Los Angeles, oysters at Manhattan beach, breakfast in the sand, a vintage community, chill mode at Mama Shelter and music allover at Amoeba Music

by sheep on April 22, 2016 with No Comments

Fishing with Dynamite at Manhattan Beach. That means oysters, crab, ceviche, clamps everywhere! Fishing with Dynamite is a reflection of chef David LeFevre's roots, his travels and his three culinary touchstones. Preparing food that is artisanal, soulful and handcrafted. And this is apparent in the taste of the dishes. It is so delicious! We sat at the bar instead of a sophisticated table, but it was so cozy. We chatted with the staff and made fun with the guys who prepared the oysters just in front of us, while we had a nice overview of this tiny little restaurant and a glimpse at the ocean. Tip: you'd better make a reservation because it is always full house!

The day after we bought breakfast at Target, and fresh coffee and croissants from the Bakery Café at 37 Pier Avenue and settled on the beach of Hermosa. It was saturday and during the weekends it is beach volley paradise on Hermosa Beach. A sportive theatre show during breakfast!

If you haven't visited St. Vincent de Paul Store downtown LA, try to arrange it some day. Because we are always in LA on the wrong day for the Rose Bowl (this Flea Market occurs on the second Sunday of every month) we searched for a nice alternative and that's why we picked out St. Vincent de Paul Store. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles, is known for thrift stores in Los Angeles and Long Beach. But the Society is more than a store. It is an organization with 2,500 volunteers who devoted 263,000 hours to calls for help from the needy last year. From books to large furniture and even cars...an afternoonspent at St. Vincent's is sure to turn up some unexpected gems.

We were supposed to only have lunch at Mama Shelter but we stayed their till after sunset. This is not only a hotel. It is more than simply rooms or restaurants. Mama Shelter is a living and meeting space, a true urban refuge that's not just beautiful, modern and lively but also popular, friendly and, Mama Shelter says: sexy. Curl up on one of the sofas and enjoy a drink, a small bite and relax. Mama takes care of everything! The rooftop is brand new and just opened for the public. We had a magnificent view over LA and the Hollywood hills with the remarkable Hollywood-sign when we were laying on lounge sofa's.

After a half day of enjoying the comfort of Mama we visited the Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. Music fans head to this bustling shop for its huge selection of vinyl, video and CDs, plus live shows.

Los Angeles, strict rules from the Stahl House, lunch at Villa Blanca, and window shopping on Rodeo Drive

by sheep on April 14, 2016 with 3 Comments

This time we visited the Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills. The Stahl house was designed by architect Pierre Koenig. His client was Buck Stahl, that’s why it is called the Stahl House. Buck was a former professional footballer who worked as a graphic designer and sign painter. Although there has been some discussion about Buck’s influence on the design, some experts who have seen Buck’s original model agree that his concept gave the direction of the Stahl House. Today, Stahl House is still owned by the Stahl family. Though it remains a magnet for film crews and photographers from all over the world. You have to sign a release before you enter the property. The release contains the following information: "Photography is allowed with a signed release. Only cell phone cameras are permitted. All other cameras or motion cameras are NOT permitted. The Release form is available upon arrival. All photographs are for personal use only. Photographs may not be published in print or electronic form, without the written permission of Stahl House, Inc. No video permitted. No tripods, camera mounts, plugins, clipons or selfie sticks permitted. No photographs may be taken of any photos or copyrighted works on the property”. That’s why we can’t show any images in our compi and vlog. If you want to see some photo’s of our visit you can have a look on our instagram and facebook. That’s for personal use only so that’s where you can have a glimpse of it legally. It was absolutely a breathtaking visit and worth it. You have to buy tickets in advance via the website of Stahl House. We booked the afternoon tour and the light was fabulous for photograpy and the view over LA was amazing!

Before we visited the Stahl House we had lunch at Villa Blanca at Brighton Way. The owner of Villa Blanca is Lisa van der Pump, known from the realtity soap ‘the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’. Lisa Vanderpump has created a sexy, stylish and romantic restaurant with a St. Tropez-like vibe with its large patio and its wonderous decor. It is around the corner of Rodeo Drive so you can imagine who is visiting this place to have lunch or dinner or just to have a glass of champagne! We saw a lot of interesting people walking by while having our lunch in this great place. Chanel meets Furla meets Cartier meets Prada…meets plastic fantastic boobs meets botox faces meets high end lips ;-)! The cosmetic surgery was walking by in live versions, very interesting and typical LA-style. If you want to spend more money afterwards you can visit the Kyle shop by Alene Too near Villa Blanca at Brighton Way and Bedford Drive. Kyle Richards is one of the other wives from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”.

