Contrasts.

I visited Dubai in the first week of september and photographed the workers on the dock at Dubai Creek.
Mid September was India, New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Gwalior, Varinasi, the colors, the beauty and the sadness.
October, Rome, Sulmona, Venice, Florence, Tuscany my first visit to Italy.
Late October – November, Houston and the International Quilt Market and Festival
Then a wind down in Disneyland
Having written about all of the above in great detail I was just as excited at walking through downtown LA. this afternoon. We are staying at the beautiful old Checkers Hilton Hotel. The building has an interesting history, built in the 1920’s as a women-only apartment building for discerning single ladies.
I love the buildings, some are huge and look as if they touch the clouds, their windows reflecting the sun in patterns on the buildings and pavements around them.
Just a few streets away from our very nice hotel, the feeling changes. I was a little uncomfortable walking the streets. I had located an art supplier and needed a new sketch book. Many of the people we passed on the street look as if they should be in a movie. And Movies indeed, they are making one right across the street and we have a birds eye view of the proceedings.
The buildings are fascinating, some of them look like wedding cakes, others are highly decorated in the most beautiful designs. Indeed, our hotel is one of those.
We found the most amazing bookshop .

For years Josh Spencer made a decent living selling books on eBay. In 2009, however, he decided to open what he named the Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. at Fourth and Main — a modest shop of just 1,000 square feet. The neighborhood has been enjoying a renaissance lately, particularly its Gallery Row district where, besides new lofts and restaurants, a thriving creative community has sprung up. 2011, at a time when five big bookstores were closing in L.A., Spencer was offered a new location a couple blocks away: the ground floor of a 99-year-old Art Nouveau building at Fifth and Spring — the original headquarters of Crocker Citizens National Bank. With its 25-foot ceilings and massive columns, the new space was 10 times bigger than his existing store.

I loved its quirkiness and it has one the largest ranges of art books I’ve ever seen.
I’ll be visiting again but I think they are closed while they make a movie there tomorrow.
No work for me here… just a break….I’m going to do some sketches, I’ve located a place to print an image I took in India in preparation for a rather large quilt and a little downtime to sight see.

4 Comments Add yours

  1. Wendy in Kennewick says:

    The picture of Keith is priceless! The wedding cake building with the flag on top looks like the building that was in the movie Ghost Busters. Safe travels

    1. Pamela K Holland says:

      Wendy, yes, I laugh every time I see it, he was a good sport. Maybe we need to have one enlarged for his office!!!

  2. Suzanne says:

    Thanks for all those photos. It was fun to share your adventures. I do hope you’ll be home for a time and will hug the grandies and can recoup so you can work on some projects. I am eager to see what new ideas this long voyage has conjured up as well as you going back and working on some things waiting on the side lines.

    1. pam holland says:

      Suzanne, I do miss those little people. On the other hand I have lots of new ideas and in some ways a new perspective on my Textile Art… all will be revealed soon.

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