March 28

We get up early because we want to visit the upscale shopping street Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills first. Not to shop, of course — just to look.

If you still have time, you can also explore the buildings in Downtown, such as Union Station, City Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady, or the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Long Beach with the Queen Mary 2 as a hotel (approx. $100), Anaheim with Disneyland, and Hollywood with the Universal Studios are further well-known highlights of Los Angeles. Museum lovers will also find plenty to discover in LA — the Getty Center is particularly worth mentioning, with something to suit every taste — and last but not least, there are countless shopping malls where you can shop to your heart's content.

But we need to press on to San Diego. We make the mistake of taking the coastal road, which leads us through pleasant little coastal towns but from one traffic jam to the next. We therefore stop at the beach for a rest, then head to Carlsbad Premium Outlets for some shopping — we pick up the last few things we need before arriving at our hotel in San Diego late in the evening.

If you're not stuck in traffic, you can also stop along the way at San Juan Capistrano (a mission with a cruciform church and 5 domes), Oceanside with its many public beaches and picnic areas, or La Jolla, a charming little coastal town. In the evening we head out for a stroll around our neighbourhood, Little Italy — there are quite a few bars here.