Bronnie's Travels

Friday, 3 June 2011

22.5.11 LAST DAY BEVERLY HILLS

After breakfast I head off to the Getty museum which is on huge acreage in the hills of Los Angeles off Sunset Bv. It is an amazing; take a little train to the cream stone buildings with stunning statues, water features and gardens. It has a peaceful serene feeling of spaciousness. I view an exhibition on Paris 18^th century; a photographic exhibition on Cuba, which was fabulous having just been there it, was so much more interesting

Viewed sod masters and generally had a good wander around. I caught a cab back on my way went passed the Playboy mansion!! Had to see where it all happens and having watched the show for so long wanted to get low down of where is was. Cant see much but did see the stone that you talk into to get in!

Took photos of the gate, went around the back of property and saw all the houses that are on the estate! Wow what real estate and other homes in the street were awesome!

Then I wanted to drop off a note to my other friends who I couldn’t get in touch with. Would you believe they are the same street as the hotel but the road goes for miles! Anyway left a note in the letterbox and yes their house was very grand! Natalie Wood use to own it!

Back to hotel and lunch at the cabana by the pool, which was great, then packed and headed to the pool to ready and while some time before I had a massage and facial pre my flight!

Now I loved all that the hotel offered room stunning, service impeccable, Polo Club great, couldn’t fault anything but wonder if I would stay again as it is a little out of the hub of things, that is good and bad! Very quiet and relaxing. Anyway I have plenty of time to think about where I stay next time!

The La Piarie facial and massage were divine and perfectly timed to head to the airport where my flight left at 1.35am 23.5.11!!

Hey the flight was great, a couple of glasses of Krug, caviar and salmon, slept for about 5hrs then had lobster in ginger sauce!

Later some fresh fruit which was fabulous and dim sum!!!!

Arrived Hong Kong and had a long hot shower and then about an hour before heading off again!! This time homeward bound!!

On Cathy again and I must say I do like their service food and aircrafts. All seem to be new and on this flight there is no first.

The seats are on the angle 12a on window facing in herringbone style and in the middle just one yoo herringbone style they face the aisle Very cozy! I’m happy by myself but not very friendly if you are travelling with a partner as no talking!

Well nearly home after a really fabulous holiday, I just can’t wait to see my babies!!!! They grow so much when I go away and guess Tom will be talking so much! My little girls just becoming little ladies!!

THE ROCK INTERCOM AT PLAYBOY MANSION

THE GATE PLAYBOY MANSION

MCCARTHY SALAD BEVERLY HOTEL

CABANNA REST AT THE HOTEL

VIEW FROM MY ROOM

MY BALCONY

THE POOL

Adios, till next time!!

21.5.11 BEVERLY HILLS

21,5.11 BEVERLY HILLS

Well I’m still here!! It was meant to be doomsday the end of the world but lucky for all of us it didn’t happen

Breakfast in the courtyard then I head off to Melrose st go to Fred Segue shop and have a wander still the best shopping is Robertson St.

I walk and walk and go to Beverly centre to get the girls some little shoes I saw there then hop into a taxis and go to the ivy for lunch

Kerrie had suggested this place and not sure if it is owned by the same people as the one in London.

It is very different from London

Table and chairs outside and umbrellas with bright bougainvillea cascading, fabulous music playing. Vases of bold old-fashioned roses and mint in glass jugs or silver teapots. Pine dressers filled with plates jugs vases. Bowls of green apples. Bonquettes with brightly striped cushions it is so colorful and happy.

Lunch is delicious so enjoy my time there, then head up the street to Kitson this fab shop I had been too a couple of days ago.

Here I pick up some more fab gifts. I ask the girl about the shop and said this guy set it up and then all the stars started coming there! Go have a look at the celebrity board!!

Well couldn’t believe as I thought this shop and the other shops are fab and so do the stars. Well Paris Hilton shops here, Victoria Beckham, the Kardashiands, the list goes on!!

Now head back to the hotel for a cocktail and soup, and then hit the sack

One thing I love about the hotel is the discreetness, I do see security with microphones in their ears wandering around, the maids in black with white aprons don’t have trolleys they take the vacuum and the sheets individually to each room and clean.

The hotel has had 100 million facelift so wonder it is so beautifully fresh but in the old world charm.

A funny thing with newspapers here is that they are all black and white and they are half the length size of the Australian, the print is small and it looks so old fashioned! No colour photos either!

Ah America!!!

Saturday, 21 May 2011

20.5.11 MOVIE STARS AND MORE BEVERLEY HILLS HOTEL!!

RICKI AND ME THE POLO CLUB

JOEL AND RICKI

FOYER OF HOTEL

THE KISS ENTOURAGE

THE BEVERELEY HILLS HOTEL

RODEO DRIVE

FABULOUS PRADA WINDOW EXCEPT THERE IS NO GLASS RIGHT ON THE PAVEMENT

THE HOUSE THAT MUST BE IMPORTANT AS TOURIST BUS STOPPED!!RODEO DRIVE!

RACHAEL ROGER AND ME!

