in Los Angeles and its vicinity

Sunday, May 17

After a broken night due to jet-lag, early morning awakening (for me) and dip in the pool. At 5am, it wakes up well!

The program of the day: raids in LA. Some shopping with Jean-Pierre (in convertible ) for the picnic and go on.

We spend the rest of the morning at Griffith Park that everyone should know because that's where (among others) one can see the famous HOLLYWOOD letters, but a fairly tenacious fog was spoiling the view.

Inside the Griffith Observatory, a Foucault pendulum demonstrates the rotation of the earth.

After this introduction, we had lunch on the grass with Laurence, Jean-Pierre and their son Noé, below the observatory. At the end of the meal, Isabelle and I shoot two trees which, for us, are quite unusual: one with blue flowers, the other red flowers but without leaves.

We will identify the first fairly rapidly: it is a Jacaranda mimosifolia (Blue Jacaranda), tree native to Brazil. For the second, we must wait to be back and have confirmation: it is indeed an Erythrina flabelliformis (Southwestern Coral Bean).

To finish the meal on a sweet note, we will enjoy a "famous" milkshake on Hollywood Boulevard. We met a little closer with the local people and, for once, we almost feel like slender.

Raising the mythical boulevard, real vision of the famous stars, strolling among the crowd and the artists mimicking the heroes of film world (Darth Vader, Superman, Sponge Bob ...).

Then visit to a few blocks from Beverly Hills where we surprised to discover a jackal, and after some back and forth in Bel Air, where the properties are so huge that you dont see much, back to Thousand Oaks where cocktails, pool and jacuzzi help us waiting for the barbecue , prepared by JP.

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Monday, May 18

After filing Noé at his school, departure to Universal Studios where we spend the day between the various attractions and recreations of scenes from movies with explanations.

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Tuesday 19 and Wednesday, May 20

We have to consider to really move and the coming 2 days will be well met. We put our friend Laurence contributing for shopping: electric cooler at Wal Mart, hats, walking shoes (second pair), cookware, stoves, jerry cans for water and food, it seems a departure for the bottom end of Africa . At the end of the day, Laurence is tired and so are we..

The next day, depart for LAX to drop Annabelle, the baby-sitter of Noé (who is getting back to France) and stop at Alamo to retrieve the car. No specific problems, but fortunately that Laurence is there, because I do not understand at all (understatement) what I was told (as a rule, you must answer No to avoid any time they pass on us additional options).

Signatures of the contract and we here are in the park to choose our traveling companion; I am holding a sheet of paper on which are noted the recommended vehicle models on Voyage Forum, including by Philippe (indeed, we do not rent a specific car, but within a given range). I course 2 times quickly the park area where we must choose and nothing, nada! None of the vehicles did not match my list.

Disappointed, I joined my 3 women (Isabelle, Laurence and Annabelle) that have set their sights on a Toyota Sienna LE. This vehicle appears to be the greatest of those available, and as, once upon a time, I drove a 4WD vehicle from Toyota, I do not pay special attention to this point (big mistake, but I already said I was disappointed, no?) and a few moments later, we are left after the inventory. It remains for us to get back alone in Thousand Oaks, but with our TomTom oh so appreciated! Driving on freeways with huge vehicles that pass from anywhere and without knowing where we're going is still pretty stressful at the very beginning.

Safely arrived, we first remove the 3 central seats that we leave in the garage and belittle the two rear ones that fit completely into the floor. JP home from work, we noted that our vehicle is not a 4WD; physical verification (no rear axle) and on the specification manual: our vehicle is a 2DW, period. Moments of panic (JP suggested we go back to LA, but it's still almost 1h30) and I ended up throwing out the sponge: we keep our vehicle and we will modify the program accordingly.

While I'll buy a cellphone, Isabelle prepares our coach for 30 days and nights to come: laying a tarp on the floor, installation of mattresses and duvets, the cooler and all the stuff bought yesterday. With a little planning, everything takes place relatively easily. The evening and morning, a little quarter of an hour without rushing is enough to change from the day position to the night position (whatever embarrassment passes over the front seats) and vice versa.

Anticipating the end of this report, I can write that we have probably made the right choice so this car was comfortable, even if the function 4WD missed us a little. Gained comfort surely made it possible to ignore certain small problems. The length of the vehicle allowed us to have behind the front seats, a cooler and a 180cm long mattress.

But some will say that we do a little extremely with this car .