L.A. Getaway (Labor Day Weekend)

Hello darlings! Hope you had spent a lovely weekend.

I've spent Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles and would love to share with you the highlights of my trip, if you'd like to see. I've been in this city four times, and each trip marked a different milestone in my life -either the beginning or the end of something. Every time I hit LAX in order to leave, I always wonder how my life will be next time I visit.

Needless to say, LA has a very special place in my heart. I just love California!  

Saturday, Sept 1:

I finally made it to Santa Monica in the early afternoon. The day was gorgeous and very hot. I decided to rent a bike and roll around the Pier and Southwards direction Venice Beach.

In Venice, I spent some time doing some shopping at the Boardwalk little stores - you can always find the best bargains or the most unique items.

To wrap up a quite intense day, including a five-hour flight and very little sleep the night before, nothing better than a dinner at one of the hippest restaurants in Abbot Kinney: The Tasting Kitchen -yummy mussels and some red.

Sunday, Sept 2:  

PCH can definitely be one of the most gorgeous roads in the world. Agree? I was looking forward to spending one whole day exploring Malibu, not only the beach, but also the country and mountains side.

The Getty Villa: Nestled in the Santa Monica mountains and overviewing the ocean, the Getty Villa represents a truly oasis of aesthetic beauty combined with an extremely rich collection of art from the Ancient Rome and Greece. It is well worth it to spend a few hours there.

Malibu Wines: The moment I heard about the Malibu wineries, I knew I had to go and visit. This place offers outdoor tastings, life music and tons of tables and chairs. People can bring the food, buy the Saddlerocks bottles at the bar, and spend a really lovely afternoon under the Malibu sky and surrounded by the vineyards and mountains. Gorgeous!

El Matador Beach: I read about how wonderful this beach was, and in reality, it's even more spectacular. The larger-than-life rocks add a very exotic vibe. Great ambiance too! Families, kids, surfers, couples...Relaxing and cool!

Malibu Pier: Paradise Cove is certainly my favorite spot in Malibu for eating and playing, however, at that time of the late afternoon it was impossible to find a spot there. I chose to drive a bit further down to the Pier to grab a late lunch. Margarita is usually my go-to cocktail, and at the one I had at the Pier's Jimmys was awesome -it included Cointreau...

Upon my return to Santa Monica in the early evening, I was kind of exhausted, but it was definitely too early to go to bed. So, I freshen up a bit at the hotel, and hit Third Street Promenade to see the ambiance and shops.

I also had a very yummy soup -it does get chilly at night in CA- at the Blue Plate Oysterette, a really cute spot right in front of the Ocean with a cozy nautical vibe.

Monday, Sept 3:
As I was flying back to Miami at midnight, I had practically all day to do stuff. It wasn't easy to come up with the perfect day plan: too many options. I seriously thought about driving down to Laguna Beach, but I finally opted to stay in the Los Angeles City limit area.

Breakfast at Huckleberry: Apparently this is one of the most famous spots in Santa Monica, and now I know why. The food certainly lives up to its reputation: yummy and fresh.

Hollywood Observatory: I had never gotten around hitting Griffith Park on my previous visits, and was told that the views from the Observatory were pretty amazing, so I decided to head towards West Hollywood and see what it was all about. Even though  the Observatory is closed on Mondays, you can still enjoy the magnificent views from the hills. I was seriously tempted to try the famous hike to see the iconic Hollywood sign closer, however my snakes phobia kept me from even try it.

Light lunch at Mozza: I guess that visiting one of Batalli's gems and ordering a Capresse salad and a diet coke is a bit disappointing, but due to the intense heat, that's all I could possibly have. I stopped there before heading to Melrose Avenue for some shopping (I didn't have much luck, by the way).

At 4 pm, I decided to head back to the beach. Santa Monica was super busy, and as I had reservations at 6.30pm for Gjelina, I drove south towards Venice Beach. After finding parking -there's a free parking place right behind the restaurant!- I explored the shopping options in Abbot Kinney. Principessa -chic and sophisticated-, Aviator Nation -old-school surfer vibe- and Ananda -bohemian- were my favorite stores.

I finally arrived at Gjelina for an early dinner. That place has something so special about it: the intimate and uber chic decoration and ambiance, the super cool crowd, and of course, the amazing food, guarantees a memorable dining experience.

As I said, it's always a pleasure to go back to Los Angeles. I truly enjoyed this getaway. It was exactly what I needed to come back to reality much stronger.