Today Rabbit found himself in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA. Although he is not a religious creature, he enjoyed a quiet moment of reflection in this magnificent, exceptionally accessible and beautiful church. He admired its astonishing architecture, the impressive organs and unique artworks. He loved a modern design with massive spaces that made a little Rabbit feel even smaller and his problems somehow insignificant.

He wandered into the lower level with a large mausoleum that contains crypts and columbarium niches for burials, and features a number of stunning stained glass windows.

Rabbit thought that the whole cathedral emanated tranquility, peace and greatness and his visit provided him with a spiritually refreshing experience.

Rabbit spent an enjoyable day at the Getty Center, a unique destination that incorporates modern design, beautiful gardens, open spaces, and spectacular views of Los Angeles.

He admired a vast collection of European and American art, including ‘Portrait of Jeanne Kéfer’ by Fernand Khnopff, ‘Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino’ landscape by Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘Jeanne (Spring)’ by Édouard Manet and Van Gogh’s ‘Irises’.

Along with the art he was impressed by an inspiring architecture of the museum and a beautiful nature of its surroundings. Little Rabbit marveled at the views and left happy and mentally invigorated.

The sign itself cannot be reached ‘on paws’, but Mt Hollywood Hiking Trail from Griffith Park offers amazingly close encounters with the sign. Rabbit enjoyed his hike and was rewarded with spectacular views of the hills and mountains surrounding Los Angeles, a city with its characteristic downtown skyscrapers, an ocean and a beautiful Griffith Park itself. Rabbit felt as if he was on the top of the world:-)

Today Leo's Rabbit visited one of the National Trust's treasures, Coughton Court, an English Tudor country house near Alcester. Since 1409 this interesting historical mansion has been a home to the Throckmortons, one of the UK's oldest catholic families. Judging by the size of the house, Rabbit thought that it must be a really big family and he was surprised to learn that the only occupant till October 2017 was baroness Clare McLaren-Throckmorton.

Rabbit was not only intrigued by the history of the Throckmorton family associated with Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes, but he also loved the architecture of the house and its spectacular gardens. He spent a pleasant couple of hours hopping around the grounds and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

On a scorching hot afternoon Leo’s Rabbit decided to head out into the desert surrounding the city of Yazd. From the comfort of his air-conditioned car he admired the landscape - the sand, the waves, the shadows and the colours, with the dramatic mountains in the distance.
 
On the way he noticed few signs with unfamiliar names and he decided to follow one for Mazraeh Kalantar.  The road took him to a small desert village in the Central District of Meybod County. This unique ancient village, with a population of just about 90 people, is made completely of mud and unbaked mud brick. Apparently this was the only building material available in the desert and it served well in keeping heat away during hot summers.
 
Rabbit walked around exploring evocative and enchanting narrow pathways between the buildings. He soon found his way onto rooftops where he was rewarded with fantastic views. He noticed that every building had few windcatchers rising above the roof. Their function is to catch the passive winds and channel them down to the ground floor living spaces. Indeed, even with outdoor temperature over 45 degrees C, Rabbit felt quite cool and comfortable when he peeked into abandoned rooms of the buildings.
 
Rabbit enjoyed his exploration of an ancient village of Mazraeh Kalantar with its unique mud buildings, a tangled maze of tiny alleys, and beautiful desert views with an enchanting skyline.

Following his interest in Zoroastrianism, triggered by his earlier trips to the Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Towers of Silence in Yazd, Leo's Rabbit was eager to learn more about this ancient religion of the Persian people. On an unbearably hot day, he wetted his fur generously with water and set off to visit Markar Museum, a remarkable ethnographic exhibition of Zoroastrian culture and religion.

The spacious museum building is a part of a greater complex that occupies over 100,000 square meters and consists of Markar Elementary Schools for boys and girls, first grade of High School, orphanage and the clock tower.
 
Rabbit liked the interesting earthen architecture of the buildings – majestic sandy-coloured stone and clay walls with precise decorative carvings, tall, specious, beautifully crafted arches with colourful ceramic mosaic elements – all surrounded by beautiful gardens bursting with fresh and vividly coloured blossom. There was something majestic and dignified in the air and Rabbit quietly wandered around the area sucking its unique atmosphere. He enjoyed it very much.

