Day 7

This morning we woke up with with the promise of 27 degree sunshine. We packed up the car and headed back to the Redondo Beach Lagoon Pool for what we hoped would be a full day of sunbathing and fun in the water. Dressed in nothing but our swimwear Misa and I assumed the optimum tanning position  and lay back and relaxed. The children, surrounded by kids their own age, shallow warm water and enough sand to fill a stadium played gleefully unaware of the approaching sea mist that would soon roll in to dampen our spirits.

After speaking to several people I discovered that this cloud cover is not uncommon at the beaches, with temperatures up to 10 degrees cooler than only a few miles further inland. Despite our goosebumps we managed to sit out until just after 2pm when coincidently the battery died on my phone  meaning a return home was now essential. (sad but true)

We returned home to find the lovely Carmen cleaning our home and tried to stay out of her way while we waited for Jessica, a friend of mine and more so Katy's to arrive from Hollywood later that afternoon. It had been decided that Jessica and I would travel to Palm Springs on Thursday for 24 hours  of unabashed frivolity, we awaited her arrival with anticipation. 

It was lovely to see a familiar, adult face in our temporary home but we didn't waste anytime hanging around indoors, instead we all headed out in search of corn dogs and champagne. The kids were more than happy to return to American Junkie where we had eaten earlier in the week, we all enjoyed a great meal while Jessica and I nattered non stop, catching up on all the gossip!

Having waved the children safely home with Misa, Jess and I went off in search of the busiest hotspot we could find. We soon realised that although Hermosa is a lively place, it mostly consists of restaurants and not the bars that we are used to at home. Sharkeez, a surfers favourite was recommended as being the busiest place on a week night so we ventured in.  For me, Sharkeez epitomizes everything that is American, literally dozens of TV screens behind the bar showing every sport you can imagine, men in oversized baseball caps wearing shorts and t-shirts drinking huge jugs of beer and the Eagles playing as loud as possible. 

Aware that our big trip to Palm Springs was only a few hours away, we didn't over stay our welcome but instead took a slow wander home giggling and hiccupping as we went!

Day 6

Today was a day I think the children will always remember.

It began with my regular run which today took me right to the end of Manhattan Pier. I don't think I could ever tire of that route and only wish my knees were strong enough for me to run every day while I am here.

The first stop of the day was the Hollywood Bowl Viewing Platform situated on Mulholland Drive, the perfect vista to stop and take in the breathtaking views over the city which included the most famous view of them all ... the Hollywood sign!

The drive up to Hollywood was relatively straight forward, I definitely feel like i've got to grips with the LA driving but don't think I will ever get over how many cars there are in this city. From seeing how busy the roads were at 11am I have some idea of what they must be like during rush hour, something I hope I never have to experience! Of course the added stress of having three bored and hungry children in the back of the car didn't exactly help my concentration levels but after just under an hour we arrived at our destination, and we weren't disappointed.

It's hard to explain just what it feels like to see those nine white letters perching proudly on the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, but it was a moment I will never forget. Although the viewpoint is still a considerable distance away, you can't help but feel spellbound by the incredible history that has captivated this part of the city for the last century.

From here, we made our way down towards Hollywood Boulevard, parking at the conveniently located Hollywood and Highland Center. You can tell straight away that this is the Leicester Square of Los Angeles, the streets are peppered with so called street artists dressed up (badly) as favourite film characters, trying to earn a living from tips given in exchange for photographs. Of course, never ones to miss out on a photo opportunity Louis did his very best Superman impression, accompanied by a very muscly, Clark Kent.

Look beyond the tacky attractions and cast your eyes to the floor and you soon remember why so many millions of tourists flock to this street every year. With over 2,400 5-pointed bronze stars imbedded in the sidewalk, you feel as though you are walking through time. From Charlie Chaplin to James Dean, Mickey Mouse to Michael Jackson, every one has played a part in Hollywood's glamorous  and vibrant history and it was fascinating to visit this eponymous landmark.

Walking away from the sidewalk, in front of the famous Chinese Theatre we found ourselves surrounded by the signatures, foot and hand prints of acclaimed movie stars from past and present. Putting my feet over the footprints of Gene Kelly sent shivers up my spine and brought back happy memories spent with my father who had such a love for old Hollywood musicals, as I do today. 

Another personal highlight would have to be Marilyn Monroe who along with Jane Russell immortalised her handprints in 1953. The photograph capturing the moment is still iconic of the actress and I imagine literally millions of women have place their hands in the very same spot over last 60 years.

Hot and hungry we searched for a lunch destination and found the perfect place in Johnny Rockets. An all american diner with neon sign at the door, classic dining booths and even a mini jukebox on the table, the menu was reasonably priced and the food was very tasty. 

Our last scheduled stop of the day was of great interest to me, as I consider myself to be quite a sweet connoisseur and have the sweetest tooth on the planet. Sweet! claims to be the biggest and best candy store in the world, stocking over 11,000 different varieties and to say that the children and I (and Misa) weren't just a little bit excited to go in would be an understatement. Just under an hour later I left having spent $84 which if my calculations are correct is just over £54 worth of candy!

