January by the seaside, with spinach.

A day trip to the seaside at Santa Monica Pier, and not unlike the piers in England this one was very similar with the hats and the garish signs.I found this little piece about Popeye and his beginnings quite interesting. The difference was that yesterday, when we went it was sunny and warm, a similar pier in the UK would be peopled by the odd well wrapped fisherman and the occasional out of season visitors trying to keep their faces from the icy blasts off the sea. The trip back, along Sunset Boulevard took us two hours, it’s about 15 … Continue reading January by the seaside, with spinach.

Bruce the builder, he can fix it!

Everyone’s a film start here in LA including the guy on the stairs here, take a closer look at him getting his publicity photos ready for the big push into film land. He’s wasted in the building trade. He has the look of Bruce Springsteen, and I bet he’s in a tribute band. Rock on! For the time being though, the star of this picture is the building and not the builder. I had no idea that this guy was doing this when I took the picture. Continue reading Bruce the builder, he can fix it!

Bucket building, bucket meals.

Americans seem to have no shame about eating out of a bucket with their fingers. I’m all for informality but not on this scale. They even design their food emporia to look like a bucket, as witnessed in this shot taken in L A in January. They’ve exported the idea to us and KFC is rarely seen being eaten with a knife and fork. How long before the trend to silver service returns? A long wait I fear. Continue reading Bucket building, bucket meals.

Orange and blue and the Schindler House

A slight departure from signs. This orange house on a street near to a 1920s house/ museum that we had visited. I was expecting to be under whelmed by the trip but thoroughly enjoyed seeing the house which is in West Hollywood and is pictured below. It’s designed by Schindler and it’s worth a visit. The architect designed it for himself and his wife and everything is in four foot modules. It has a very peaceful atmosphere and is strangely relaxing, unlike the vision above which might bring on epilepsy on a sunny day if one is not careful. Even … Continue reading Orange and blue and the Schindler House

Football is football and soccer is our football.

Last time I came over here I was treated to a trip to the baseball. This time the treat was football. Not like our own football this is more like rugby league with all the substitutes and ground staff joining in. There are 50 plus players on the pitch, but only 11 play at any one time. They wear body armour and helmets plus visors and some of them look like they’ve just eaten their next door neighbour. A gut is not thought of as odd, more likely an asset. The crowd take this to heart and have similar sized … Continue reading Football is football and soccer is our football.