​After a stroll around the grounds in a scorching sunshine, seriously overheated Rabbit was pleased to find himself in a comforting coolness of the museum building. In the prominent position near the entrance, he noticed a pained portrait of a gentleman with a moustache. He learned that this is Peshotan Dossabhai Markar, the man who made it all happen, the founder of Markar complex.

Born in India in 1871, trained as a lawyer, Markar became a successful businessman and philanthropist. Over the years he developed a kin interest in Persian language, culture and religion. He was appalled to learn about the deplorable conditions and prosecution of Zoroastrians in Iran during the times of the Quajar regime. It became his life-long mission to help and empower Zoroastrian community. As a strong believer in education, he decided to aid young people in a pursuit of sound knowledge and skills that would give them a good start in life and hope for a better future. In 1922 he funded the first orphanage for Zoroastrian boys in Yazd. Elementary and High Schools for boys and girls were established in the following years, and Markar’s vision was completed in 1934 with an official inauguration of the whole complex. Schools stayed open until few years ago, with thousands of Zoroastrian students graduating during their operation, many becoming successful scientists, engineers, lawyers and doctors.
 
Rabbit paused for a while and stared at the portrait of a little man in a white suit. His heart was suddenly filled with warmth and a great respect for this remarkable human being, who changed lives of so many for the better. An old saying came to Rabbit’s mind: ‘Give a rabbit a carrot, and you feed him for a day. Teach a rabbit to grow carrots, and you feed him for a lifetime’ – and that’s exactly what Mr Markar did, thought Rabbit.
 
He further learned that the generosity of Mr Markar inspired some of the former students of Markar Schools, who sponsored renovation of the complex and established the very Museum of Zoroastrian History and Culture that Rabbit was just about to tour. 

The exhibition, with a strong focus on the cultural aspects of daily life of Zoroastrians in Iran, their religious ceremonies, customs and history, did not disappoint our Rabbit. He was fascinated by the simple ways of living of these hard-working people. He felt humbled learning about demands of their daily activities, and privileged to be part of modern society with all the luxuries and technological advances we take for granted.

He wandered around the well-preserved kitchen with a stone wood-fired oven and stove. He imagined traditional aromatic dishes bursting with beans, grains and herbs being cooked in heavy metal pots, and a mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread overpowering the whole kitchen. He has tasted oven-baked sangak, taftun and lavash before, and he was certain that the method of cooking adds extra flavour and taste to the bread. Where modern electric ovens cook food by moving hot air around inside an insulated, lightweight box, a stone oven works by soaking up heat, like a battery building up a full charge. When hot, the heavy oven walls release the heat slowly, for hours, so the food is cooked not only by hot air, but also by radiant heat from stonewalls of the oven.

There were many Persian recipes on display in the kitchen, and Rabbit made a note of the one for komach, slightly sweetened aromatic bread traditionally cooked in a copper pan. He decided to bake komach when he is back in the UK, and here is a recipe for those who may wish to do the same. 

Rabbit continued his walk through the museum rooms and many interesting exhibits he encountered fascinated him. In one of the rooms he noticed a pull down wooden ceiling rack. He learned that it was traditionally used for food storage, keeping it away from rodents and insects. ‘Simple, yet clever idea’, thought Rabbit.

Charcoal iron was another household appliance that intrigued our Rabbit. It looked like a box that opens up and you put glowing coals inside it to keep it hot. It is difficult to use and requires a technique when it comes to not smudging the clean clothes or avoiding getting burned by stray ashes. Considering that it weighs almost 7kg (that’s the same as 5 rabbits!), ancient Persian rabbits had a good excuse not to do any ironing at all.