It was well worth it though if only for the slow and hot journey home and I know the benefactors of my shopping trip (you know who you are) will be eternally grateful (if I don't eat them all first!) 

Of all of us, it was definitely Holly who enjoyed herself the most today. Seeing her name on virtually every street corner and signpost in sight made her feel so special, she summed up the day perfectly as we drove back up the I-110 by saying 'I hope you all had a lovely day in my town ... Holly Town'

Day 5

It's not every Monday morning you wake up in California. To take full advantage of our surroundings this morning we decided to make use of the fantastic bikes and scooters that have been kindly left for us at the house.

After some debate over who was to have which bike we started our journey up the Strand which thankfully was much quieter than yesterday. Unfortunately, Holly's lack of experience on a two wheeled scooter meant that we were travelling at approximately 1mph and so decided to split into two more sensible groups; the boys and Misa would carry on up to Manhattan Beach and fulfil their need for speed, meanwhile Holly and I would fulfil our need for fruit smoothies at a local beach bar!

After the boys returned home completely exhausted from their bike ride, I took the executive decision to leave them at home for the afternoon. I on the other hand was bursting with energy following my acai berry smoothie and felt the need to exercise my legs and debit card with a wander round Del Amo Fashion Center, supposedly one of the biggest malls in America. 

I'm not sure what was more enjoyable, having three hours shopping or simply having three hours peace and quiet from the children. Needless to say the shopping was the icing on the cake for my restful afternoon and I managed to gather quite a collection of gifts and treats for myself and others of course!

By the time I arrived home, the guilt had taken over and it seemed only fair that we all go out for dinner instead of eating at home. The children dressed themselves in their cool new american outfits and we headed out into the chilly evening air.

The American Junkie was our restaurant of choice, and after the waitress had translated the menu (I now know that PB&J stands for peanut butter and jelly) we made our selection. I have to say that I have been to some good value restaurants in my lifetime but none more so than this one. The children's menu which was $4 per child, that's £2.59 each included a main meal (big enough to feed an adult), as much lemonade as you can drink and an ice-cream. Holly went for grilled cheese (aka cheese on toast) and Louis and William went for a dish that I had never seen or heard of in my lifetime until tonight .... THE CORN DOG!!  If you haven't tried one either, it's basically a frankfurter on a stick coated in donut batter minus the sugar, it shouldn't work but it absolutely does and the boys loved it!

With our tummies full and my purse still heavy we got up to leave and spotted a familiar face in the corner. Former Girls Aloud member, Sarah Harding and her boyfriend who were no doubt there for the $4 corn dog meal too!

Day 4

Having decided that I will run as often as I can while I am here, that's exactly how my day began today. Despite waking up with the signs of a head cold, I laced up my trainers and hit the Strand which even at 8.30am was absolutely heaving with locals. In the short time we have been here I have deduced several things. Californian people love to exercise, including running with their dogs and their children wherever possible. If their not exercising then they're dressed for it and almost certainly holding a large take away Starbucks coffee in their hand. I ran as far as Manhattan Pier and back which was just a little over 7km, smashing my usual split time with an impressive best of 5min 32sec per km. I have to say that all of all the lovely locations I have run before, this place will be hard to beat. The endless people watching, stunning beach views and quirky beach house architecture means there's always something to take in and distract you from the task ahead.

Feeling slightly guilty for abandoning my brood I made amends by rustling up my first ever batch of American pancakes smothered in Nutella and whipped cream which were as you can imagine, greatly received!

After a minor mother/son argument which left William hiding in the garage for over an hour while Misa scoured the length of Hermosa Beach looking for him, we packed up the car for the short journey down to Redondo Beach where we would spend the day at the Seaside Lagoon. 

For Holly and Louis the lagoon ticked every box; heaps of sand, lots of of other children, shallow water, fountains to run in and out of and they couldn't have been happier until, 40 minutes in when the announcement came that the water would be closing due to a technical fault. Ever British, we kept calm and carried on, stoically making use of a closely appointed sprinkler and nearby shower to keep us cool and aid the children's 'hole filled with water' game which kept them amused for several hours. Regular cries of 'stay out of the water' (needs to be said in American accent) from the lifeguards left me momentarily searching for shark fins within the 2ft lagoon although neither the children or Misa had any idea which film I was referring too.

At around 3pm after over two hours of 'watergate' they announced that the water was opening and I wish i'd been filming because the squeals and yelps of literally dozens of children all hurtling towards the shallow pool simultaneously was priceless.

