So, the first leg of the adventure is over and I'm in Los Angeles. I always knew leaving NZ would be a bit of a wrench so treated myself to an Air New Zealand Premium Economy seat.

Despite NZ having traditionally been an egalitarian place, there is no doubt that modern air travel is based on the old First, Second and Third Class system, except they're called Business, Premium Economy and Economy. And Premium was decidedly second class. Yes the seats are bigger, but they don't recline. Instead you pull a lever and slide your bum forward to extend the seat cushion. But all this does is leave a cavity behind your lumbar region.

And while I'm whinging (my right as a Pom!), the movie selection is atrocious. I ended up watching the 1962 Bond movie Dr No.

So, having whinged rather than winged my way across the Pacific I got here about half a second ahead of the economy passengers (ha!), to be met by Kim who drove me through LA's wonderful traffic to her and Bob's place, where I am staying till Thursday.

The photo is of the iconic Theme Building at LA airport, a 1970s icon that epitomises "Googie" architecture (note, not Google architecture), And right over the road from where Air NZ parks its planes. For those of you who live in Wellington, the sloping-roofed Freyberg swimming pool is another Googie example, possibly the only one in the capital.

Not planning on doing much while here - just pleasantly interrupting the journey to the UK before I continue on Thursday, second class to London. I will probably watch Dr No again...