From Venice to Broadway

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Give my regards to Broadway,
Remember me to Herald Square
George M Cohan 1904

I know that it's the New York Broadway they're singing about but we spent a good part of our day on or around Broadway in L.A. so I thought it appropriate for todays song. The reason we were on Broadway was so that Harvey & Sheila (hereafter known as H&S) could take us to Cliftons Cafeteria for lunch. About time too, they've been banging on about it for years!

Sunday morning bright & early, H&S arrived at our hotel after making their way via bus & train (Gold line) from La Crescenta.
We went into Whole Foods for coffee and to pig out on freebies to set us up for the day ahead.
It turned out to be a day of contrast never more evident than our first destination, Venice Beach.
Our first stroll was around the canals just back from the sea-front. It was so pretty and unexpected and we were virtually alone on our tour.
I've no idea what it would cost to own a house on the canals but I feel very envious of those who do.

This is one of the 'must visit' places in LA.

From the canals we went onto the Venice Beach boardwalk and it was gross. Ugh!
It was noisy, tawdry and tasteless. Populated by noisy, tawdry & tasteless people. From the primping narcissists on Muscle Beach to the hucksters trying to sell their cheap & tacky rubbish along the side. Even the restrooms were vomit inducingly dirty.
I wouldn't even do it the justice of taking any pictures.
Perhaps Sunday was a bad day to visit.
The one ray of sunshine was a lady busker sitting in a chair singing classics such as 'Fever'in a beautiful voice.
However, she was totally overshadowed by a hippy couple with a young child begging next to her holding a sign saying "Christmas will suck if you don't help". Thirty feet away were another couple of beggars holding up a sign saying "F*** Off". Strange way to ask for money but it probably had it's appeal for the majority of the passers by.
We happily took their advice and headed off for lunch to Cliftons.
Kate (our navigator) took us straight there as usual and we spotted a car park immediately opposite for $6 all day. Can you imagine being able to park in any of our towns in England let alone a major city for £3 all day.
Broadway is brash and noisy and very hispanic in this area but we felt totally safe as it was a family atmosphere.
It seems strange that French is taught in schools as a second language when in many places all you hear is Spanish, not even English.
Cliftons was all it had been made up to be. Good ole country cookin' at good prices too. The 4 of us ate for $40 and that was for two courses and a drink each.
H&S were spotted almost immediately by the staff and fussed over like long-lost friends and when we had finished we were given the tour.
Cliftons has been a Broadway tradition since 1935 and long may it survive. You must give it a try if you're ever in the area. Gourmet it aint' but it aint' pretentious either.

We went for a wander in the area crossing through an indoor market into Hill St. where that wonderful cop series, Hill St Blues was based and also the location of the Angels Flight lift, scene of a book of the same name by Michael Connelly.
Being in the market was like being in a foreign country. I never heard a single word of English or saw a non-hispanic face and some of the prices were incredible. 10lb of bananas for $1!!

In Pershing Square we sat for ages watching the antics of the skaters on the temporary ice rink. It was hilarious but none of us had the bottle to try it ourselves.

We made a detour on our way back to drop off H&S via the Hastings Ranch lights again. It's amazing the effort some people had put into their displays.
The end of a lovely day.

It's now 8:30 0n Christmas Eve.
We spent a quiet day getting over our exertions of yesterday and finished up at a children's service at Nancy's church. It was lovely to see the children performing with such delight.