If our Rabbit would have been born few hundred years ago in Iran, he probably wouldn’t have had any clothes to iron as they were all made from scratch. Yarns were formed from vegetable fibres - hemp, flax or cotton. Then two distinct sets of yarns or threads were interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. At first this process, called weaving, was done by hand, but then a loom was invented and used to aid weaving. Its basic purpose was to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. Rabbit examined an example of a loom displayed in the museum. It looked like a wooden frame with the heddles fixed in place in the shaft. The warp threads pass alternately through a heddle, and through a space between the heddles (the shed), so that raising the shaft raises half the threads (those passing through the heddles), and lowering the shaft lowers the same threads — the threads passing through the spaces between the heddles remain in place. It looked quite complicated for a small Rabbit to get his head around it. He thought that an old sewing machine on display looked more familiar and rabbit-friendly

Other interesting exhibits that captured Rabbit’s attention included traditional Zoroastrian costumes, tools, instruments, gym equipment, crafts and artwork. There was also a large collection of photographs portraying daily life of people of Yazd, various religious ceremonies, places of pilgrimage and fire temples. 

There was a series of small paintings that especially intrigued our Rabbit. He learned that they tell a story of Sadeh, an ancient Persian festival celebrated to honour the power of fire and its energy. Legend has it that the tradition dates back to King Hushang of the mythological Pishdadian dynasty. One cold day, he and his people were returning from a hunting expedition. Suddenly a snake appeared coiled on their path. Hushang aimed at it with a stone. He missed and the snake slithered away. But the stone hit another stone and since they were both flint stones, a bright spark was produced. The curious king took hold of the two flint stones and struck more sparks. He learned to produce enough sparks to ignite a fire. He discovered how to make fire! Hushang cheered up and praised God and announced, ‘This is a light from God. So we must admire it’. He held a great feast with people singing, dancing, drinking, and feasting around the bonfire. For the first time, Hushang and his people could light their dark caves and feel cosy and warm in their beds. They passed a wonderful winter. The king never forgot his revolutionary discovery and from that day onward, the new tradition of Sadeh was established.
 
The feast named after 'the number one hundred' (Sad in Farsi), marks 50 days and 50 nights before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 21. Zoroastrians celebrate Sadeh by burning firewood in an open space to signify the coming of spring and as a symbolic token of the eternal fight with evil forces. Prior to lighting the huge open fire, some Zoroastrian priests recite verses from Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrians. The priests are always dressed in white cotton robes, trousers and hats as a sign of purity and neatness. People gather and pray, and then they hold each other's hands, form a circle, and dance around the fire. They have fireworks, music and feast of roasted meat.

​After couple of hours strolling around the museum very satisfied little Rabbit exited to the courtyard with an impressive ab anbar, traditional Persian water reservoir. This uniquely built water container consists of a dome and up to six windcatchers. Their purpose is moving the wind at the top of the building and keeping lower temperature inside, similarly to a cave. The ventilating effects of the windcatchers further prevent any humidity or contamination of the water inside. Rabbit learned that the walls of ab anbars are almost 2 meters thick and are made of a special mortar that consists of sand, clay, ash, egg whites, lime, and goat hair. Apparently such a mixture was considered to be entirely water impermeable. Many traditional water reservoirs are capable of storing water below the ground at near freezing temperatures during summer months. Rabbit was amazed by such a clever use of natural resources and windpower.

He concluded his visit with a refrshing stroll around the traditional washrooms located within Markar complex. He admired their simple, yet practical, design and he liked the blue mosaics. He also had an opportunity to cool down a little as the temperature inside was very comfortable.

Leo's Rabbit enjoyed his visit to Markar Museum of Zoroastrian culture and religion, and he would recommend it without hesitation. Learning about the Persian traditions, simple ways of living, hard work and demanding daily activities of people of Yazd made him realise how privileged he is to have access to all the advances of modern civilisation. He felt very grateful for his little life in a small town of Leamington Spa.

​While wandering around the streets of Yazd, Rabbit encountered an elegant 20th-century mansion of interesting architecture, a mixture of European and Iranian styles. He learned that the building, dating from the 1940s, now houses a small Mirror & Lighting Museum that celebrates the wonder of reflection. Our curious Rabbit immediately decided to visit, so he purchased his ticket and hopped inside.
 
He loved beautiful interiors with a superb plasterwork, tasteful mosaics, stunning decorations, paintings and large, impressive, finely handcrafted stained glass windows. The magnificently decorated Basin Room especially delighted him.
​

​Apart from a vast collection of unique hand-made mirrors, that used to belong to the royalty of various empires, the other treasures on display include lanterns, oil burners, weapons, coins, hand written scriptures, books, a collection of matches from around the world, and some ancient artefacts recovered from smugglers.
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Seeing so many beautifully crafted items was a real feast for Rabbit's eyes and aesthetic senses. Strolling through the different areas of this stunning mansion left him wondering about the mysterious and luxurious lives that were lived there once.

