LA pic.

have i already mentioned that i love LA?

since i was a kid i've been told about my mom's trips to the land of "kalifornien" where skies are blue and the roads are long. i knew i had to go sometime, and i love it.

California dreamin on such a winters day

summer sun vs bicycle to work in the early morning in snow and -25 C. winter is really hard right now for me. i' don't like freezing outdoors and indoors. i just really want spring and summer right now! only 3 months away. when winter takes up most of the months of my year, it's not just summer.. it's a place for the soul! i'm waiting and i am so ready! only snow, time and a huge bunch of schoolwork is in the way. summer will be so lovely. winter is hard. atleast it is right now.

"no one wears black in LA"

a little note

we love LA and we miss it.
*diana photo from this day.

some black and whites of LA..

oh happy dance! LA, by diana

i got my film back today. this is my first 120 film ever. and my first adventure with the Diana f+ camera. i thought i did so many screw ups with it so i'm sooo happy the photos that i wanted turned out. and i forgot to tape up the camera so i feared i would get lots of heavy light leaks ruining them, but no no no! i love them. these are from hollywood and santa monica pier and beach. in august.

sister blondie.

more pics from santa monica here and hollywood here & here.

film: fuji reala 100

california polaroids.

San Francisco:

Los Angeles:

San Diego:

food clash.

• the only true american food i've been eating i guess is at the diners. i liked the vegetarian hamburgers there. i just love diners... other times i've tried to find italian or greek restaurants (love european food).
  
  

• the candy here is so far not much. but i've only been to safeway. there is still hope. i really wish swedish candy was available here. the "swedish fish" are ok when there isn't any better around. most candy look plastic, has a suspicious strong color or tastes like.. dishwash soap. i wanted to try twinkies but they looked a little too suspicious. i did try snowballs, but.. they weren't any good... the bags are BIG SIZE. like stock up HUGE. everything comes in big pack here.
• the american food culture seems to like fries and meat more than -candy-. but drinks are sweeter than the candy, americans seem to like sugar in all kinds of things more than actual candy. sweden has the most wonderful candy i tell you.. and instead no sugar in the food. overall, i missed my swedish food. i don't shop at IKEA in sweden, but abroad i would only got to IKEA lol.

• sprite and coca cola bottles are a little wider, and both has a sweeter taste compared to the swedish. uh.

• cheese is already slized here, and it doesn't taste much cheese. and why is it orange? trying to put cheese sticks on my toast was funny in the morning. but they were good compared to peanut butter... hm.
  
  

• i'm hearing that cupcakes here are way too sweet. i hope not.

• i've had cheesecake, and it was ok, but ugh, i couldn't even finish it.

• coffee is cheaper here. around 2 dollars cheaper. i love starbucks. acutally good we don't have starbucks in sweden. i'm not supposed to drink coffee. but oh i love mochas. i could have 3 in one day. dangerous!

but there was 3 things i loved..
mtn dew
milkshakes
and starbucks cafe mocha.

mtn dew is slowly being introduced to sweden, i saw some on a shelf a few weeks ago.. now i'm waiting for the other two..!

last day.

we had lunch at an italian restaurant in San Francisco.

somewhere on columbia avenue i think.

i like this city. it's nice.

i see many things here in california that reminds me of how

much i love europe. palo alto smells a little bit like crete.

but i will miss some things here.

the parts of Los Angeles that i saw and loved.
i am going to miss milkshakes.
the mtn dews.
miss the diners.
miss the palmtrees.
miss the cinemas.
the strange road signs.
all the cars parked on the roads.
not that taxes aren't included in prices though. that is confusing.

i never know how much to pay for stuff. i feel so silly asking.
and not the carpet floors.
or the way the water tastes.. swimming pool anyone?

the weather was absolutely perfect in california while i was here.
apparently people said it was a bit cold for the season.
thanks america. felt like umeå. san diego was an inch hotter though but good.

overall.. i loved it here. it has been a very positive stay.

other san fran posts are here and here

+++ i have HIM's vinyl now. stina got it for me here in america. happyness.

SF...

breakfast at stina's.

last day in america.

stina made us american pancakes with maple syrup.
yesterday i had toast with peanutbutter and jelly.
interesting food experience.
she went out before breakfast today, before i had woken up, and

got me a starbucks mocha.
how sweet is that. i love her!

palo alto.

i wanted to see death on the nile, but i missed it.

i wish sweden had cinemas like the ones here. there are old black and white movies showing and all kinds of other genres. i love it.
i also loved the vegan-restaurant we ate at here in palo alto. kind of reminded of chinese yet not. don't remember its name. i must say those pizza slize places are genius. i never tried frozen yoghurt though. there is so many different things to pick from here in america!

why are all my america posts about food?!

i love diners.

san francisco, san diego & los angeles diners.

oh the joy!

Diners were the only place in america i wanted to eat at! So dangerously good and unhealthy but oh oh i love them. It wasn't that bad eating at diners because.. Sweden doesn't have them! My mom and dad used to take me to eat at Max every saturday after ballet practice when i was like 6 years old. I eat hamburgers about once a year(if at all) in Sweden so you can guess right that Burgers, Fries & Shakes were a whole lot of fun for me, as the classic dishes at the darling 1950's diners. go america!

I didn't go to "Cadillac Jacks" in LA because i totally forgot about it.. -_- The grease 2 diner scene was shot there. it is very pretty.

Homemade Zuko burger's and Pink Lady Shake's sound good now though.

morro bay

from LA we drove the 101 north and the 1 north, along the coast on our way up to palo alto. morro bay was a really cute town. i found an old car for sale that i wanted and a coca cola machine for sale too. i so would have bought them if i could! oh, and thrift shops everywhere. tomorrow we're going to Monterey and the Monterey Aquarium. the seahorses will be my favorites.

in california the design of the houses come from shoe boxes.

i love the movie lettering on theaters,
don't have them in sweden.

a surf shop! cutest building.