I loved LA. Sure, the city isn’t particularly beautiful, it is HUGE and not having a car whilst you are there is pretty much unthinkable but… well… I love driving for one and even more when it is along boulevards bordered by gigantic palm trees, and two I love the weather, the beaches (omg they are beau-ti-ful), the parks and the food. Plus, the countryside/desert isn’t so far away should you wish to escape the craziness of it all. I also had the chance to experience the Los Angeles fog/smog, which is really thick in the morning but is quickly burnt out by the sun by lunch time. It gives the city an eerie atmosphere that I found very enchanting although, well yes, it is probably not so good for your lungs!

The 4 days I spent in LA were pretty low key. I hung out with my friend, the gorgeous Kim Anh, and crew (check out Booby Trap! and Saint Le Roq). We saw The Skin I Live In at the movies, which I thoroughly recommend, went to the beach, drank coffees at Intelligentsia in Silver Lake, drove the Mulholland Dr, visited the Griffith Observatory and spent 2 days at a pool party with some really lovely people. No need to say that the trip back to cold and wet London was the last thing I wanted to do…

The next day I hit the road again and saw the Elephant Seals rookery at Piedras Blancas and then ate clam chowder for the first time in my life. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Oh and I also had fish tacos, which were yummy too.  The place is called Splash Cafe and is in Pismo Beach.

Then quickly after that came Santa Barbara and the HUGE highways getting into LA…

Paris, 2006.

San Franciscans are super friendly and lovely but what I particularly like about them is their sense of civil responsibilities and eco-gay-whatevs-friendliness.

I ate a lot again in San Francisco. Wow, the food was really amazing. But I did do other things too. I walked – a lot (Haight, The Castro, The Mission, Fisherman’s Wharf great food and market!, Nob Hill, Financial District…) – , I saw great art at the SFMOMA, cycled over the Golden Gate bridge, and partied with the lovely Dr Sleep (Dots & Loops, Dial Up) and the Honey Soundsystem crew.

Where to go? (thanks again to Kim Ann for her great tips!)

- Papalote: super delicious burritos. Go to the location on 24th street and order the “super chicken mole burrito”. The chips and salsa are amazing, you can also get a jar of that salsa to go.
- Kabuto: the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to (5121 Geary Boulevard (@ 15th Ave)
- Boulange de Cole Valley: bakery and patisserie (1000 Cole St.)
- Zazie: amazing for brunch (941 Cole St.)
- Lexington has good Bloody Marys, so does Wild Side West
- Honey Soundsystem party on Sunday nights. Great music!
- Hardfrench: daytime dance party at El Rio

There is so much more but I’ll have to wait until my next trip to SF!

Blue blue sky….

Dogs…

And bikes…

Oh and of course…. hills!