Our last week together was mainly spent kicking back at the apartment in LA, watching movies and Simpsons episodes on her computer while sampling various restaurants in the area, with some Italian cuisine in Santa Monica, Chinese seafood on Wilshire, Indian curry in Westwood, and Japanese noodles down the street … yes, and Noodle Planet too. One of the more memorable places was this really chic restaurant called Eurochow, which featured both Italian and Chinese cuisines (not fusion as we had thought) in an architecturally dramatic white marble building, in which stark white walls climb 55 feet high to a dome, with frosted-glass floors, a glass bridge, and a two-story bar. It’s certainly a place to check out for its impressive decor, though the food there, while savory, was not uniquely outstanding. Aside from the wining and dining (actually, only just dining), we did venture out for some touristy attractions like Hollywood, Venice Beach, and of course, Disneyland. Since it was off-season, we were able to avoid the abomination of waiting in line for rides, though unfortunately, the three main attractions we were looking forward to (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion) were all closed for refurbishment. Nevertheless, we had a great time adventuring with Indiana Jones and Winnie the Pooh, exploring Tarzan’s treehouse and Tom Sawyer’s Island, cruising through jungles and pirate coves, flying with Peter Pan and Dumbo, riding with Mr. Toad and Casey Jr., journeying with Alice and Pinocchio, riding on King Arthur’s Carousel and Gadget’s roller-coaster, exploring Mickey’s House and Roger Rabbit’s cartoon world, driving a go-cart and piloting a spaceship, and last but not least, riding through the “It’s a Small World” exhibit (we wondered whether the song there drove the workers crazy). That evening concluded with the Parade of Stars, as we stood before Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and kissed under the stars. Thanks for everything, Melody. =*