This
year we spent our summer holiday in LA. It's a city which will always
hold a special place in my heart since it's where DH and I started
dating more than two decades ago, and where we lived part of the time
until we moved to France when DS was little. Some of my happiest
memories are from those times spent in the City of Angels, and it was
fun to re-visit old favorite places and discover new ones, and most of
all, to catch up with dear friends. DS went ahead of us this year,
staying for a month in the summer camp he'd already been to last year.
The fact that it was just the two of us (DH and me) arriving together,
wound back the clock twenty years and gave the trip a wonderfully
romantic start.
I
thought it would be a lovely way to overcome the inevitable jet-lag by
spending the first few days at the beach. Listening to the soothing sounds
of the waves rolling in and breaking on the shore lulls you gently back
to sleep when your body clock insists that it's time to get up. We still
got up early enough to view the beauty of the beach at sunrise... I had
a hard time selecting just a few from the many pictures I took!
Malibu Pier
Malibu Pier has seen a complete make-over. It is now pristine and picture perfect, and you can't stop yourself from taking pictures of all angles. I remember the pier when it was the slightly run-down home of the legendary 'Alice's restaurant', a famed hangout where Malibu surfers mingled with Hollywood stars and tourists. Today the Pier is definitely more touristy, but you get fantastic fresh organic produce in a fun and stylish atmosphere.
Morning treats at the Pier's organic Cafe
The little shop opposite the café offers beach supplies and an array of the prettiest things you never knew you had to have.
Another day, another breakfast
Capsule pieces: loose white jeans and pale blue linen shirt
Accessoires:
Hermès 'Chaine d'Ancre' printed enamel bracelet and 35 Birkin in
Gris-T.
Shoes: Thong sandals
Shoes: Thong sandals
The Malibu Country Mart has evolved in the same way as the Pier... it has
become chic and upscale, and yet managed to retain it's
charming village character (even though small village shops such as the
hardware store have closed down...the rent has become too expensive).
Also check the neighbouring Malibu Lumber Yard, another stylish outdoor
shopping space with a cool modern vibe.
Ralph Lauren boutique at Country Mart
I was so happy to see that my favourite LA Greek was completely unchanged
Nobu Malibu - Sushi with a view
Malibu's most iconic sights, surf boards and surfers...
STAY
Malibu Beach Inn: 22878 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
EAT
Carbon Beach Club, 22878 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Malibu Pier/Malibu Farm Cafe and Restaurant: 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, +1 310-456-1112 www.malibupier.org
SHOP
I was so happy to see that my favourite LA Greek was completely unchanged
The
location of the Malibu Beach Inn makes it a fabulous place to stay.
It's a two-minute walk to the Malibu Pier and it takes five minutes to
walk along the beach to the Nobu Malibu. You can even walk to the Malibu
Country Mart but in the summer heat the four minute drive is definitely a better idea.
The Malibu Beach Inn's dining terrace. Open for lunch and dinner, it offers delicious food and wines
Nobu Malibu - Sushi with a view
Malibu's most iconic sights, surf boards and surfers...
STAY
Malibu Beach Inn: 22878 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Phone: +1 310-651-7777 www.malibubeachinn.com
EAT
Carbon Beach Club, 22878 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Phone: +1 310-460-7509 www.malibubeachinn.com/dining
Malibu Pier/Malibu Farm Cafe and Restaurant: 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, +1 310-456-1112 www.malibupier.org
Taverna Tony: Malibu Country Mart, 23410 Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265, Phone: +1 310-317-9667 www.tavernatony.com
Nobu Malibu: 22706 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, Phone: +1 310-317-9140
SHOP
Malibu Country Mart: 3835 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu, CA 90265, Phone +1 310-456-7300
Malibu Beach Supply Co: 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, +1 310-456-8031
So romantic to come back to the « crime scene » two decades later ! Kids are becoming young adults and it is so good when love is still in the air….
ReplyDeleteHappy to be back to LA through your eyes.
xx Catherine
Those two decades have been the happiest in my life, and also the most miraculous ones.. DS is turning into a young adult! Here's to love and romance xx
Delete:-) Gosh, I remember Alice's so well and so many others down on PCH.
ReplyDeleteI got the impression that we must have crossed paths just by minutes several times in the last couple of days, especially in Santa Monica - at least from reading and seeing your pics on Instagram.
Next time we'll meet for a glass of bubbly - what do you think?
Still sorting out my pictures...