In the evening we ended up on Rodeo Drive. All those beautiful stores with high fashion…we wished we could buy just one piece of Chanel…but window shopping was the only thing for us we could afford. Having happy hour on 208 Rodeo was fun. After a wonderful day in LA we drove back to Torrance and we got the best present ever: We were sent ‘deadheading’ back to Amsterdam the next day. Instead of working we were traveling non-working towards Amsterdam in business class. And after all we got our piece of high fashion: a comfort bag designed by Jan Taminiau for KLM in a special edition. How lucky we were!

Bangkok, high in the sky, Vanilla tasting, relaxing at Health Land and a spectacular river view

by sheep on April 1, 2016 with No Comments

We found ourselves right on top of the swimming pool on a glass floor at Long Table restaurant. It's situated on the 25th floor of the Column Tower. Long Table opened its doors in 2008 and has become one of the city's top hotspots. The main room features a 25 meter teak table, which can seat up to 70 people and is the world's longest dining table. We had a table for two on the outside instead of sitting at the long table and had a lovely view over Bangkok City companied by a bright moon. Both the food and the service were excellent and we tipped the waiter extra for that because it was more than worth it! The official name of the long table is: The Long Table of Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara AyuthayaMahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. So practise before you make a reservation for it ;-)! A reservation in advance is recommended, especially during the weekend.

The next day we went to Vanilla Garden in the Ekamai 12 area in Sukhumvit. The relaxing atmosphere of the cafe with a view of a garden inside the compound makes it a favorite spot for locals and foreigners. The Vanilla Bakeshop became an instant hit since 2014 and transformed into a famous hang-out spot for all Thai trendsetters and celebrities. We had the privilege to sit outside in the sun and we enjoyed our lunch with an open faced sandwich with salmon, topped with salmon roe and drinks served in hip jars of course ;-). Unfortunately the book store in the Vanilla Garden has closed its doors some time ago. The bookstore was the main reason to check out this place for us. But it is still worth a visit to have a relaxed lunch in the garden.

By chance we found a very clean health spa, Health Land, in the neighborhood. It's a great spa where you can have all sorts of body massages, facials and foot reflexology at affordable prices. We chose a one hour foot massage and we relaxed to the max!

Full of energy, after this spa treatment, we dressed up to go to Sala Rattanakosin to have dinner. It cost us two taxi's to reach this hotel because taxi drivers always say yes but don't even understand where you want to go. The food was not really special but the view of Wat Arun on the opposite side of the river was so beautiful that we absolutely recommend this place. We ended our luxury trip in style with fire works. We pampered ourselves thoroughly in Bangkok with roof top views, good food and drinks, hip places to spot and a spa on top of that. It fits us, that's for sure!

Singapore mood sling, wanderlust in little India, Arab street, Orchard road, high tea at Raffles, the Marina Bay Sands and visiting Dempsey Hill

by sheep on March 23, 2016 with 1 Comment

We visited hotel Wanderlust the day after we arrived in Singapore. Housed in a 1920's building in Little India, Wanderlust is an experimental boutique hotel showcasing a diverse range of fun themes. It includes restaurant Cocotte, but unfortunately it was closed from 2.30 pm till 6.30 pm. We couldn't even get a coffee or a glass of wine. But luckily we could have a glimpse at some hotel rooms, thanks to the cleaning staff. We had lunch at Roots later on, a little bit further down the street. But we were still disappointed that we couldn't have the 'Cocotte experience'.

We took an Uber taxi to Arab street where we wandered around while it was raining cats and dogs. While Little India is memorable for its fragrances, it’s the vibrant colours of the shops of the Arab Quarter that stick to the memory. Textile stores and outlets selling Persian carpets are the most prominent, but you’ll also see leather, perfumes, jewellery and baskets for sale. Haji Lane is a street full of tiny shops. Young people frequent the shophouses along this lane for the independent fashion boutiques and Middle Eastern cafes.

