I heard of Burbank when I was a child.  It featured a lot in a TV programme called “I Love Lucy”. Little did I know that one day I’d be here, staying in Burbank, and strolling around in glorious November sunshine.

We wandered through the streets passed office/studio type buildings, with familiar names like Cartoon Network and Nickleodeon.  The tourist scene may be naff but you can’t pass through this area without doing it.  So off to Hollywood, where we took the bus tour through Hollywood Hills and Beverley Hills and almost saw a lot of tree screened houses owned or once rented by Meryl Streep and Michael Jackson and Leo diCaprio and Marilyn Munroe, etc., etc., etc.

Late afternoon and we’re at the “Dark Harbour” at the Queen Mary Cruise ship.  The ship is now a hotel permanently moored in Long Beach.  They have different seasonal themes and the Halloween theme, “Dark Harbour”, is just finishing and they are preparing to dismantle it. We get a tour by torchlight, through the maze of caves and catacombs, where monsters lurk and horrors await.  We come through fairly unscathed and head for the bar of the Queen Mary.  A pint on the deck bar, looking across at the lights of Long Beach.

Evening finds us at The Magic Castle.  This is a beautiful, castle style building, with many bars and performance venues.  Old wood panelling and all very formal.  All venues are for magicians and we are here to see Jimmy H who has invited us.  His show, in an intimate 80 seater theatre, is about 45 minutes long.  Great show.  Great fun.  After the show, we have a drink with Jimmy in the bar and he does card tricks and we all ooh and aaah and it’s terrific.

Home James. I need some sleep.