Have a wonderful evening and looking forward to part 2 of your LA trip xo :-)
Good old Alice's! We must definitely meet for a glass of bubbly next time (or a glass of Californian Chardonnay!) Hope you had a most wonderful trip xx
DeleteDearest MT,
ReplyDeleteSo very happy to read about your trip and the memories it brought back for you and DH! Love that you had this romantic time together to visit old friends and old haunts and to explore new ones. It has been fun having a bird's eye view on IG, too.
Pics and prose all just perfect ,really, my friend!
As always, thanks for taking us along!
Mwahs, T xx
So ver
Aww darling Trudye, it was a special and magical trip indeed. It's amazing how memories of places you don't get to visist that often are so powerful and poignant. The mix of new and unchanged things was wonderful...it made us feel relaxed and at home, and yet there was so much to explore. Biggest mwahs xxx
DeleteWere there any famous people about besides you?
ReplyDeleteBut MT and DH are famous, who else do you need on the picture?
Delete;-)))))))))))
C.
I absolutely agree, dear Catherine:-) Summer hugs, Manuela
DeleteYou made me love, dear Nancy, Catherine and Manuela! LA is full of famous people, but I'm a terrible 'star spotter'. A friend invited DS to hold a Oscar Statue, so I had a go too.. couldn't believe how heavy it was!
DeleteDearest Mai Tai,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!
It was a great joy to read your post this morning. So happy that you and your DH revisited the place where you had met.
Your description of the beach is wonderful as are all your pictures. The golden light in the last ones makes me dream and takes me back to my youth and to the memories I have of the Portuguese beaches in the North.
You look relaxed, happy and beautiful. Much love, Manuela xx
Dearest Manuela, - a belated but heartfelt thank you for the lovely welcome back! It is so wonderful to know that the beach pictures brought back special memories. Here's to golden beaches, and the happy times we spent there. Much love xx
DeleteDearest MaiTai,
ReplyDeleteI was really looking forward to your travelogue and you never disappoint! Your photos are spectacular and I could really sense the romance of a throw-back to the good old times. You are very fortunate to have lived in so many fascinating places with your family and I'm sure each and every memory of those times is very precious. Very happy that you share some of it with us! Thanks my dear and can't wait for part two,
Katja
Dearest Katja, your lovely words very much touched me, thank you so much. I am so grateful that the travel posts are appreciated..not only is it wonderful share (it's almost like going a second time with you girls), but they also keep a wonderful picture memory for me and my family <3
DeleteI always look forward to your post. Just wondering since you said you started dating your DH in LA, are you an American?
ReplyDeleteDH and I actually met in London, but we spend a lot of time in LA during in our early romance. I'm of Finnish/German origin :)
DeleteWhat a wonderful vacation and I love all the photos! The misty morning with the surfers makes me think of my high school time in Florida, and also inspires me to visit California--I've never ventured out of San Francisco! Welcome home--I hope you return renewed and rejuvenated and ready for fall. I can't wait for the cooler temps of fall. And now that you are back, I can buy jammies!
ReplyDeleteGreta
How wonderful your high school time must have been, dearest Greta, so happy the pictures brought back special memories. Hope to visit San Francisco one day.. the closest I ever got was crossing Golden Gate Bridge. Waiting for cooler temps too.. I am definitely ready for fall!
DeleteDear MaiTai,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back home in Europe! What a lovely post again. It must be a wonderful time for you and DH to come back to this magic place- where your time together started. I´m sure your dating time years ago was special as well. For our summer holiday this year we made a tour through the South of England and also stayed a few days in the beautiful Cotswolds. During that trip I followed you every day on Instagram and enjoyed so much the impressive picture and the nice information around your holiday. Thank you so much for sharing a little of your holiday with us. Very nice places you visited and beautiful impression you gave to your readers. Did you visit the Ghetty Museum as well? It´s worth to visit in Malibu. I`m looking forward to read part 2 and to get more information about the "Fer à Cheval necklace" On the picture in instagram I had immediately noticed the necklace you have worn, but I thought it must be from Hermès. Now we all will be excited to see it in your shop. I wish you a wonderful remaining summer time. Best wishes Gabriele.
Dear Gabriele, thanks so much for the warm welcome back! Hope you had a most wonderful time in the Cotswolds. When the weather is nice, the beauty of the English countryside is hard to beat! So happy you enjoyed the Instagram updates, it's such a nice way to keep in touch. The 'Fer à Cheval' necklace will be available soon (the silver version in a few days, and the gold one by the end of this month). Thank you again, and wishing you a most happy and lovely remaining summer too!