Orchard Road, Asia’s most famous shopping street, is home to fashion favourites, specialist stores and loads of other lifestyle choices. Who'd have thought that over 150 years ago, Orchard Road was just a small lane lined with fruit orchards, nutmeg plantations and pepper farms. Today, Orchard Road is flanked by iconic shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and entertainment choices for every taste and budget. We had a small bite at Wolf Burgers, situated in a hip indoor food market in the Suntec City, later on.

Two days later we booked a high tea at Raffles. Serving high tea for more than one hundred years, Raffles’ high tea has an old world charm and a real sense of occasion to it. We ordered two glasses of champagne as well. Be aware that it will cost you a lot of money, but it is worth a visit! You have to book in advance while it is full (high tea) house every day!

We had a very nice view at the sunset on the rooftop bar of the Marina Bay Sands. It offers a breathtaking city-skyline view not found at any other Singapore hotel. The world's largest rooftop pool stretching 150 metres across Sands SkyPark. Unfortunately the pool is accessible only to hotel guests, but we did have a glimpse of it.

The last day of our visit in Singapore we had lunch at PS Café. PS Café is located on Dempsey Hill and specializes in homemade cakes such as chocolate fudge cakes, sticky date cake, pecan pie, florida key lime pie as well as coffee. The cafe offers indoor as well as outdoor seating, where you can star-gaze while sipping coffee. We had a delicious salad on the terras and got loads of mosquito bites for free. A nice Singapore souvenir to complete our Singapore mood sling ;-)!

Sao Paulo, the old masters, vintage, flip-flops and dinner in a green environment.

by sheep on March 8, 2016 with 2 Comments

We visited the MASP in Sao Paulo. The Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo is a private nonprofit museum founded by Brazilian businessman Assis Chateaubriand, in 1947, as Brazil's first modern museum. The museum is a landmark with its glass and red pillars built out of concrete. When we we're there unfortunately the pillars were covered in plastic for renovation. But the exhibition was what impressed us most and stole our hearts. What a beautiful way to exhibit art!

The return of Lina Bo Bardi’s radical crystal easels to the collection presents a selection of 119 artworks drawn from the museum’s diverse holdings, spanning from the 4th century BC to 2008. The easels were first presented at the opening of the museum’s current venue in 1968, and withdrawn in 1996. We also saw our famous Dutch old masters Rembrandt van Rijn and Frans Hals exhibited on the crystal easels. Next to Degas, Cezanne, Monet, Velasquez, and Picasso. The statement of taking the paintings off the wall and placing them on the easels making them more accessible to the public. Moreover, the placement of the labels on their backs allows for an initial direct encounter with the work, free from an interpretive framework.

After our museum visit we explored the Jardim Paulista from Avenida Paulista to Rua Augusta, one of the most famous streets in Sao Paulo, and checked out the nice store B.Luxo Vintage. This vintage shop is perfect for those who appreciate vintage objects, decorative items, accessories and clothes. Founded by two people who work in the fashion industry, this vintage shop is beautifully decorated, stylish and organized. The shop is so famous that even actress Sarah Jessica Parker visited B. Luxo Vintage. Famous Brazilian artists are also regular customers. It is worth a visit and the pieces are one by one beautiful gems.

Rua Augusta is a feast for the eyes with its colour painted walls, hip stores and coffee shops. The further you walk to the Oscar Freire the more stylish hip and rich people you will notice. A must see is the store where you can find the most famous flip-flops of Brazil: the Havaianas. These colourful, rubber-soled flip-flops have become a global phenomenon and this 300 square meters flagship store designed by Isay Weinfeld is the best place to find them.

We had dinner in one of the hottest new restaurants in Sao Paulo, the much talked-about restaurant KAA. KAA is a magnificent example of a beautiful use of space. The main restaurant is narrow and long. It is nearly 800 square-meters and has a high-ceilinged space. A massive green wall with more than 7,000 live plants, a retractable roof over a section of the space, a staircase leading to a mezzanine-level lounge, and a dividing wall behind the bar, all add to the magnificent feeling of airy relaxation. And the food is delicious! The wine menu is showed on an iPad, how modern. The brie tortellini with fig compote was excellent. We recommend that one in specific!

Seoul, architecture in Dongdaemun, street murals in Ihwa and Gangnam style in Sinsa-dong

by sheep on February 28, 2016 with 2 Comments

On our way from Amsterdam to Seoul we had former speed skater Gerard van Velde on board of our airplane. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2002. The good old days came back when we talked to him. What a nice guy he is.

