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Hey Guys,
This is going to be a long blog as we were in California for 7 weeks so we'll break it up into what we done each week starting on a Friday.
Week 1
We arrived in sunny California on Friday the 27th of July after a wonderful week in Vegas. Mary's auntie Barbara and her mum and dad picked us up from LA airport and took us for a lovely lunch in Malibu at the Marmalade Café. After lunch we drove to Barbara's and Alf's house which is located in a beautiful residential area called Thousand Oaks, this would be our new home for 7 weeks.
During our first week we spent a lot of time with the family catching up and enjoying each others company which was great. On the Monday the guys Alf, Frank, Ray and Josh were going to play a nine hole golf course and I thought I'd tag along as I have never played golf before so it would be a new experience. Everyone was giving me advice on the 1st hole- how to stand, how to swing the club etc. I took my 1st shot and ended up beating all the men on the 1st hole, there was no more advice for me after that ha. We had a great day playing in the sun with a few tantrums and grass divots here and there ha.
Later in the week Barbara took us all to a place where everyone needs to visit when in California, Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove is a small beach cove situated in Malibu. Here we ate lunch on the beachfront and spent the remainder of the day relaxing on the beach.
We rounded off the 1st week with a poker night in Barbara's and Alf's which was great fun and of course very competitive. This was especially enjoyable for me and Ray as we hadn't played in a long time and it reminded us of playing back home with our close friends.
Week 2
We started off week 2 in style by celebrating Independence Day (July 4th) at Huntington Beach with Mary's cousin Kelly, her boyfriend Mike and great friends Julie and Chris. (Please read our separate blog for this)
On Sunday with Ray itching to get back on the golf course the Guys decided to go and play again, Mary didn't play this time as she was out with the girls bartering at garage sales. In the evening Barbara and Alf invited all the family round for the usual weekend BBQ which ended up being a very entertaining night. Alf decided to light his belated fireworks that he hadn't used on July 4th little did we know that there is a law that prohibits any residents from using fireworks. As we were all having a few drinks watching the fireworks noisily explode the police showed up at the front door. Luckily after a good telling off Alf was let off with a warning (it was worth it)
We spent the remainder off the week in San Diego with Mary's parent which was brilliant.(Please read our separate blog for this)
Week 3
We started off week 3 with a trip to the famous Getty museum. The Getty museum is a huge tourist attraction and is definitely worth visiting if you go to Los Angeles. The Getty Museum is well-known for its architecture, amazing landscaped gardens, view (overlooking Los Angeles), and museum.
The Sunday was a very emotional day for us but especially for Mary as it was her parents last day with us as they were returning back to sunny England (NOT!). Family and friends came round to say their goodbyes and enjoy another famous BBQ and a few margaritas.
On the Wednesday night Kelly took us to see her friends band (Pink Tie Mafia) who was performing in a local bar. This was our first night out around Thousand Oaks. We really enjoyed meeting some of Kelly's friends and Mary especially enjoyed dancing all night which would soon become a routine ha.
We ended the week with our good friends Julie and Chris who took us out all day. We visited the Griffith Park Observatory which was fascinating to see. It features an extensive array of space-and science-related displays and also has a great view of the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood sign. From there we headed to Pasadena where we shopped, ate dinner, watched an outdoor movie and watched locals swing dancing in the middle of the town. In all we had a brilliant, memorable day!
Week 4
We started week 4 with a trip to the movie theatre to see the highly anticipated Batman the Dark Night. Fortunately Mike's friend runs the movie theatre so we all got free tickets to go (thanks Mike).
The next day being Mike's birthday we thought we'd have some fun and go to Magic Mountain Theme Park. We had a really great day going on all the scary rollercoaster's especially the new ride X2 and also getting soaked on the water rapids. After a hectic, tiring day standing on our feet for over 12 hours we unwound by relaxing in the jacuzzi (what a life ha).
Through the week Barbara and Alf generously took everyone to their regular Indian restaurant for Mike's birthday. It was delicious and a good laugh so thanks again Barb and Alf.
We ended the week by having a nice stroll around the mall stopping off for bagels and Starbucks along the way. Late Afternoon Kelly and Mike took us to a cocktail bar called Padri's which plays Reggae music. The plan was to meet some of their friends and enjoy socializing for a couple of hours as it was happy hour. But a couple of drinks led to many and we carried on drinking and dancing the night away until the early hours of the morning, oops.
Week 5
We woke up on Friday with the worst hangovers, Mary said her famous saying, "I'm never drinking again ha." As Barbara and Alf were going away for a weekend trip we spent the next few days just relaxing in the house by the pool, recovering from our Friday night shenanigans.
On Tuesday we decided to have a little workout so thought tennis would be fun. We played for a good two hours and got a sweat on.
On Wednesday we took the public transport to Rodeo Drive. We had a lovely day window shopping of course and enjoyed a beautiful lunch sitting on the restaurant veranda watching all the really rich people and their Ferrari's go by. Someday…………
Week 6
We had planned to go to Santa Barbara but a mix up with the train timetables left us stranded at the train station. Fortunately Barbara was able to come to our rescue and pick us up. So after the disappointment of being unable to go to Santa Barbara we decided to go to Padri's cocktail bar in the evening again to have some fun.
On Monday Mary's Auntie Annie took us to Santa Monica Promenade which was a great day out. We rounded off our days shopping by having a lovely Mexican meal and a few happy hour cocktails.
Wednesday 6th August was the most special day we spent in California as Mary's cousin Jenny gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl called Stella. We visited the hospital with all the family and felt so fortunate that we could experience this unique occasion as we live so far apart.
On the Thursday we went out drinking and partying again. Kelly and her friends took us to a local bar called the Canyon Club where they had live 80's music on so of course Mary had a good boogie. By the end of the night we were very worse for wear especially as we had been drinking a combination of drinks including long beaches. These contain a mixture of all the clear spirits (hangover guarantee).
Week 7
We awoke on the Friday morning with our worst hangover yet. We spent the morning cleaning our mess that we had made when we were drunk. There was lasagna all over the kitchen counter and cupboards which of course no one could remember how it had got there (sorry Barbara). In the afternoon we went to visit Jenny and baby Stella as they were now home from hospital. After spending a nice few hours with the family Barbara and Alf took us for tea to a place called Souplantation. Here we enjoyed all you can eat soup, salad, pizza, pasta and desserts (very yummy).
Sataurday 9th of August was my birthday. We had a very special, memorable day. I awoke to a dozen beautiful red roses along with lovely presents from Ray. In the afternoon we went to the cinema to watch Pineapple Express which was sooo funny. Kelly then met us and to my surprise she took me for a manicure/pedicure. As we were going to Hawaii I decided to get a Hawaii themed pedicure. I was overwhelmed how thoughtful all the family was on my Birthday as they all gave me cards and presents. In the evening time just myself and Ray went for a very romantic meal at a beautiful restaurant called the Landing. The setting was amazing as we sat outside overlooking a lake with just candle lighting. After enjoying a delicious meal and a bottle of wine we took a stroll along the lake walkway where Kelly and Mike had came to meet us. From there we finished the night at a bar called Bogies.
Sunday 10th of August was our very last day in California, we couldn't have wished for a better one. All family and friends came around to wish us luck for the remainder of our trip. Barbara and Alf had gone out of their way once again to ensure we had a brilliant farewell get-together. They put on a fantastic spread of food and we all enjoyed a few final margaritas aswell.
Our time in California was a once in a life time experience. We had the most amazing, fun, memorable time which we couldn't have done without our loving family and friends. Thanks again everyone for your kindness, generosity and hospitality!!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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