Santa Monica Visit in Summer 2016
Happy New Year Everyone! Sorry that I haven’t written in quite some time. Life has been agonizingly busy, and I say agonizingly as you wouldn’t believe what I just went through – one of the worst moves of my life. I will leave this story for another day, but needless to say I was not happy about moving – I also had to downsize, and pay double the rent! 😦
Anyway, onto happier memories from last year….and hoping this year will be better for me and for all of you. We visited Santa Monica last summer, and I have had so much happen that I couldn’t even post my pictures until now. Well, it’s better to do it now than deciding to do it five years from now.
We loved Santa Monica, it’s quite close to Los Angeles, and we were just in Santa Monica for a day, but in the Los Angeles area for nearly three days. Isn’t it amazing that I live in San Diego, but don’t get up to Los Angeles that often any more, and that I have never visited Santa Monica until last year – and I’ve been in San Diego for almost 19 years!
Well, without further ado, here are some of my pictures:
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica Pier, CA
Santa Monica, CA
This last picture is of main shopping street that is a block or two away from the beach. I will share more of these pictures another time. Well, that’s it for now, I hope you liked my pictures, and that you are already having an amazing year!
Christmas At The Venetian
The Venetian is my favorite resort and hotel in Las Vegas. I absolutely love it, and have only stayed there once. Every time I go to Vegas, I want to stay there, but sadly price wise…I have to stay away. I wonder how packages from the UK are so affordable to other countries, including to the USA, yet we can’t seem to get any bargains like this from here? For instance, my sister just booked a trip to the USA where she stayed 4 days in New York, and 4 days in Las Vegas (during this summer). Her hotel in New York was the Marriott Marquis right in Times Square, and her accommodation in Las Vegas was the Venetian. Her price for the trip was £1,000 UK pounds per person (for a family of four), and this includes airfare and hotel cost. When I flew to the UK in 2014 (in the summer) it cost me $1,500 per person (for a family of four), and this did not include the cost of hotels. I am so jealous, ‘cos I want to stay at the Venetian for four days! However, since it’s my sister….I’m happy she is staying at one of the best places in Las Vegas.
Last time I wrote in May about Las Vegas, I told you I would include pictures of inside the Venetian, so here we go. Sorry, it has taken me such a long time to get around to it. I even fit one more trip to Las Vegas since Christmas – this summer – not the same time as my sister unfortunately, and I did not stay at the Venetian 😦 . Here are the pictures that include Christmas inside the Venetian, and some that were taken this summer. Oh, and the gelato – it’s absolutely delicious! Incase you are wondering, Christmas is a great time to be in Las Vegas, and especially at the Venetian.
Venetian Magic
Venetian Magic, Venetian splendor! Oh, how I love the Venetian grandeur. This hotel/resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, is my absolute favorite out of all of them there. I have stayed at the Venetian many years ago, and absolutely loved it! I wish I could always stay there when ever I visit Las Vegas. Even when I stay elsewhere, I make it a point to go visit the Venetian. If you can’t go to Venice, at least go to the Venetian – it’s a bit of the real thing. Here are some pictures:
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
My kids outside the Venetian, last Christmas
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
Isn’t this place pretty? Isn’t it magical? Wish I could have a permanent suite there! These were all pictures taken outside of the Venetian, next time I will show you some pictures taken inside.
Flower Fields of Loveliness in Carlsbad, CA
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Oh, the hills are alive with the beauty of flowers. You know I really am singing those words in my mind to the tune of “Oh, the hills are alive with the sound of music”. I often attribute songs to occurrences, or a single word or sentence conjures up a great song from long ago, but the classic goes so well with the Flower Fields.
The Flower Fields have been open since early March of this year, but we didn’t get to visit until the end of March, but to make up for it, we got a season pass. Now, we can visit an unlimited number of times until the season is over which I think will be the beginning of May.
Me and my little girl Chandra love visiting the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, CA – only 20 minutes drive away from where we live in San Diego. Just before my oldest daughter Niki went back to college, we were shopping at the nearby Outlet Mall on Paseo Del Norte, and the Flower Fields overlooks this outdoor shopping mall. Well, Niki and my son Luca did not want to go to the Flower Fields yet again as they put it….I have taken them various times in the past, and can’t understand why they would not want to go. However, I did drag them close enough to get them into a few of the pictures, but they are not quite in the Fields themselves. You will see Chandra and me about a week later on March 27, 2016 at the Fields, and then we visited again just yesterday on April 9th.