After a long flight we arrived in Seoul with a time difference of plus eight. Seoul is a city with so much to offer that you might not know where to start. But we've been here often so we could leave the cultural highlights behind us because we already visited them. We were curious about the new Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid. She was the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. The building is fantastic. Zaha Hadid got the inspiration form the ever-changing, dynamic movements that occurs in the Dongdaemun area from dawn to dusk.

We walked via the old Fortress Wall to the district were you can find the most beautiful murals. It is called Ihwa Mural Village. Ihwa Mural Village is located less than a 10-minute walk uphill from the buzzing Daehakno area. As you head up the slopes of Mt. Naksan, the noise and crowds give way to fresh air and gorgeous, expansive views of the city, but also to something unexpected: street art. We saw a lot of locals renting old Korean school uniforms and walking around in them, posing for pictures in front of the murals. First we thought they were wearing their own uniform but we talked with some of them and figured out it was just a dress up party instead ;-).

It is easy traveling by subway, so after the Ihwa Mural Village we took the subway to Sinsa-dong. Sinsa-dong has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years with the city's trendsetters, fashionistas and foodies. There are so many nice tiny hip shops, but also shops of high end brands and nice little cafe's and restaurants in the little streets behind the main road. We ended up in the chique Elbon the Table. It is a modern European restaurant located in Gangnam-gu. The restaurant itself is located on the second floor and a high end store with luxury bags with the same name is on the ground floor. Desiré was freaking out when she saw all those nice bags! Unfortunately it was a little bit to expensive to buy a small Celine bag just for fun ;-)!

We loved to be back in Seoul. It is such a vibrant and hip city to wander around. There are so many things to do and see, so we will be back. We promise!

Toronto, Uber, Distillery District & Yorkville in 24 hours

by sheep on February 21, 2016 with 4 Comments

A twenty-four hour layover in Toronto this time. The snow and the little bulb lights in the trees felt like christmas time in February. We used Uber for the first time to let us bring to the Distillery District. Uber is an American multinational mobile ride hail company headquartered in San Francisco and you can use it in fifty eight countries. We went to Cluny Bistro in the Distillery District. The Distillery District is the place to see and be seen. The Distillery features more than seventy ground-floor cultural and retail establishments in the restored red brick and Victorian-era buildings of the renowned Gooderham & Worts whiskey distillery. Cluny Bistro is a delight for your eyes and taste! Surrounded by fascinating custom details, such as cabinets filled with hand-selected antiques and a hand-painted glass wall at the raw bar. We had delicious wine and our waiter was very kind and created a personal customized plate of foie gras for us.

The next day we took the subway to Yorkville. This era is situated near the University buildings and the Royal Ontario Museum. We spoke to a local on the street and he told us that the facade of the Royal Ontario Museum cost two hundred and fifty million Canadian dollars! You can imagine that the Toronto society was not really happy with that fact. Toronto is always under construction but that means the city is moving forward and that is always a good sign ;-)! Yorkville is the place where dogs wear hip designer outfits and colored socks during winter time just like their owners. On Bloor and Bay street you find a lot of high quality shops like Cartier and Prada and in the little streets you see a lot of nice hip stores to buy cloth, home furniture and accessories, coffee shops and upmarket supermarkets. The Royal Ontario Museum is also worth a visit. Not only for its architecture but also for its interesting exhibitions.

Los Angeles, Abbot Kinney, Dr. Phil & Silver Lake

by sheep on February 12, 2016 with 2 Comments

Again we discovered new inspiring places when we were in Los Angeles. The day of arrival we went to Abbot Kinney in Venice. A street full of hip and funny shops, nice coffee spots such as Intelligentsia Coffee to have coffee and for lunch The Butchers Daughter is a nice suggestion. We had dinner at The Tasting Kitchen. A small platter of anti pasti and two glasses of red wine for almost hundred dollar was a little bit overrated but the ambiance was worth it.

The next day we went to Hollywood to the Paramount Studio's as we joined a show of Dr. Phil! It was hilarious. We were in the front row. Before Dr. Phil came in the audience was warmed up with music and dancing and we screamed loud to get a Dr. Phil mug. So we got one! The show was about a woman who accused her husband of injecting her with poison every night and abusing their three daughters. In the end it was clear she had a mental problem and it was her own figment. It was great that we experienced a Dr. Phil show. Afterwards we got a slice of pizza and left the set before a second show would be recorded. One show was enough for us ;-)!

