my ordinary life: Who's a pretty boy, then?

Sunday, 31 August 2014

Who's a pretty boy, then?

Me, me, me!

'We' all know about that movie 'Pretty Girl' with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere which was largely set in and around the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Rodeo Drive.

Here is the hotel on Wilshire Boulevard at the junction with Rodeo Drive.

This morning, early Sunday, I took a wander down to the hotel. Minding my own business I took a photo of the entrance. Quite silently and unnoticed by me a very efficient Concierge (not the one from the movie) appeared by my side and offered to take my photo.

If you enlarge the photo you can more clearly see him approaching me reflected in the glass door.

Here is his a sample of his work. I thought he was pointing my camera in the wrong direction but when I saw the photos I knew I was wrong. I reckon he has taken a few of these photos before.

Seeing as the Concierge was so hospitable I decided to take a seat in the lobby and watch the world pass by for a while.

Beverly Wilshire Hotel lobby

Having made it inside I couldn't resist an admittedly genuine need to visit the hotel toilet. Of course, once there what does one do but take a photograph?

Typical of 5 star hotel toilets, I think

Later on I took a cheapie short tour of Beverly Hills on a stylised Trolley Bus. It only cost $5 and was all over in 45 minutes and served as a sample of the bigger, longer, more expansive and expensive tours on offer.

Of course, it included a tour of streets where the narrator pointed out film stars' homes - or rather former homes; if you believe what they are saying. I didn't bother to photo many of these but here are two just for an indication of the variety of homes. Of course many homes we passed were on massive properties invisible to we gawkers the way they are set behind high hedges and walls. We could just as easily been passing a cemetery or golf course for all I knew.