DeleteDear Mai Tai,
ReplyDeletehappy to see you again. I have so enjoyed your trip through your beautiful pics. I also have checked the hotel - the view is truly breathtaking. Me too, like the idea of the romantic beginning of your trip... The bad part after reading you post: there is one more place on my forever lasting list of travel wishes (as it grows from day to day).
Have a lovely remaining week,
Rita
Dear Rita, - thanks so much for the lovely comment and welcome back! So happy you liked the pics, but sorry they added to length of your list ;-)
DeleteHave a fabulous remaining summer, and a a most lovely rest of the week too!
Welcome back, dear MaiTai, and thanks for sharing your photos of marvelous Malibu and Santa Monica. I had such fun visiting when my niece lived there, and I love the Getty. You and DH are so sweet, revisiting your great romance. I like to imagine you two sprinkling love dust over the entire L.A. area.
ReplyDeleteMuch aloha,
Fifi
Loved your 'sprinkling love dust' dear Fifi <3 So pretty my dear!
DeleteGood night hugs, Msnuela xx
No wonder I slept so well last night, dear Manuela! Good morning hugs back to you! ~ Fifi
DeleteThank you! <3
DeleteNot sure if we can upload any pictures but I'm going to try -- it's from my pug calendar and I thought it epitomized your beach vacay with DH! ~ Fifi
ReplyDeleteP.S. - If the image doesn't display you can go here: http://pugsandkisses.com/2015/11/pugs-and-kisses-2016-calendar/
and scroll down to August!
IMG_5198.JPG
Oops, well obviously that didn't work. Sorry!
DeleteThanks for sharing your holiday, it's significance to you & the pictures. This post brought back memories to me also. My husband, children, & I spent several of our summers in neighboring Santa Monica. Your photography captures the rustic beauty of the area that I remember fondly!
ReplyDeleteAs I've said before, Conde Nast Traveller needs to hire you to freelance for them in your, ahem . . . spare time (insert big chuckle here!)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are much lovelier and far more evocative - they really capture the essence of the place. That is talent.
It looks like you had a wonderful trip. But, we're very happy to see you back at your post.
Love,
Jerrine
Jerrine,
Deleteyou never know, maybe has our dear MT already a big contract with a publisher :-).
For my part I am dreaming of a book from MT kinda "Come with me to the best Hermes Shops in the world" or "My favorite places in Paris" or "The Best of South France" or..... I would buy anything even with the word "secret" in it - I am avoiding books with the word secret in the title.
aaah forgot to sign :-)
DeleteRita
I woud SO buy that book!
Deletexo--Greta
Was wondering who Anonymous was!
DeleteWell, Rita, if she has a big contract, she would be duty bound to tell me, as I'm her editor, and we come as a package deal. I'm up for any book she might like to write, though. I'll edit for free as long as I get to go along for the "research."
How's your summer? Ours is still really hot, humid and downright miserable - it's endless. I keep thinking about the pajama party and sitting under the olive trees, enjoying a cool breeze and an even cooler glass of champagne with the Swan Sisterhood. Now that Greta has been able to order her pj's, we should be good to go.
Secretly,
Jerrine
Jerrine,
Deletegood to know about your package deal with MT (btw does she knows that? haha) and so I am sure to know you absolutly need the person with the greatest talent on earth for organizing your trips, and lucky you .... thats me :) I would love to take care of all of your H babies too.
The summer? Arrived pretty late this year, we had so much rain, I was thinking about to grow rice instead of roses. I was also thinking about India and how this humid monsoon came from India to Europe? But the last three weeks were very nice, I can tell you.
I am with you and Greta with the garden party at MT, Catherine will come too and hope she will bring some macarons with her.
Apropos PJ I somehow cannot imagine myself in a PJ outside the bed. Any tips to justify the investment if I already own at least 10 PJ and additional 10 silk nightgowns?
Hugs abd kisses
Rita (anonymous)
She probably didn't, Rita, but I guess she does now! In my dreams . . . in my dreams.
DeleteI might take you up on future trip organization, but you seem all too eager to babysit the H. goodies. They might go home with you!
I don't have the pj's, as I'm a nightgown/nightshirt lover like you are, although I can't attest to owning more than one silk number (I'm highly jealous.) I think Manuela and a few of the other lovelies have the MaiTai PJ's, and they say that they're wonderful. I trust their judgement in these things. And, soon, we can ask Greta!
Didn't Catherine buy them, as well? I'd trust her, too - she has excellent taste in cats.
Hugs right back Ms. Anonymous,
Jerrine
Jerrine,
Deleteyou put a silk scarf around your neck and are jealous to sleep in some silk? What the heck are you doing in your bed - except the usual things?
