Monday in Santa Monica
Got a head cold that's a pain in the everything and an energy-sapping nuisance.
So here's an easy collection of pics I took in Santa Monica, last Monday afternoon. It's the closest seaside town to Beverly Hills, with a great beach, complete with famous pier and funfair. We went to check out a couple of promising spots to open some more Bondis. The first one we looked at ...


... was bright and spacious, and on a great street, just one back from the dowtown's most significant thoroughfare, which is the Third Street Promenade. It had big skylights (below) which, with the interesting rafters, offer plenty of potential for decor.


It was on Second Street, just a short walk from the beach: the street numbers get higher as you get further from the beach.
The second spot was on Wilshire Boulevard, just a few doors away from the corner of the Third Street Prom - which is fabulous. There are other successful and good-looking restaurants in the row and there's a good feel about it all ...

It was a great old building, with that SoCal-Spanish character that I like so much.
So - an interesting day looking at property.

:: Dave had a meeting, so I went for a wander. I took a cab out to the Bergamot Station, which is an old train depot now converted to about 30 art galleries. Heaven on a stick, I thought, rubbing my hands in glee. But its website had misinformed me - nothing was open, so after dismally looking through a few front windows and shaking a few locked doors, I had to call a cab to take me back to town. Hey ho! Just my luck.

:: This is the Third Street Prom ...


It's a fun place, with fantastic cafes, shops, restaurants and loads of people - though Monday arvo was a bit quiet. It goes for three blocks, I think, and makes me wonder if this wouldn't be a great idea for Rokeby Road. Get rid of the cars - Santa Monica is the best place in LA for parking, with plenty of multi-storeys, some of them free - and let people saunter about, with plenty for kids to do and look at.


:: Around a corner, I came across this amazing shop ...

... which sold only books on art and architecture. Imagine the happy browsing a girl could do in here! And it was simply enormous. (Sorry about the blurry pic - I have trouble holding my little camera still enough when the light's not brilliant. Sometimes I use Will's nifty monopod, but with the little silver Fuji screwed to the top of it, it makes me feel a bit too like Gandalph the Grey to take it out of the house!)

:: I fantasised about converting this attractive store into a gallery ... not that it was for sale, for lease or even empty. But I fancied it!


:: I was also drawn to this derelict theatre that looks as though it's about to undergo restoration. These old buildings make the place as far as I'm concerned ...

That's it - I'm off to bed with tissues, tea and Harry. So looking forward to finishing the Harrys so I can move on to my book pile ...