If they consider a temperature of below 60 degrees Fahrenheit as “wintery” athen soup is not going to be a top option out here. So it’s no surprise really that they like cold soup. Fahrenheit still used as a measure here as are feet and inches, it’s like decimalisation never happened.Gaspatcho seems an almost reasonable dish to present to someone in these here parts where I personally think it a waste of a good tomato soup in the UK. Another strange fact is that when it comes to buying power, the utility type rather than the political, then there is … Continue reading Soup in California? It’s not a necessary option.

Not everyone lives in a huge house with a pool in California, as I have previously pointed out some live in tents on freeway bridges, and some under freeway bridges. There are also what they call condos and we would call flats. Blocks of living space, sometimes with pools for use of the residents, though I doubt they have had much use in the pandemic. One is hardly likely to share a patch of water with a stranger in these strange days. I recall back in the 70s on my first trip here, our good friend Derrick, an ambitious solicitor … Continue reading Flag waving

Out of L.A. for a walk up to a waterfall. Beyond Pasadena and into the hills. Dry as chips as ever but a mountain stream to walk besides and quite few people coming and going. It’s a miracle to me that there’s enough water to make a stream, there being so little rain in the area for months. It reminded me of a summer walk up the Painswick stream in in Gloucestershire with the odd person from downtown streetwise L.A. dropping by in all the appropriate L.A. gear. On the way passed this boxing supplies shop. Not something that would … Continue reading Up to the waterfall.

Sitting next to a freeway this place is ideal for a trip out on a warm winter day, and most days are warm in winter here. Blue skies go everywhere with us and today no exception. No wonder film studios located themselves in this area. I’d imagine that rain ‘breaks’ were as infrequent as the rain. The light is just brilliant in every way. Interesting that this museum of trains is next to what put them out of business, a freeway. Cars roar past these still trains. In the heyday of steam the Americans really know what to do with … Continue reading Still Life with nuts.

The plan was to give everyone a bit of a break from my incessant ramblings from California but raw fish and rice got in the way. A night out at a Sushi restaurant just down the road. We went to this place some years ago on one of our other family visits and we looked forward to going again. Last time we took a taxi across the city to get to it. The driver said he used to drive Michael Jackson around, who were we not to believe him? This time as the family have moved house the place is … Continue reading Raw fish and rice

Perhaps downtown L.A. is the right expression. A trip there today to collect a framed print with son in law, gave an impression of what some other parts of this vast city are like. Our destination before the collection was a famous place to get a sandwich. It is famous for its meat sansdwiches and dip, dip being gravy in this case. It’s a sandwich that needs eating fairly quickly as gravy seepage will make it a tad soggy,and you can get one or more pots of gravy to go with it for extra sogginess, possibly suit someone with no … Continue reading Beef and gravy, L.A. style downtown

Sounds like a verb, but to you and me in the UK it’s polyfilla. A bit of home decorating to try and pay my way for interfering in family life in California. There’s probably a village called Spackling in Somerset. It’s probably between two towns so a sort of filling. More thoughts on signs too. Yesterday a day at the beach along a ten lane freeway and fish and chips by the beach at the Reel Inn. Food over here is of the very top quality and this place was no exception. Then the grandchildren played happily on the beach … Continue reading Spackling and more signs

You’d expect a car in the drive in many American homes but this is a little on the unusual side. As houses go this is also quite modest. A walk around the area makes you aware of the wide variety of houses around here. From the one above to others that are simply huge. I took a look around. Continue reading The family runaround and home looking.

A walk by the Los Angeles River with concrete, cranes ( the bird variety ) coffee shops, industrial units, sports cars,and a bike path. The start of the walk under a huge highway roaring with traffic, so how the trumpeter heard what he was playing is beyond me. A strange mix of old industrial units and scrap metal places with the occasional small house here and there. Some great yellow vehicles too, well set off by the blue sky and some considerable mobile phone masts. Continue reading On the streets and by the river

It’s not in short supply, there are shelves full of it, but when daughter went to buy a tube of her favourite, it was locked behind a see through cabinet. I asked why that particular brand was behind locked doors and the assistant told us: “They steal it, they come in and sweep it off in armfuls and walk out with it”. Are these dental outrages for a reason I ask. “ They resell them and use the cash” Why don’t they take these I asked pointing to another unguarded brand. “Not a popular brand” she responded. Toothpaste retails at … Continue reading They steal toothpaste?

Malibu beach is famous for its collection of the homes of the wealthy, it also has a road like the M4 running right behind the beach as do many of the beaches on the Pacific coast. Contrast this with the British beach which might be signposted from a small country road not as wide as many of the cars out here. The woooden signpost may not tell you that it might be a mile or so trek to the beach with some rock scrambling in places and when you get there it will be charming and without any facilities. It’s … Continue reading Beaches here and there.

The blue sky and seemingly never ending sun suits the fruit in the garden here in L A. It’s supposed to be approaching winter but sun screen is still in constant use. So hot in fact that going out is best done at the start or end of the day. My daughter tells me to not open windows as that will bring the heat in!.It seems counter intuitive to us Brits who value our fresh air even more when we are in hot climes. Double glazing and insulation over here is to keep you cool not to protect you from … Continue reading Lemons in the garden