We discovered a very nice new upcoming district: Silver Lake. The neighborhood was named after Water Board Commissioner Herman Silver, who was instrumental in the creation of the Silver Lake Reservoir, located within the neighborhood. The Silver Lake Reservoir is fantastic. It is situated near Silver Lake Boulevard and it's a stone's throw from Chinatown, a short bike ride from downtown L.A. and Los Feliz. The Silver Lake Reservoir is about to end its career as a reservoir and begin its new, full-time career as a chill place to hang or whatever. The Silver Lake Blvd is worth a visit. Lots of trendy places surrounded by the Hollywood hills. The audience is hip and young and it is a relaxed place to wander around. Take a break at LAMILL coffee. W. Sunset Blvd is also worth a visit. Don't forget to visit Bar Keeper. It is a cozy shop specialized in high-quality spirits & bitters, vintage glasses & other bar supplies.

We ended our fantastic day on our beloved Manhattan Beach and watched the sunset. Again it was a great trip to our second hometown!

Shanghai and her mini me meets Lost (in) Heaven

by sheep on February 4, 2016 with 2 Comments

Shanghai is China's largest metropolis. The city that never sleeps. They work on it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week during rain, snow or shine! We visited Shanghai a couple of days before China's New Year will take place. The year 2016 will be the year of the monkey. After we arrived late in the afternoon we decided not to sleep, due to the time difference. We went out to have a glimpse of the city instead. We took a taxi. Be aware that most of the older taxi drivers can't understand or read English. So, have the address you want to go to written in the Chinese language because otherwise you will not reach you destination.

The next day we discovered a great store in the Xiantidi Shopping Mall. It is called Pinla3d. The store, the first of its kind in the city, is offering a 1:1 life-size replica for people who want to have a life-like portrait of themselves (a mini-me) or of their loved ones. The store offers visitors 3D body scanning and printing. Scanning only takes three to five minutes and you can choose the right size for your clone and even an outfit! You have to wait two weeks before your replica is ready to take home from the store. These life sized, ‘Mini-me's’ aren’t cheap, costing $28,500 each. But if you’ve got the cash then why not indulge in the ultimate selfie and go get yourself a ceramic clone? Or buy a small mini-me. That will cost you around $200.

With the easiest and cheapest way to travel through Shanghai, the subway, we went to the French Concession district to Yongfu Lu and checked out the lovely spot of Lolo Love Vintage. In this shop there are gorgeous items from decades gone. Such as shoes, jewelry, hats, ties, dresses and crockery. The sprawling space of Yongfu Lu is full of nostalgic glamour and kitsch trinkets, such as typewriters and toy dolls, while standout pieces adorn mannequins or decorate the walls. Lolo Love Vintage focus on the ’20s-’40s period.

We changed from the period of the 20s-40s into modern times and had lunch at the chic boutique hotel The Waterhouse at South Bund. Set in a converted warehouse dating from the 1930s. Here, the tans of unfinished wood and grays of burnished brick emit a pleasing warm ambiance to have a nice but little bit overpriced lunch. After lunch we walked along the Bund. One of the most recognisable landmarks in Shanghai today. There is a distinct contrast between the old and classical Bund at Puxi. On the other side of the river are the sky scrapers and modern towers at Lujiazui, Pudong, the financial center of Shanghai and China. It is hard to imagine that a small fishing village would one day grow into this magnificent city!

During our walk along the Bund it snowed so we were freakin cold and wet. We were happy we could settle at Lost Heaven to have dinner afterwards. With its low lighting and minority-inspired designs, Lost Heaven sets the mould for Shanghai-based Yunnanese restaurants. But use your flashlight of your mobile phone to see what's on the menu ;-)! They do relatively authentic Yunaan food, and if you wanna do pre- or post-dinner drinks they have a really nice terrace on the roof. Prices are reasonable for the location and views.

Cairo versus Helsinki

by sheep on January 28, 2016 with 6 Comments

Desiré

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, home to the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum and fabulous Islamic architecture! I have unfortunately not been able to visit these beautiful places. Egypt is still suffering instability. I was not allowed to leave the hotel. At the swimming pool the air felt cold. So what to do next? Well, I did a lot of eating, reading, relaxing and sleeping. A beautiful and loud hotel wedding party was by far the most entertaining thing I saw in Cairo!