IN CASE YOU DONT KNOW RACHAEL IS THE MOST FAMOUS STYLIST TO THE STARS AND ROGER NOW RUNS THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THE BUSINESS!

20.5.11 THE BEVERLEY HILLS HOTEL AND BEVERLEY HILLS

Breakfast in The Polo Club and Im sitting outside which is gorgeous.

The azaleas are blooming around a central tree, which is lit at nighttime and its very interment.

It is just like being at home, the table cloths have a flower pattern and chairs are comfortable wrought iron.

I read the Los Angeles Times in between trying to spot a star!!

In walks a group of men with Kiss passes so figure this is a good sign!! Trying to remember the lead guy which comes to me about 12 hours later!! Gene Simmons!!

Anyway at least I ve seen some action !!!

After breakfast I head out to walk down Rodeo Drive which is the continuation of where Im staying.

As I leave out comes Gene with all the guys that I had breakfast with!! Yes he’s tall and pretty ugly with the black hair!! At last seen one!!

So walk down Rodeo Drive and the tour cars are passing by stopping at houses!! I take the photos of houses but don’t know who lives or lived there!!

They probably drive by my other friend’s home, which was owned by Natalie Woods, and the street is on one of the other streets the hotel is on!!!

Walk for miles in the sunshine and do all the department stores, Barneys, Neman Marcus, Saks of 5^th Ave, then decide to head home

Have a rest and go to the movies to see Bridesmaids, which is really funny!

Back home and get ready to meet my friends Joel and Ricki Robertson who Kate and I met in Morocco! Ricki is a pediatrician and has just written a book on autism, a world expert on the subject.

They arrive and I have a table booked in yet again The Polo Club, we are having a drink and Ricki says oh the woman behind us is Pricilla Presley!! I’m in heaven another star they are everywhere!!

The woman she is talking to is Judith Libeler who makes the fabulous crystal handbags and they are heavily talking about jewels!!!

Take a photo of Ricki and Joel and then Joel takes one of us but doesn’t get Pricilla in the photo, very discreet!

We move into the dining room and Ricki says that all the people there would be famous, producers etc. We get up to leave and Ricki says oh Rachel Zoe is sitting next to us OMG I’m excited, as I adore her and her show!

Roger and Rachael get up and I say oh Rachael I have to say I love your show and congratulations on the birth of your baby!! (Lucky I had read a gossip mag yesterday with that news!)

Tell them I’m Aussie, well it is kisses all round and Roger says to me you smell great what are you wearing?

I say Michael Kors, Rachael asks is it Island and I say no the original.

It is so funny as I bought some more perfume yesterday and I was telling the assistant how everyone always asks me what I’m wearing, it happens nearly everyday and imp not exaggerating, in fact today Roger was the 4^th person to ask!!

The Michael Kors assistant tells me it must be my signature scent and don’t change!! I have been wearing it for 10 years.

Telling all this to my new best friends and Rachael says she is going to tell Michael (KORS)!!

I wished I had told her I was dressed in Michael Kors!! Little Black silk dress with cardigan, I actually felt really good in it too!!

Forgot to give them my card as they said they wanted to get down to Australia!

We talk about the show and I ask if there is a new series and Roger says it is amazing it is so popular in Australia as he says its only 3^rd level here!!

But I told them that we are mad about fashion!! Roger shows me photos of the baby and then Rachael shows me the better photos she has!

Can’t remember the name, as it was strange!!! Now could I have a photo of course Roger says lets do it here in front of the Polo painting and Ricki takes it not knowing what to do with my camera!

Oh shit then we are told no photos!

Rachael says oh I thought that might be the case but at least the girl knows me and knows I’m a guest!! Now my new best friends say farewell and go talk to their friends!

What a gorgeous couple and so friendly I really felt I had known them for years!!

So what an exciting night!!!

Fabulous to see Joel and Ricki and so grateful Ricki could spot the stars for me!!

Friday, 20 May 2011

18.5.11 - 19.5.11 PV - THE BEVERLEY HILLS HOTEL LOS ANGELES

18.5.11 LOS ANGELES – BEVERLEY HILLS 19.5.11

I arrived in LA to be greeted by a very nasty immigration man who asked what nationality I was date of birth when I arrived in USA the first time. Did I have any cigarettes or cigars. I couldn’t lie and said yes , what did I have cigars, I said just 2. Where they Cuban and I said yes. So with this he wrote on my customs card in red something which I knew I was going to get into trouble !!!!

Luck was with me as I had a very nice customs man who said I shouldn’t have told him Id been to Cuba!

I told him he asked me the above and I couldn’t lie. I actually hadn’t told him I had been to Cuba as they sold these bloody cigars at airport in PV, even though I had purchased them in Havana.

Anyway he told me they have an embargo with Cuba and I was to crush the cigars! At least they didn’t take me away.

Arrived at The Beverley Hills Hotel, the pink hotel which is now 99 years old. It is vey famous and steeped in history of movie stars, royalty. Movie stars come here as they can be incognito. Very discreet!