I do not want to hijack this for another beauty chit chat, just wanted the Bioderma lovers to know, that the Eau Micellaire now also comes in a dispenser like the insane expensive (but good looking and good smelling I had to admit) Eau Efficace from Sisley. I already own a bottle and love it.
Hugs to all dear Swans
Ms. Anonymous, Rita
Keep holding your breath for my pajama review...I'm in the middle of a huge work project and am holding the jammies out as the carrot on a stick. When I finish the project and finish dealing with this thoroughly unpleasant person, I will order my gorgeous pink pajamas as a reward for surviving!
DeleteTo Rita Anonymous, thanks for the beauty product tip. I'm always looking for the next best thing!
As for who is doing what in bed with which silk accessories...well, I think I'll just leave that well enough alone!
xoxox-Greta
I was attempting to "leave that alone" as well, Greta. Rita is getting frisky on us!:)
DeleteI'm excited about the new Bioderma Micellaire, too. It's going right on the Paris shopping list, but Rita has promised to send us each a bottle in advance. So nice of her.
Sorry about your work situation, but the lovely pj's will seem even a sweeter reward at the conclusion.
Hang in there,
Jerrine
Jerrine,
DeleteWell guessed, you can trust me, I have an excellent taste for macarons, chocolates, H silks, swans ;-) and pajamas! For the cats, I would say that the furry devils have an unquestionable taste for choosing me….
Back to MT pajama, even if it is very comfortable to sleep with, I prefer to keep it for lazy family breakfast time on sunday mornings , and of course for our pj party. Did you notice there is a new pj « chinoiseries » in MT collection?
Silky (not in bed!) hugs,
C.
Rita,
DeleteI’ll make an hold up on all the Ispahan macarons for ou pj party! Ask MT to order larger stretchy pj bottoms (XXXXL sizes)!
Sweet hugs
C.
Yes, Catherine, I trust you implicitly in regard to all wonderful luxuries, including the edible category. As far as the fur babies go, I guess you're right - they were incredibly lucky and exhibited great people taste in choosing you as their maman.
DeleteAnd, no, I did not notice the new pj offering, but you can bet I'll check them out immediately.
Rita, stretchy pj bottoms? Yes, excellent idea! (Catherine, increase that macaron order.)
Happy weekend to you both and all the Swans,
Jerrine
Dear Catherine,
DeleteI am guessing, your cats have simply great taste :) as Jerrine already wrote hehe. Maybe they want to tell you this way, that their style has improved and the need for stylish and cosy basket interieur has grown?
Thank you for the review :-)
Yesss I realized the rouge PJ and felt in love with the color. Secretly I was hoping, that no one beside me saw it uhh ;) I also did a kind of inventory and have to tell that I have too many nightware but lucky me my closet is lacking on stylish lounge wear and this sad fact can be changed now. Puh.
Jerrine, Cathrine strechy bottoms? Great idea as life is too short to skip the dessert.
Have a lovely sweet evening dears,
hugs and kisses
Rita
You're a classic beauty, MaiTai...worldly, creative, talented, and your European and California style shines through and through. Always love to follow you on your travels and appreciate how you take the time to show how you put together different looks by taking the colors from your travels to inspire you. ~ Your fan from Northern CA
ReplyDeleteI have been following along on Instagram, but it's great to see this compilation of beautiful pictures all together! Now, how about some Hollywood insider scoops!! Any celebrity sightings? 😊 What was the most unusual thing you encountered? Looking forward to more!
ReplyDeleteWhat AMAZING photographs. I want to hop on an aeroplane and fly there right now.
ReplyDeleteYour photos and comments bring back so many memories. I lived in LA in the mid 90's. I spend so much time at Pier View and the then tiny run down Coffee Bean and inland at the Sagebrush. And, yes, it is now so clean and picot perfect but still lovely. I adore that organic cafe on the pier. Your posts are making me want to plan a little get-a-way! Thank you for the lovely walk down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteLonging to read part 2. Beautiful,pics as'always.
ReplyDeleteDear Mai Tai. You made me dream to all what I have done many years ago... But I have not such beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteAmities
Thank you so much everyone for the lovely comments and the warm welcome back. It's been very busy lately, but I will try and come back to you later in the week. Missed you all...it is wonderful to come together again xxx
ReplyDeleteI think I told YOU I went to PEPPERDINE the first few years it opened!
ReplyDeleteI worked at MALIBU MUTTS the FALAFEL place...........is it still there????
XX
Malibu Mutt's Grill is still there! Must not mention Pepperdine in my house... I'll never see my son again! xx
Delete