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A Ballerina Abroad: Day 2 of our Hip and Healthy Guide to Los Angeles

By Saskia Gregson-Williams

Cafe Gratitude

Woke up at 2am this morning, the joys of jet lag! (Always ensure you top up your iPod with great songs before venturing abroad, in these situations it’s the only thing that keeps you sane).

After listening to Adele three-million times on repeat it was six o’clock and a reasonable time to get up. Showered and dressed in my sports kit I went for an early breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien in Brentwood. This chain, thankfully, is international and there are several in central London, but LA beats them all with a much wider and more delicious menu. I ordered the organic Omega 3 Berry Boost Oatmeal, with flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and almond milk. Yum! This was the perfect wake me up. After breakfast I headed to the Pilates studio. Every trip I go back to Resolution Therapy Pilates in Brentwood Gardens. It’s a great way to retain muscle strength for dancing and is the perfect jet lag remedy. It’s always difficult meeting and being trained by a new instructor when you first meet them, but Resolution is the best in LA as far as I’m concerned. Great atmosphere, lovely trainers and a great physical therapy and massage team at the ready.

We then went over to Abbot Kinney, an awesome street with some really great shops (more on that later). Then for the main feature of the day: lunch at Café Gratitude, Oh my days! This new organic café is located in Venice on Rose and 5th Street. I had been to a branch in San Francisco when dancing out there over the summer, so was incredibly excited to try this one out. For my main I ordered the ‘I am Pure’ this was a delicious sushi inspired ginger-tahini kale salad with sea vegetables, teriyaki almonds, sunflower sprouts and avocado. Mum ordered the ‘I Am Celebrating’ a delicious ceviche style salad of zucchini, coconut, tomato and avocado with raw tomato flax crackers; in the end we shared both and just couldn’t get enough! We also ordered a delicious ‘I Am Luscious’ smoothie for dessert with almond milk, figs, raw cacao, dates and vanilla. Delicious.

We then went for a lovely long walk down 3rd Street checking out all of our fave shops along the way. Eventually as it got later ending up at Interim cafe on Wilshire and 5th street for a delicious simple Berry Smoothie, Cheesy Vegan Burger and a Walnut and Carrot salad. This hidden gem of a restaurant is surprising delicious despite its shabby appearance. We love it and I’m sure it shall be a constant feature as the week goes on!

7pm and needing to wake up, we decided to go to the AMC theatre on 3rd street to see The Seven Psychopaths, five minutes in and I’m out like a light, only occasionally waking up to see a gun, blood, swearing and more such pleasant things as that. It’s 10pm and I am desperate for my bed. See you in the morning.

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