Margré

Cold and crispy Helsinki instead of Toronto. Desiré and I were supposed to be in Toronto upcoming days. But our flight was canceled, due to snow storms on the east coast of the United States. Instead Desiré had to travel to Egypt and I touched down in Finland. The influences of the Baltic states can be seen in the architecture of the Central Railway Station. It is a widely recognised landmark in Kluuvi, part of central Helsinki. The Atheneum Art Museum is an impressive old classical European building and Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art, is modern with Scandinavian roots. So a lot of interesting styles mixed in one city. The Finnish company Marimekko, based in Helsinki, is a must visit! It is a well known Finnish design house celebrated worldwide for its original prints and colors. Marimekko has made important contributions to fashion, especially in the 1960s. Unfortunately I had only a couple of hours to wander around in Helsinki. But still I had a good glimpse of the city and what she has to offer!

Malibu & More

by sheep on January 21, 2016 with 4 Comments

Back in LA after a long flight from Amsterdam. We were walking on Manhattan Boulevard that evening when we met Bob, a ninety year old local, with whom we had a drink at a local bar. That’s the nice thing about travelling: meeting people, having interesting conversations, seeing things from another prospective. Later that night we had dinner, Bob not included, in MB Post were we had a playful, artisan menu of small shared plates. All this being seated at a communal table which was a nice change from the also available booths and standard tables.

The next day we went to Malibu Wines in the Malibu mountains. Malibu Wines is open seven days a week year round and closes only for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Due to low season it was very quiet at the moment we were there. It is a nice setting for a picnic, as you are allowed to bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages. After this visit we crossed the mountains and ended up in Malibu near the Pacific Coast and had lunch at Paradise Cove. It is a beautiful spot to spend your day on the beach accompanied by lots of sea gulls and the Ahi Tuna was delicious! At the end of the day we drove from Malibu to Santa Monica and visited The Bungalow. The Bungalow has five distinct spaces for people to mingle: The Study, a main bar, an outside deck, a State Room, East Garden for private dining and a game room.

Last day: Los Feliz, where we had never been before, so a new district to visit. It is situated near Hollywood and a part of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is known for its expensive historic homes and celebrity inhabitants. We had lunch at Fred 62. It has a fabulously funky retro-diner interior (you can also spot it in the movie ‘spread’). While having lunch at Fred 62 you can spot hipsters, businessmen, old people and movie stars walking by on Vermont Avenue. Never a dull moment! Los Feliz has very nice little shops, a lot of vintage stores and a small theater. Absolutely a place to hang around. We watched the sunset on the rooftop bar of Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach later that day, covered under a blanket with a nice glass of wine, accompanied by the sun, the moon and the stars. We had a splendid view over Venice Beach, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. At that moment we felt like being on top of the world!

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park

by sheep on January 11, 2016 with 2 Comments

Celebrating the launch of our website Don't Disturb The Sheep at Little Sisters on Manhattan Beach was a good start of our trip to Los Angeles this time! Don't Disturb The Sheep had just gone live!!! We were so excited! The next morning we drove to Palm Springs. A two hour drive from Torrance where our hotel is situated. On our way we saw wonderful landscapes. Later on we stopped for a short visit at the outlet mall just half an hour from Palm Springs. Meanwhile, these girls on a mission bought some duktape at the Super Target because we had to repair our small blue box on wheels ;-)! We stayed at the Ace hotel in Palm Springs. The price you pay for a room is eye watering, but the ambiance is great. Overall it's a nice, hip and relaxed place to stay. In our room we had an old fashioned record player, shutters with artwork, Moroccan robes, nice smelling shower gel, lotion, hair shampoo and a patio. This made our stay very pleasant. We went to restaurant Workshop in Palm Springs that night to have dinner. The restaurant is well designed using a lot of concrete and a great menu to choose from. The next day we went to Joshua Tree National Park. You pay a fee in advance and once in the park you can drive wherever you want. What a beautiful scenery! Worth a visit. We didn't hike through the park but drove around, princesses as we are ;-)! We spotted an old Airstreamer in the middle of nowhere and tortured our small box on wheels to that place. It was like being on a movie set!

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