allowed me to have her olives and egg whites. I also wolfed down the national dish (apparently) of Venezuela called Pabellón, a.k.a. shredded beef, black beans and rice with plantain and corn-meal cakes. Delish.

What followed was a little more retail therapy, this time in Santa Monica at the 3rd St promenade, a pedestrianised street lined with shops. I was a focused hunter and scouted out the correct shop (Levis) and stalked and snagged my prey (new 501 jeans). Success! (To date on this trip I think the score in terms of purchases is David 5, La 0).

We then met another of La's cousins, this time on her dad's side, for coffee at the Cheesecake Factory in Brentwood. For the uninitiated, this is neither a factory, not does it sell exclusively cheesecake. The menu is like a short novel, running to about 20 pages or so, from burgers to teriyaki, soups to pizza. And of course about 3 pages devoted to cheesecake. I asked the waiter for a recommendation, and his answer took about 10 minutes. I asked him if any were better than my mom's baked cheesecake. He wisely answered that all and none fit that description.

I eventually settled on 2010's special creation: layers of cheesecake and red-velvet sponge with sour cream frosting. My arteries cried out for mercy, but it was goood! La had the one with fresh strawberries which, with hindsight, was a very sensible choice. Mom, I must confess these cheesecakes were incredible, but truly not as good as yours!

Back at our hosts, we had a little time to relax with some tea and then we went out for dinner in Malibu at Gladstones, a seafood/fish restaurant on the beach. I had the striped bass and La had seared fresh tuna. For dessert, we all shared a brownie doused in about a gallon of ice cream. (We fought the war, and the brownie won!) Our host was also mistaken for Sean Connery by our waiter (working hard for his tips) and we were also very amused by the bus-boy who creates themed sculptures out of the 'take home' tin foil - the table next to us took home their leftovers in a (silver) beluga whale and a swan.

Morning, sun and night. Day 23

Tue 8 Feb

A very busy day which started bright and early with a run up and down and around in Brentwood, passing John Travolta's house (one of them), along the section of San Vincente Avenue with a grassed island full of joggers and dogs, and then back past Alanis Morisette's place. Not at all ironic.

After breakfast we drove out toward and past Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful road and gorgeous houses and coastline and mountains. Then all the way back again, and onward along Ocean Avenue through Santa Monica to Venice. Took a stroll on the boardwalk at Venice Beach, full of flea-market stalls selling dream-catchers, bad watercolour paintings and bongs. And stoners, homeless peeps and tweens squatting on the beach in tents. And the 'permanent' shops selling an endless array of junk, t-shirts, peak caps and loads of 'medicinal' marijuana, each staffed with a doctor willing to sign you off with some ailment qualifying you for treatment. Sheesh.

Went for lunch in Main St Venice at a cool place called Chaya - Venice, related in some way to The Governator, but not sure how. By this time I was ravenous (avoiding sweaty street sellers makes me hungry) and wolfed down a chicken sarnie with fries. La had the same with a salad and sans chicken. Delish! Then window-shopped for a bit, some very cool boutique/specialist shops, hardly a chain store in sight except the ever-present Starbucks.

We had some newly 'popped' friends to meet. First stop was Culver City to a friend of my sister's whose second was born a month ago. Very interesting trying to avoid excitable labradoodle slobber on arrival but very cool catching up. Then detoured via Beverly Hills for one last look at Rodeo Drive and also some super slick star spotting (attempts 7, successes 0) at the Beverly Hills Hotel on the way to meet up with a friend of La's from school. Her daughter had been born about a week ago, teeny tiny fingers and very cute.

Rounded off the day (and our LA stay) meeting more cousins (children and husbands and grandchildren of our hosts) at the Cheesecake Factory (second visit, no cheesecake this time).

Morning, noon and night. Day 24