I don’t remember if I’ve been in Los Angeles or not.

I remember being in Hollywood, and Beverly Hill, and Santa Monica, and Venice, and some other places, but I’m not sure if it were different towns close to each other, or different counties, or neighborhoods of the same town.

​I belong to a different scale, and always get confused in USA. So, I will write about what I think is Los Angeles. If I’m wrong… excuse-me.

Really top class neighborhood.

The shops were so frightening, that even Fernanda decided to stay out of them. Honestly, she did!

Fortunately, they didn’t charge for looking from outside, and I escaped without financial wounds.

​But it really worth the trip, admiring the perfection, cleanliness, and safety of everything.

Life would be perfect, with such quality at Portuguese prices.

My name is not there.

I had no time to follow all the walk, but I think that I’m the only movie star missing there.

​I knew 85, wrote down more 4322 names, and I’m studying why are they famous.

I promise to end before 2053, to go back there and get some more, and to check if mine is already there!

Address: Hollywood Blvd & Vine St.

Money, ambition and imagination are the ingredients present in most American realizations. The absence (or the disregard) of a local culture, was the reason of a diversified copy of models and styles from Europe, but also from the whole world. The interesting note is that immigration from all the world turned USA in a complex mixture of races and civilizations, giving sense and cultural legitimacy to most of the copies made only to… copy.

Sid Grauman, a theatre producer well succeeded with his experience of a theatre in Egyptian style, decided to build another one in its neighborhoods, matching a Chinese look.

If you don’t care about artificialism…If you don’t bother staying in long lines…If you have time… and money… that’s a funny place to spend a couple of hours, or more.

I’ve been in Orlando’s Walt Disney’s parks and couldn’t avoid comparisons. The same kind of creations and amusements, but still interesting, with attractions to all ages.

​The earthquake in the subway is really convincing.

Address: 100 Universal City Pl., Universal City, CA 91608

​The winter of August the 4th was replaced by the spring of the 5th, but still not inviting to swim. So, I must admit that I left California without entering the Pacific Ocean. Next time I’ll try December…Anyway Venice was nice. The channel area had no resemblance with Italian Venice, except that the water was wet (forgive the joke!), but it is a really nice spot, with everything straight and lined as a good American construction.

​The beach was almost as empty as Santa Monica.

Good idea, leaving the beach, said Fernanda.

Let’s move to a better place. And that was… shopping area, of course.

​Do you believe that I supported the never ending series of malls, shops and boutiques without freezing completely? But I did. Honestly, I survived!

Address: 3rd St. Promenade & Broadway, Santa Monica

At last! Something at my scale! A well managed harbor, lined with small colorful houses, amidst colorful gardens, and where we decided to lunch… fish.

​Lunch already forgotten, except that the price justified something to remember, and it didn’t.