Gardens at the Getty Centre in Los Angeles

We set off for Los Angeles from Heathrow on Friday 13th July at 11.30 am and arrived as you do at 2.30pm after an 11 hour flight. We picked up a rental car (a Pontiac something or the other, full size model so about the dimensions of a Mondeo) and set off for Santa Monica, straight onto those humongous multilane freeways much loved by our Californian friends. We found the hotel but unfortunately I managed to do my back in trying to get the parking ticket out of the machine going into the hotel parking lot. Hurt a bit but nothing too awful. We checked in and then explored Santa Monica, including a walk along the pier, a couple of beers then burgers on 3rd Street Promenade.

Back to the hotel to sleep as our bodies thought it was about 5 am - then at about midnight US time I woke up screaming in agony, the back had gone ballistic. My packing hadn't run to painkillers so Keith and Jim set off in a taxi to the back of beyond to a 24 hour pharmacy as instructed by the concierge and came back with some super Advil which was meant to take away the pain and help you sleep. Anyway, 20 minutes later I was looking st that burger again as the pills just seemed to upset my stomach and make me vomit.

Next day and the one after spent very quietly by me - lying in bed or by the hotel pool while Keith and Jim explored Santa Monica and Venice Beach on foot - although we did get out Saturday night and met up with Mike and Hannah Randle at the Kings Head English Pub in Santa Monica. Great to see them again and catch up on the last two years since Mike was last in the UK touring with Love.

By Monday I was ready to get out and about again as I was doing the driving. So we went to the Getty Centre, which is in a great position on top of a hill, and has wonderful gardens as well as a world class art collection. Back held out OK with the help of some slightly less corrosive painkillers.