Californication

It's been a while since my last entry here. 2014 was not the best year for us and I really wasn't in the mood to write anything down. Now I hope to get back on track, starting with our one week vacation in Los Angeles.

Our German friends moved from Germany to California a couple month ago and we were the first ones to visit them in their new home.

Sunny California, here we come .... or so we thought. Arriving at John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California

It was quite a chilly week for us. Temperatures dropped to the lower 30's at night, but it was Christmas week after all, so I guess it was the appropriate weather for the occasion.

Cold days call for good food, good wine and some board games like Plaque or Carcasonne :)

Only a few blocks from where we stayed is an area called "Little Osaka" with Japanese Restaurants and supermarkets among other things. We enjoyed shopping there. 

This Japanese store had quite a selection: Shelves full of Sake!!!!!

Bundled up, most of the time, we had some fun days with our friends. A must was a walk on the beach. It was quite deserted around Christmas day, but the weather was wonderful.

Malibu Beach
a little chilly but sunny at least

On the 26th: Our friends took us to see "The Hobbit" in 3D at the

Mann's Chinese Theater

I guess the red carpet is for real stars only? ;)

29th:Between the holidays we enjoyed an evening at the zoo.

Bundled up with hot chocolate and millions of lights.

LA Zoo Night

  The Science Center is great, and with a Physicist and a Marine biologist in tow you are in for some nerdy/geeky experience ;) A lot of fun too!

The Space Shuttle Endeavour made it all the way from Houston to LA :)

If you haven't watched the video on how the Endeavour got to the museum, take a look  HERE. It really is an exciting journey.  

I will always be German

 There are certain things Germans cannot without. Well, we could, but do we want to? Nooooo!

So let's go to Alpine Village in Torrance! 

Window shopping: Even though we are not from the southern areas of Germany, I would like to try on a real Dirndl at some point.

Then we entered the supermarket ....

OMG! This was heaven (and torture at the same time)!!!!!!!

Stocking up :) 

Shopping makes you hungry ...
Gulasch, Sauerbraten, Jägerschnitzel and Kassler .... yum!

In Torrance they have the Sleepy Hollow Nights, every house, every street is decorated. Fantastic!

 New Year's eve we drove to 

Santa Monica

 

We called and sent pictures to our families from here to wish them a happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody. Hope it is a real good one for you!

Time was flying by. A week was too short to track down other friends who live in LA. I hope we can repeat this trip another time and maybe say hello to them as well.