I have a lovely room with a pink marble with green marble surround fireplace and the fire on to greet me. A lovely balcony with sun lounge chairs and table, plus im on level 2 which suits me in case of a earthquake I can get out!!

Could be handy as there is a man predicting doomsday on Saturday 21^nd May so we will all be dead!!

There is a lovely fruit platter so decide just to have the fruit and bed.

19.5.11

Breakfast in the Polo Room and then head out shopping!!

They have a courtesy car that takes you to any where you want to go in Beverley Hills which is fabulous so

I head to Robertson Street which has some fabulous interesting shops.

Then I walk to the Beverley Centre, here are Bloomingdales and Macys and lots of other shops.

Have my hair done , spot of shopping ,back to hotel drop of purchases then head out again by courtesy car to Century plaza another shopping mall!

Back to hotel and have a drink at The polo Bar, martini, dinner and reflect on a fabulous day!!!!

Im star watching knowing that everybody is really famous and important but I don’t recognize anyone!!!

ROOM 225

MY VIEW

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

17.5.11 VILLA AZUL - PUERTO VALLARTA - FAREWELL 18.5.11

FRUIT MAN ON BEACH!!! YUM!!! MANGO ON A STICK!!

MAN FISHING

WHERES MY MARGUARITA?

THE VILLA

MAIN BEDROOM

DINNER BY THE SEA

SUNSET

ROMANTIC SETTING

ARNT THESE THE BEST HANDBAG HOLDERS!!! A BUSINESS FOR SOMEONE BACK HOME

MY GLASS SWIVEL STICK MAN

THE ESPLANADE

LOVELY SCULPTURE ON ESPLANADE

VILLA AZUL

MY OFFICE AT VILLA

LOUNGE AREA

VIEW

NIGHT TIME AT VILLA

17.5.11 VILLA AZUL AND PUERTO VALLARTA

Sitting here writing this at 11.00pm in the evening with the perfect warm temperature, a cool light breeze , looking at the lights of PV I feel pretty lucky. There is not a noise , Stunning.

Today after a great sleep felt like a new person! We head off down town for breakfast and wander

We start at the Cathedral of the old town and walk along the esplanade looking at the ocean, people jogging and vendors getting ready for the day.

We find a little place for breakfast right on the beach and after head for you guessed it the shops!!

Find a good silver shop with great things but finding the prices here are double of Playa del Carmen which is interesting!

Have to bargain hard and even then they wont budge and we walk out of many shops!!

Wanted to get the little Mexican outfits for the girls which I saw in Playa and here I cant find them or the dolls I didn’t buy there too!

My old saying is if you see it get it as you wont see it again!! Should listen to my own advise!!

Kerrie decides to go home as she is done with her shopping and I am still on a search!!!

After much searching at last I find the outfits!!

I then to decide to hit the beach as Im thirsty and it must be margarita time!!

Find a little restaurant on the sand, just like in Greece .I get the drink while vendors come and and try and sell to me!

I purchase a delicious mango on a stick which was yummy! See the photo as the colour of the fruit watermelon, cucumber, papaya, mangos looks fabulous!

I am watching a man fishing and he is about 2 metres of the edge of the sand and he is up to his shoulders in the water!

Now know why the waves were crashing so loudly! It goes down so deeply so quickly and reminded me of Lagos as it did the same thing there!

Huge seagulls dive bomb down to catch fish and I love watching this.

After sometime of just soaking up the atmosphere I head off to get my nails done!! Then decided to have a massage as it all so cheap here so nails and massage!!

By this time it is nearly 5.30p.m. and luckily I said to Kerrie I would be home by 6.00p.m as she could be worried that I have got lost!!!!

I arrived home and Kerrie was pleased to see me and said she wasn’t going to panic till after 6.00p.m!!!

Our taxi driver Micki is going to pick us up to take us back downtown to restaurant on the beach called La Palapa.

First just a final touch of shopping as I had found some things Kerrie wanted!!

Dinner was lovely having our last Margarita as Beverley Hills tomorrow and it will be grey goose martinis!!!

Watching the sun go down sitting on the beach on a perfect evening we reflected on our wonderful time we have had together.

After a perfect evening we head back to the villa and I sit and do this!!

One thing I am looking forward to is being able to put the toilet paper in the loo!!!! I have to admit I do sometimes forget!! This is also the same in Greece!!

I might add that the loos here are spotlessly clean everywhere you go.

I think I may have mentioned that the apartment is for sale at 2.5 million there are 3 apartments including ours with 2 more below!!

Boy the stairs to get to the other 2 are really steep!! Grateful that we are the top apartment!

From entertainment level to street level and our bedrooms it is 30 steps so when you forget something up you go!!! But great exercise!!!

Adiose Mexico!!! A fabulous place and friendly charming people!! Would love to come here again!!!!

18.5.11

Micki picks us up and takes us back to La Palapa for final breakfast before heading off!

Here you can have a table on the waters edge with towels provided an Italian sun lounge with tilting head which I love!! Just sit there and have breakfast lunch and dinner if you so desire!!! Nice way to spend a day!!!!!!