Here are some pictures:
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Forget Me Not, Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Strawberry Milkshake, Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Flower Fields, Carlsbad
And yes, I got the season pass for me and Chandra. It cost me a total of $46, but I have already been there twice, and if I go at least two times more, I have more than got my money worth out of it. Besides, it’s a great place to take a walk, and get in some healthy exercise, then top it off with the delicious out of this world strawberry milkshake. Both me and Chandra got one each, and they were $5 each, but really worth it.
So get to the Flower Fields before it closes in May, and before the flowers wither away. They are too spectacular to be not seen. Remember, the hills are alive with the flowers of beauty, or did I say with the beauty of flowers?
Lovely La Jolla
Lovely La Jolla, what more is there to say. This place which is just a 12 minute drive for me going south, or a 20 minute drive from downtown San Diego is spectacular. The scenery is amazing, and the wildlife is abundant.
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Wildlife at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Most of the time, the seals like to laze on the beach, and don’t move much at all, but all of a sudden, a few of them got up to take a dip in the ocean!
Sea lion at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
Look at this one! Doesn’t it look like a cross between a sea lion, and a tortoise?
Half sea lion/half tortoise at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
The Seals at La Jolla Cove, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
We walked away from the ocean onto Prospect Street, and Chandra got to play with a massive globe that was a water-fountain feature. Oh, she rolled and rolled the globe around. She was enchanted!
La Jolla, San Diego
Afterwards, we went for a treat to the Living Room, a really wonderful coffee house, that has wonderful pastries, and sandwiches. I got Chandra two macaroons, which she devoured before I got to take photos of them, and I also did the same with my pistachio baklava. Chandra then eyed my coconut mocha, and oh my gosh, it was delicious – it was made with low fat milk, and extra hot. I left a tiny bit of it for Chandi to try, as she really should not be drinking coffee at her tender age of 7! She loved it, well….it was delicious!
Then she got some gelato from a place called Gelateria, across from the Living Room, and again, I didn’t take pictures – but this was Chandi’s treat as mine was the coconut mocha. Then, it was time for a few more pictures.
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla, San Diego
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
This last picture was from a previous visit to La Jolla
La Jolla Cove, San Diego
I hope you liked my pictures of La Jolla. It really is a nice place to visit. I really enjoy it there, and I think I would like to say it is one of my favorites in San Diego.
Dreaming of London
Oh, I’m homesick for England, and I’m dreaming of London
So, I’ll look at these pictures, and imagine myself there
Oh, I’m dreaming of London
And wanting to move there
A New Year makes me ponder
Ponder of yonder, and whether I should just dream
Or make that dream a goal, and put it into action.
I think you can read between these lines, that my heart aches for London
And I may have to act upon it real soon. Hope to see you soon, London!
Real question is…..do I go back after so long away? Will it be the right step, the right move, or will I regret it? It’s not easy to move when you have kids to think of. When I moved here a long time ago, it was just me, and so much easier then. This will be the question of the year for me, shall I do it? Time will tell!
Star of India And Some Star Sunsets in San Diego
Who said there could not be star sunsets? I’m sure this was a star sunset. To me a star, is something that shines bright. Yes, a star and the sun both shine bright, so let’s just for once call it a star sunset.
Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero
I wish the little reflection thing in the water (round green light) hadn’t shown up on my picture, but let it be part of it as I don’t do any retouching of my pictures.
Sunset in San Diego at the Embarcadero
On this same night of the star sunset, just a little earlier, I took a picture of the Star of India. I like to think this could be the Star of San Diego too.
Star of India in San Diego
Even more compelling for the argument of calling it Star of India, and Star of San Diego is when my little girl enters the picture – she is the star of India to me, even though she has not been there yet (India, of course is birthplace of my parents), she is the star of San Diego (her birthplace). She is the star of the UK (my birthplace) and also the star of Italy (her dad’s birthplace). My little star is associated with four different countries. Of course, she’s not really a star in these 4 places, just in my eyes.
Star of India in San Diego
This picture below was not taken this summer like all the other ones, it was taken last year (even time-stamped). I’m not sure if I like the time-stamp feature, I stopped using it. I did some posts previously on the Star of India, you can read it by clicking on this link.
Star of India in San Diego
So, I’m not sharing many pictures today, in fact, I have been quite stingy with pictures compared to usual. Sorry for not writing too much lately. I have been caught up in so many other life events, you wouldn’t believe it. I hope you are all having a wonderful October.
