Written on Day 30, en route for San Francisco.
I awoke yesterday morning in good time to prepare for the day’s activities. The previous evening, I was having second thoughts about my booked shore excursion to Venice Beach, and was able to exchange this for a slightly longer trip to Hollywood. I doubt I will ever visit Venice Beach now, which may be a pity. Nevertheless, I was very pleased indeed when the coach dropped off its passengers right opposite the Roosevelt Hotel where I shall be spending just one night, a few weeks from now.
I would find myself with two people I had met early in the voyage. A sharp and fast talking travel representative (selling open minibus tours around Beverly Hills and other celebrity environs) would talk the three of us into one of his tours. While a very enjoyable use of around two hours, it was a pity the driver/guide’s broken English was only partially comprehensible. There was much to photograph. Just who was that in the chauffeur-driven Roller?! I did something similar while killing time before a flight home from LAX in 2000.
It was hard to be dismissive of what must be one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive neighbourhoods. The houses of the rich and famous can only be seen as a fleeting glimpse, through high hedges, fences and tree cover. Is one ever allowed out of the tour bus to walk around? I had no problem at Sandbanks!
I enjoyed the coach journey to Hollywood Boulevard, particularly as there was no commentary to distract from what I was seeing outside the bus.
We were back at the quayside before 3 pm, leaving just enough time to take a return shuttle bus trip to Long Beach, where there is a modern and attractive resort area.
When in Los Angeles, I always make the “pilgrimage” to see the former Cunard liner, R.M.S. Queen Mary. Hearts were broken when she was taken out of service in December 1967, having been purchased by the City of Long Beach, California. Before covid-19, it was always my first choice of hotel, when anywhere near by. The last time I stayed on board was in 2019, and again, despite its being unusually cold, I enjoyed what I feared then would be my last visit. The Queen Mary looked depressingly run down with paint peeling off its rear-most funnel. I suspect covid-19 has deprived the vessel of urgently needed income, and it’s hard to imagine the ship’s future as promising.
The return shuttle bus was ready to leave just before 4pm. Nevertheless, it was still too late to get into the area where among other attractions, music played at the L.A. Fleet Week celebrations, alongside the Battleship Iowa. While a slight pity, I enjoyed my day and the walk did me good.
Soon, I was back on board, rejuvenated and happy from a good day.
The day before, it was obvious that we were out of the very warm weather for good. And in San Francisco tomorrow, despite a bright sunny forecast, 15°Celsius is the best forecast. But in L.A. yesterday, the north-westerly breeze was “just right” during the day, but quite bitter later in the evening.
I enjoyed the sail-away, and even the container port with its endless infrastructure of cranes; other equipment was so large as to have its own awesome beauty. How on earth can cranes and container boxes stretching as far as the eye can see be beautiful? It just is, especially with the green suspension bridge in the foreground. I was, as usual, rather sad to leave the Port of Los Angeles behind, again wondering if I would be here again.
Soon it would be time for dinner, followed by the show in the Royal Court Theatre.
Finally, my walking attempts have been acknowledged by senior officers of the Queen Elizabeth with a specially printed and signed card, together with a the gift of a very fine Cunard whisky glass. Both will now have a very special place in my collection when I return home. And a copy of the certificate will grace either the church or the Parish Office!
Many thanks for reading, David 00.30, 1/6/22.!
David's Cruise 