Los Angeles.

We spent Sunday and Monday in Los Angeles. We had heard it's huge, and it was. We went to the Getty Center to get a good look at the city and to see some photos by Irving Penn. It was fantastic and very Californian. Then we hung out with our friend Sarah. On Monday we got an early start and went out for breakfast in Culver City. Then we walked around Venice Beach. There was a lot to take in, and we really enjoyed it. And we found it why it's called Venice Beach when we saw all the little canals dividing the blocks of fancy houses. Then we drove up Mulholland Driv to get a view of the city. We drove through shady streets where, we presume, many stars live. We made it up to Mulholland Drive. I had R.E.M.'s "Electrolite" in my head because it mentions Mulholland Drive. Anyway, we had a fabulous view of the city and the Hollywood sign. Then we drove back to Hollywood, through Beverly Hills, and down to Santa Monica. We parked the car, got changed in a scuzzy restroom, and walked down to the beach for a swim. The Pacific Ocean was cool and refreshing. The water felt great. Then we got out of our suits and into our car and out of Santa Monica. We drove all the way to Arcadia, where we visited some good friends of the family, the Sybengas.