Bill and Bruce have a view from their yard that is unbelievable – a true California vista. You look from their yard, which is high up a mountain, down a long valley to an inverted triangle of Pacific Ocean. The valley is fall California brown – it has not yet begun to take on the subtle hint of green that marks spring out here. From the yard, you do not see many houses; instead you actually see the hill. It is a beautiful view.

I have gone many times to the yard today, and looked at this view as the sun moved overhead. I find it entrancing.



We first met Bill and Bruce 9 years ago as they and we were checking into a hotel – the clerk decided it was more efficient to check us in simultaneously, so proceeded to introduce us and then he became totally confused about who was who. This led to a laugh, and we have been good friends since – although we don’t get to see them as often as we would like.

Their dog Sandy Paws is a special sweetheart. She is 16 years old, and has been blind for a number of years. But she makes her way around as best she can, and is a good friend to Bill and Bruce.



We had a quiet day today – sat in a lovely coffee house in the middle of Laguna Beach and updated the website. The weather finally turned, and it was a perfect day to be “out and about” (as Bruce would say with his amusing Canadian accent). We went out for Mexican food for supper, on the assumption that it would be a long time before it was available as an option.

Ok, here is a classic underwear story…no, not one of those stories….We had packed our big bags for the trip quite early on and had stored them at our neighbors Frank and Carmela’s. Packing, storing, moving things to Brian’s condo, unpacking, repacking and moving to Stratford, unpacking, storing, making sure we had enough of the basics, you know? Greg had forgotten what exactly he had packed in the big suitcases at Frank and Carmela’s and kept wondering why he had so much underwear in Stratford??!! Needless to say, after a thorough search of all the luggage here in California, Greg shopped for brand new underwear today for the rest of their trip. Thank God there is a lot of clean underwear stored in Stratford for his arrival in June!

Latitude: N33°
Longitude: W117°

We arrive early afternoon to our friend Bill and Bruce’s house in Laguna Niguel with a fabulous view out to the ocean…still chilly by California standards and we must admit, by ours, too! A simple supper and lots of catch up and we are all off to an early bed.

Latitude: N34°
Longitude: W118°

We wake to a perfect day – clear blue skies with glorious sun but somewhat cool and windy. Larry and Del have a gem of a house, with a perfect yard and pool. We realize how quite and peaceful it is despite being 12 minutes from Hollywood and Vine.



We spend the day touring downtown LA. Who knew LA had a downtown! And in a Toronto sense, it doesn’t – it is an area of town called “downtown”, rather than the physical hub.

Two buildings in particular are on our agenda – Our Lady of the Angels (architect: Moneo) and Walt Disney Hall (architect: Gehry). Both are beautiful in the extreme – but it is difficult to conceive of 2 buildings that could be more different. And yet both are similar, in their use of light as an important architectural element and within close walking distance on Grand Avenue.

Our Lady of the Angels

The new Cathedral in downtown L.A is monochromatic both inside and out. The walls and ceiling are poured concrete that has been tinted a sort of café au lait colour. The windows are alabaster, so the quality of the light inside is a shimmering luminescence, and the colour of the light is the same café au lait as the walls and ceiling. While a very modern building, it exudes a grandness of scale that rivals the great ancient churches of Europe.




The sconces on the wall are all handmade angels. One in particular caught my eye – he seemed so unhappy for an angel, and his wings appeared to be on fire.



Disney Hall

What can be said? The exterior of the main hall is clad in stainless steel, and every piece is unique. Because there are no flat planes, the sunlight dances!



Thank you, Larry and Del, for your wonderful hospitality. What a great start to our trip!

© 2004 Tobeeco Corp., all rights reserved | design by Artifex Design | powered by b2