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San Diego
We decide not to visit " Universal Studio " or " Disneyland ". The entry ticket cost 200 USD per personn and as it's school holiday, the queue for each attraction must be huge.
We spend our las two days in the United State in San Diego, visiting the " Outlet Malls " and preparing our documents to cross the mexican border.
Los Angeles / LACMA
The " Los Angeles County Museum Art " founded in 1961 has get more than 100 000 arts works.
The different parts of the museum lay around a garden where sculptures are disposed.
It's a pitty that quite a lot of the interesting rooms are closed for renovation.
We did'nt really enjoyed this museum.
Los Angeles / Venice
Other Los Angeles symbol, Venice was known to be anti-cultural in the 60's.
Today, this town has lost it's bohemian atmosphere.
The main part of the beach is crowded wiht homeless people. Where have the bodybuilders gone ? The one who made Venice's reputation. There are only a few surfers left.
We're very disappointed and head toward the canals. Created in 1905 by a tabacco magnat, there are only of few canals left . But it looks pretty !!!
We decide to visit the " Norton Simon Museum ".
Good idea, but not the right day!
It lays in Pasadena, where every 1st January is held the " Rose Parade ". All the roads leading the museum are closed and we nearly gave up.
Founded in 1924, the museum display the private collection of the " Norton Simon " and accounts now more than 19 000 art works.
These art works cover the european and american painting and sculpture. A way for us to get to known painters we never heard of.
A few rooms are dedicated to asian art .....Fantastic
Los Angeles / Getty Museum
According to all the tourist guides, " Getty Museum " is the most prestigious museum in Los Angeles ...We agree...It' a wonder.
Inaugurated in 1997, the " Getty Center " presents triple delights : a stellar art collection, Richard Meier's fabulous architecture, and Robert Irwin seasonaly changing garden.
We loved all the collections for their variety and especially the " Arts Decoratifs ", the european paintings and the illuminated manuscripts.
A temporary exhibition desplayed a copy of the first edition of the Bible, the Tora and the Koran....breathtaking.
We spend the afternoon in Santa Monica, first sea resort on that coast. It's beachfront is often compared to the " Promenade des Anglais " in Nice for its palm trees and flow-erbed.
Los Angeles
The size ot the city is fascinating.
* an endless succession of suburbs.
* an impressive road network.
* more than 18 millions inhabitants.
People dream of this city, thinking of
* Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Malibu.
Built just over one century ago, it's the second economic center of the country .
In 1769 it was just a small indian village conquered by an spanish expedition.
In 1845 it becomes the capital city of the " Alta California ", mexican at this time.
As it had a stragetic position, it's conquered in 1846 by the United States and it's booming economy is due, first, to the railway construction linking east to west, and then to the establishment of the film industry.
We visit " Downtown " and its pueblo, the historical heart of the city, now a tourists fair, full of restaurants and mexican souvenir shops.
Union Station, one of the most beautiful one in the United States, is surrounded by " Art Deco " buildings.
Then its " Chinatown ".
We go back to Palm Springs for a few days.
Temperatures have dropped down since our last stay and the difference with Hawaii is huge.
We turn the heating on, mornings and evenings.
* picking up the camper from storage, shopping and cleaning.
* round of golf in the afternoon with freezing gusty winds.
* visit of the " Joshua Tree National Park "
The name of this park comes from a yucca tree whose crooked branches, for the mormans, called to the arms of Joshua showing the promised land.
The park includes the " Mojave Park ' and the " Colorado Desert ".
* Changing of the back breaks of the camper before entering Mexico.
We leave with regret these enchanted islands....but on the other hand we are happy to come back to our camper.
We spend X'mas Eve in the plane, landing in Los Angeles just before midnight.
No X'mas dinner, just two cookies and a glass of water.
ROAD BOOK 034
MAVROS ODYSSEE
