Friend in town, 4

Beach boy - enjoying life.

We originally wanted to drive to Huntington Beach today, one of "America's famous surf cities" with the best waves in California. Since we had kind of a late start in the morning we decided to go Manhattan Beach - another great surfer spot but located much closer to L.A. We had a great picnic from Trader Joe's, jumped into the ocean and bodysurfed for hours. Being carried by these powerful pacific waves is one of the best feeling one can have! Later in the afternoon we drove back and went for a sightseeing rid through the fascinating downtown of Los Angeles and checked out a couple of its attractions such as the new and beautiful Disney Concert Hall (design by star architect Frank Gehry), the wonderful Union Station, the new gigantic cathedral Our Lady Of The Angels, the Museum of Modern Art and all the great historic buildings. A refreshing drink was desperately needed, so we joined Leslie for a cocktail at the roof bar of the hip Standard Hotel which offers the most amazing panoramic view of the skyline of downtown L.A. (close to my favorite skyscraper, the Sanwa bank building). Philipp's wish to have a real American steak came immediately come true when we drove to the Outback Steakhouse in Burbank and ate a delicious dinner until we almost dropped dead. Plus: the pictures from L.A. downtown - and other places.