The City of Angels?

Maybe I was tired by the time I got here.

I am in Los Angeles and I am really trying hard to get enthusiastic about the city.

It is a big place and I don’t know it well, so I went to see the obvious places. My first stop was Rodeo Drive and yes, the shops were nice enough, the people looked very well off and the cars people were driving had gone up a good few notches compared to other places I have been.

I did find a statue I liked – the body of a naked woman – on Rodeo Drive. This is called "Torso" and is by sculptor Robert Graham. I took photos of all angles of this statue and I decided not publish here the view from the front. It leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. Not that I am a prude, indeed far from it, but every detail is right there! I mean EVERY detail, so here is the rear view....

Here are the Leading Ladies on Rodeo Drive. They didn’t ask to be bought anything! 10 ladies in probably the most exclusive shopping area in the US and nothing was bought for them!....

I stopped outside the famous Beverley Hills Hotel....

I liked this statue, but it was right outside an office building,and the picture would have an ugly background, so I had to find a way of just photographing part of it against the sky....

I went to see Hollywood Boulevard....

This is Grauman's Chinese Theater, outside of which is where many famous stars have left imprints of their hands....

From 1953 these are Marilyn Monroe’s handprints....

And those of one of the world’s most famous dancers, Fred Astaire....

I looked at some of the stars set along the sidewalk.....

As she is on my bike, I have included Vivien Leigh’s star....

Peter Frampton, because I like his music....

For his brilliant role in the World’s fastest Indian, Anthony Hopkins....

Well, just for being Ozzy Osbourne, he had to go on my blog....

And of course Marilyn Monroe, because she is such an icon....

I wanted to find a good location to take a picture of what is probably themost famous sign in the world. It is tricky to find somewhere good amongst all the houses....

I of course I wanted to get my bike in at least one picture of the sign....

I tried to ride up to the sign itself and I knew that this was possible, but the police had shut the road to prevent people driving up there. This didn’t help to endear me more to LA, so I headed back to my hotel. It had been a long day struggling in the traffic, waiting for the weather to improve and generally getting nowhere!

Try as I might, I didn't spot any angels. Or anything close.

I did find one bright spot and that was a very cool barbers shop called Floyd’s on Hollywood Way in Burbank. I decided to get my haircut and found this wonderful mural painted on the side of the salon....

A very cheerful and chatty young woman called Karly cut my hair and I couldn’t help but admire her tattoo’s, so I asked her to sit on my bike for a picture....

I think my son Jeremy would really like Karly!

I have sometimes wondered about getting a tattoo myself, but I can’t think of anything that I like enough to commit to my skin for the rest of my life. One day I might think of something!

Something very special that I knew had been possible for a long time was going to happen the next day, so I went to bed full of anticipation! I was going to see something that not many have had the chance to see.....