Cute in San Diego
Did you know there’s a cute memorial of a sailor kissing his girlfriend in San Diego? It’s by the US Midway Museum. It might have got a bit more cuter, with my Chandi posing in front of it. What do you think? I think, cuteness……unlimited!
Cute in San Diego
Chandi in San Diego
Chandi in San Diego
A Visit to Knotts Soak City And Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
Today was August 15th – Happy India Independence Day! We left our hotel at the Hilton Garden Inn, and got to Knotts Soak City at around 11:00 am, not at 10am as we should have done, but it was close enough. It was a really hot day, a great day to be in a Water Park – at least for the kids.
Knotts Soak City is close to Disneyland, and right next to Knotts Berry Farm, which we will have to visit next time. Here are a few pictures of Knotts Soak City since we had to leave early, it was way too hot! In retrospect, we should have gone on Friday when we had arrived, and I shouldn’t have listened to the kids. We still would have had five hours almost. As it was, today, they wanted to leave at 2:45 pm, so we only had about three and a half hours there. It was really hot today, I think it actually was over 100 degrees, also, it was too crowded, That’s why it would have been better to have come on Friday.
Still, can’t complain, as the kids enjoyed it, and it was our family mini-vacation. We also got to go to Farrells Ice Cream Parlor later and celebrated my son Luca’s birthday again (you can never celebrate one’s birthday too many times). His actual birthday had been earlier in August.
Here are some pictures of Knotts Soak City:
Knotts Soak City in Buena Park
Knotts Soak City in Buena Park, CA
Knotts Soak City in Buena Park, CA
Knotts Soak City in Buena Park, CA
My kids got to cool off in the Lazy River while I watched their things for a while. It was ever so hot though.
Knotts Soak City in Buena Park
Just at the entrance/exit to Knotts Soak City was this lovely little area with these little fella’s in it, do you like this one’s hair style?
They tried a few more water rides, and then wanted to leave, and they were hungry, so off we went to Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, which we had seen on the way into the Water Park – it is very close by, just on the same road in fact.
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Buena Park
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Buena Park
We ate lunch first, and then had to try the ice-cream – it was delicious!
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Buena Park
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Buena Park
Next, it was time to enjoy the rest of the evening at the Indian Independence Day Parade/Festival, which was close by in Artesia Park. My son and youngest one did not want to go to the event, they were tired so I left them at the hotel at the Doubletree by Hilton in Norwalk.
Doubletree Hotel by Hilton at Norwalk
Doubletree Hotel by Hilton at Norwalk
I wish my two youngest had come with us, as it’s a shame they missed out on the Indian Independence Day activities, but then later on I thought it was actually a good idea as me and my oldest daughter did not get back to the hotel until about 10:40 pm. It was good we stayed another night in the LA area, even though we only live one and a half hours away in San Diego. I would not have enjoyed driving at that time of night though. Also, as you can imagine – I was very tired – that was a lot of things today, a trip to Knotts Soak City, Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, and the Indian Independence Day Festival in Artesia in the evening. I think I deserved a break – an extended stay in the LA area!
In my next post, I will post more of the Indian Independence Day event pictures and the video of the performances that took place on August 15, 2015. Happy Week!
It’s Not Just A Yard – It’s Neal’s Yard!
Oh, the wonderful places near Covent Garden. But remember, when I told you it’s not just a garden…..it’s Covent Garden – well now, there’s a yard thrown into the picture too. However, it’s not just a yard…..it’s Neal’s Yard! It’s a most colorful looking place, close by to Covent Garden. Don’t miss it! Just ask anyone when you’re at Covent Garden where Neal’s Yard is, and they should be able to tell you. Here’s some pictures.
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
Neal’s Yard
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
In case you are wondering, you will find Neal’s Yard on the corner of Neal Street and Shelton Street
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
Now, you will see Neal’s Yard close by to Shorts Gardens – you have arrived!
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
Close To Covent Garden Is Neal’s Yard
Fancy some tea?
The Tea House, close to Covent Garden
Fancy some cake?
Lola’s Cupcakes, near Neal’s Yard
How about now? I think it’s tea time!
Lola’s Cupcakes, near Neal’s Yard
As you can see these are not just any gardens or any yards, they are special places and getting to be quite well known now. Don’t forget to look out for them when you go to London.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Neal’s Yard via my post, and I hope you have a great week!
luchanik 