Saturday, November 26, 2005
Hotel CaliforniaSince we live in California, we get quite a few visits from family and friends, and from assorted "firemen" every year. Family and friends come to see the multi-million-dollar homes (they are astounded by the prices but disappointed in the actual properties), or the Golden Gate bridge (usually the same reaction), or the year-round sunshine and blue skies (worth every penny). Then there are the firemen who are here to "put out fire" -- help with trouble we didn't know we had. Depending on the size of the group and how much roaming freedom they want, they sometimes stay with us, and sometimes stay in various hotels in the area, abundant if not pricey. The firemen, of course, always stay somewhere else where their assistance is most appreciated.
One recent group chose a hotel in Palo Alto, about 30 minutes by car from my dog shed, and the place is called "Hotel California." At first I thought someone was joking, but it is a real bed-and-breakfast inn on a quiet street near Stanford University. Not the Hotel California of Eagles fame though. I saw no mission bell, no captain, no nightman, no champagne on ice. And definitely no mirrors on the ceiling. But it is a small cozy place with fresh-cut flowers in the corridors, original paintings on the wall, and since they get a lot of foreign guests from the university, framed currency of various nations on display in the upstairs lobby area. I saw bills and coins from France, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, China, Thailand, Japan, Korea. Curiously no Canadian money -- maybe they converted to American dollars when we were not paying attention.
You should watch out for the beast, however. It is a disguised as a cute gray cat that runs up and down the hotel stairs, does a lot of friendly meowing and purring, and loves to curl up in your lap. And just as you start feeling comfortable, it suddenly growls and bites hard on your hand. Devious little mutant creature I should have known.
All in all, except for the psycho killer furry monster, a very nice place, and this part is totally true to the song:
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place, such a lovely face
There's plenty of room in the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here.
- posted by Woofwoof @ 7:42 AM
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