Visit to city of Angels
The city of Angels or Los Angeles as they say it and I can confirm that for me yes, it is a city of Angels. In my case Angels are Sarah and Matthew as they were so kind that they let me stay at their place and gave me their time. Time is after health the most precious thing we have and I value very much, that they took slice of their time from their busy schedule and shared it with me.
Pacific coastline train from San Diego was the start of this journey and I have to admit I like to ride a train, it is something comforting to be able to travel and look through window to see the country sweeping past by as I’m sitting and soaking it all up. Seeing the various landscape from beach and sand dunes, through some imitation of English village, kind of gold fever mining town to the stylish villas and hotels on the coast, I defo seen it all.
Well, also soaking up the never ending monologue of the fellow passenger in seat front of me who never shut up, all the way from San Diego to Los Angeles. I just felt sorry for the lady sitting next to him as she barely made sound of ‘uhm, yeah, really’ in the three hours, it took to complete this journey. However I learned all his life story and it is some story, I can tell but that would be too long for this article. AMTRAK is nice and relatively cheap only $36 for single ticket from San Diego to L.A, which is great and the seats are comfy, view is interesting. The train tracks are near the beach and when I saw the construction working on strengthening the side wall not more than fifteen feet away from train tracks, I realized that next time it could be called surf train. Hopefully work will complete and the train will be saved from surfing on the beach.
Even grumpy Frankie was happy with this journey and with destination as the song goes, ‘Frankie goes to Hollywood’ and he nearly went to Hollywood but I took him in the other direction to Pasadena.
What a pleasant surprise it was, green everywhere I look, trees, bushes, lawns, hiding the houses like Cinderella. I have not seen much from LA this time but from what I saw, the Pasadena is my kind of part. Funky, vibrant with lot of character. Gladly no malls anywhere just strip with restaurants, shops, bars what make it so unique as every shop, restaurant expressed their way in their unique way. Dining in the Taiwan restaurant was like being back in Taiwan itself, hustle, bustle and great food with fast turnover. What a great dinner, then wash down the sadness of not so good basketball game for NY Knicks in one beer, and later in the house Banoffee and blueberry pie before bedtime. Thankfully we were on the same page in relation to the sleeping schedule as I do need my beauty sleep and as it turned out Sarah and Matthew too so woo hoo win-win back in house and in bed by 9pm.
I so missed hiking that when Matthew said that he planned hike on Saturday I was like kid, who cannot wait for Xmas day. Also as they mentioned they are early risers so even better since and I was up by 6am just jumping around that room like puppy. Eventually sat on the balcony and snoozed in bed, waiting for the hosts to get ready. Wow, what amount of cyclists ! Some bicycle event was in place as the road was full of MAMILs’ and some ladies too. We spent great time hiking in nice fresh chill mist layering through the forest, listening to gurgling stream as we hopped across it, on the stones and logs. Such a surprise for me to found this gem in LA just 5 or 10 min driver from the house. Realizing how much I miss the hiking in nature, I was so grateful for this time in nature.
We walk off decent appetite for breakfast or better say Lunch as when we finally hit Fox’s Restaurant it was actually lunch time and we walked on empty tank. Signed in on the waiting list and waited for a while until we were called and seated at the mama home style diner with scents from kitchen getting up our noses and caused the rumble in jungle aka stomach. Food was definitely not disappointing but on the contrary, delicious and right size portions, not the expected American supersized one but really nice sizes for hungry hiker. Earl Grey tea with milk and honey to start with to get taste buds ready for rest of the course. Homemade hash brown with eggs and fried potatoes, hit the spot like dart bull’s eye on dart board. Conversation did not disappointed either and closing the experience with chocolate cream pie and coffee, holly molly, pure bliss and the only thing missed was a pillow and snooze, which did happen later of course.
Now we had bellies full, it was time to fill the mind and soul with something nice. First the gallery with paintings and sculptures. The oversized paintings were nice and I wish I could have place so I can have them, but they were in need of great space and not regular house size, plus my out of suitcase lifestyle really does not match the size of paintings. I spent some time to gazing on them so that I did not have much time on the sculptures in next pavilion.
Here we go, on the move to dinner and I got real sense how big LA is when you are traveling inside the city on freeways from point to point. The choice of the dinner is Ethiopia and what a treat to try Ethiopian cuisine. Amazing treat of vegetable dishes, reminded me the Mauritius where the most of the food was purely vegetarian and so tasty. Served on huge dish with bread that remind me of cereal pancake, dipping in the sauces and veggies. Nicely seasoned and spiced.
On the move again as the theater play Topsy Turvey is waiting for us at the Actor’s Gang theater. What a treat. Setting in the small theater with only few lines of seats and see the actors so close, without any props, scene just pure and raw emotions displayed on faces and through body language addressing the issues of event in no so distant past. Music backdrop with one guitar, one cello and one keyboard but mostly the cello and guitar was so subtle and non-intrusive that one might even forgot that it was there. The play could be a little bit shorter but if there was some sort of air control even simple air handling unit it would not bother me that much, but without fresh air it was pretty hot and tiresome as we slowly decreasing amount of oxygen in the room. This was the first time I was in theatre where the visitors are invited to back stage to hang out with actors and have snack / drink.
I cannot say that I know what the actors felt and why they doing what they are doing but for me I felt like they are doing all this because they love it, pure passion and enjoyment. Except for missing ventilation the evening was amazing and the play was interesting addressing few issues that were ignored for some time. Art and theater is important to remind people what is important and what is needed in life I would say and this play addressed it well.
All good things come to end and now even this visit came to end too. Happy to been there and experienced all, it is time to hit the AMTRAK once more again. I’m not saying good bye but merely see ya next time city of Angels.