Having finally acclimatised to LA time zone, we felt ready to venture out this evening after Tom and Linda had recommended the Sunday night Hermosa beach concerts which featured a British friend of the family playing in the supporting band, Fallen Riviera. Unaware there was more than one band performing however, I mustered up all my courage to go back stage and approach the lead singer who I thought would soon realise our connection but alas looked at me blankly while being flanked by groupies annoyed at me for taking up so much of his time. Turns out the all american Wayword Sons have no connection to our exchange partners but do perform with British accents (even more confusing) and can belt out a phenomenal rendition of Bohemian Rapsody.

The highlight of the day featured Louis and seven Mexican street dancers. We had gathered around with a group of other spectators and were watching an amazing dance routine when all of a sudden Louis was called up as a volunteer. It's hard to explain on here just how they involved him in the act but luckily I have all 3.5 minutes of video footage which will be shared and cherished forever more!!

(On our way to the beach concert with very excited 5 year old)

Day 3

Today really was our first big adventure. After another early wake up call from Holly and Louis we ate our breakfast and packed up our beach bags ready to hit the road for Malibu. The road however in this case happened to be the Interstate 405 which if you haven't ever seen before, makes the M25 look like the B1438 in Melton. Thankfully, our superb car and trusty navigation system did almost all the work and after only a few wrong turns the car filled with 'oohs' and 'aahs' as we turned onto the Pacific Coast Highway with Santa Monica beach in our view.

Our first stop of the day, was the Malibu Lagoon State Beach. After paying $12 to park, we walked along the dust track toward the beach not knowing what or who would greet us around the corner. We soon realised that this beach was a surfing hot spot as a sea of black bodies bobbed up and down on their surfboards in front of us. The beach wasn't the prettiest or the cleanest but being a Saturday it was full of local families, namely men, eager to catch some waves with their wives and children left soaking up the sunshine and playing on the sand.

After another home made lunch (ham and cheese bagels for children and wholewheat tortilla wrap with cottage cheese and avocado for me) we decided to seek out another beach towards Santa Monica that had would hopefully be a better swimming location for the children. On the walk back to the car I took this great pic of Louis sporting his 'surf dude' t-shirt standing alongside two genuine surf dudes!

Back in the car, the driving was beginning to come naturally despite it only being my 2nd ever attempt at driving on the right. We stopped at what we thought was Santa Monica but actually turned out to be the Will Rogers beach in an area called Pacific Palisades. A very friendly local took delight in telling us all about the area and couldn't contain her excitement at discovering we were 'home exchangers' referring, as everyone does to the film, The Holiday.

The beach was busy, but with every right as its vast expanse of white sand and crystal blue waters lured everyone in. Will soon made friends with a boy around his own age and they spent the entire afternoon diving headfirst into 10ft waves. Louis and Holly were less happy to begin with as the verocity of the waves meant that they were limited to playing along the shoreline but it didn't take long for them to make the best of the situation using their imaginations to come up with games to play together.  Misa and I on the other hand couldn't help smiling when we spotted a rather handsome red-shorted lifeguard, even contemplating faking our own drowning to catch his attention ha ha. 

Conscious of the growing traffic and my need for a nice glass of sauvignon and soda, we packed up the car just after 3.30pm and made our way back to Hermosa, stopping only at Vons on the way, to replenish food and of course, wine! All a little weary and definitely a little pinker than when we had left this morning we are looking forward to another relaxing evening in our new temporary home.

Day 2

Inspired by our exchange partners holiday blog, this is the first entry of my journal which will detail everything we experience during our Californian adventure. Already well into day 2 (Friday) we are all still feeling the effects of jet lag. Holly climbed into bed with me at 4am this morning which signified the beginning of our day and I think we have had a weeks worth of tears from both Louis and Holly in the last 48 hours.

Despite the fatigue, we have already been seduced by Hermosa Beach which includes the most beautiful white sandy beach, quirky boutiques and a wonderful long stretch of walkway along the beachfront called 'The Strand' which is filled with inline skaters, cyclists and runners. After a rather excessive start on the food front yesterday, I joined the locals this morning and completed a 10km run all the way up to 32nd Street in Manhattan Beach which has definitely been my highlight so far.

As yesterday was Will's 12th birthday we celebrated with an authentic all american late breakfast at Scotty's situated on the Strand. The kids loved the pancakes (which were finished off by me) and the Redondo omelette I had was simply delicious. We also managed a trip to Von's the local supermarket which wasn't the most stress free experience with three children in tow but was nevertheless easy enough to find and navigate our way round. It is strange not recognising any of the food on the shelves and makes meal planning a little bit more complicated.

We had been planning to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific today but have postponed until another day when the children are less tired as it's quite expensive and we want to make the most of it. The kids have been having more than enough fun today on the beach, Will has a body board and has been catching some great waves and Holly and Louis are happy chasing away the seagulls and playing in the sand. I had a walk up to the local shops in Hermosa Beach earlier and found a great personal training gym where I have booked some sessions for next week which will be really good fun and offset the pancakes and birthday cake from yesterday hopefully!

Another early night tonight I expect and then a trip to Malibu tomorrow which will be fun. Both Misa and I have tried the driving but need to go out again soon to gain more confidence.