Bedridden Rabbit decided to brighten up his day and indulge in reading a novel. He chose 'The Winner Stands Alone' by Paulo Coelho, one of the authors he certainly appreciates. This time however he wasn't impressed with Mr Coelho's writings. On the contrary, he was disappointed.
 
He grew to admire the author for the engaging narratives of his philosophical, straightforward and insightful books that often carry spiritual lessons, are inspiring and life-changing. This one however couldn’t be more different. It is a fiction mystery with a plot that, to be frank, bored our little Rabbit to the point of dozing off several times during the read.
 
In a nutshell, it is a story of a Russian telecom billionaire Igor, who is obsessively in love with his ex-wife Ewa and wants her back in his life. He travels to the glamorous Cannes Film Festival, where Ewa is expected to appear with her new husband Hamid, a successful fashion designer. Igor believes that his love for his ex-wife is superior to everything on this earth and worth every sacrifice. He sets of on 'destroying worlds' (killing innocent people) in the name of that love. Rabbit was puzzled by the idea; he couldn’t comprehend how killing innocent people, was supposed to help Igor to get his wife back?
 
Rabbit not only didn't like the plot, but he also thought that the author introduced too many pointless characters that crossed Igor’s path and didn’t add any value to the story.
 
The action is set up in a glamorous world of fashion and movie industries, so called world of ‘the Superclass’, with an intention to satirise the amorality and pursuit of celebrity in modern society. It certainly makes few points. Rabbit gets it. Running after fame and money rarely brings happiness or satisfaction, and if you are not at peace with who you are and what you have now, then it’s likely that you won't be happy after getting what you currently desire either, you will always want more. It’s not a revelation however; even a small-town Rabbit with a little brain felt like the author is insulting his intelligence with many stereotypical messages and endlessly repeated clichés.
 
The book touches on the numerous social and economical issues, including economic inequality, violence, crime, money laundering, blood diamonds, manipulations, artificial world of glamour, luxury and success, plastic surgeries - too many and too scattered for the Rabbit to get his head around them.
 
The novel was dark, disturbing and depressing, and our Rabbit found himself increasingly frustrated with the story. He skipped quite a few pages and barely managed to struggle with it to the end; ‘very dull and very predictable end’, thought Rabbit. 
 
All in all, Rabbit is sorry to say that he not only did not enjoy the book, but he found it deeply unsatisfying and disappointing. Unlike the other works of Paulo Coelho, ‘The Winner Stands Alone’ does not convey anything he could use for his personal growth and improvement. He won’t recommend this novel to his fellow rabbits, nor any other creatures.

Today Leo’s Rabbit visited Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and explored expressive, colourful work and eventful life of Vincent Van Gogh. Throughout the exhibition Rabbit followed in the footsteps (pawsteps) of an artist who was intent on improving himself and deeply engaged in the artistic developments of his day. He was an artist who above all strove to create a new kind of art. Rabbit thought that, indeed, he had succeeded in that quest, but as for the beauty of his art...? Rabbit is not quite sure...

​He viewed Van Gogh’s artworks on display with mixed feelings. He certainly wasn't impressed with the artist's early efforts, especially some of the portraits. He thought that they expose lack of experience and technique. In some of the paintings, he noticed disfigured faces with big, unnatural noses. A lot of the other artworks looked to him like a kind that a secondary school student (or even a rabbit) would have painted. He wasn't also keen on bold colours, vigorous swirly brushwork and objects being often outlined with thick black lines. All in all, our ignorant small-town Rabbit didn't appreciate the works of Van Gogh, one of history's greatest artist. Well, what one small Rabbit knows about art anyway?

He felt however a huge admiration and respect for Van Gogh for his continuous quest to improve himself, his wide experiments with various styles and his persistence and perseverance in finding his own unique identity as an artist. Van Gogh found his true calling as an artist at the age of 27. Without knowing whether he had any real talent, he set to work with unbridled drive and great determination. He thought himself the rudiments of the craft by studying the art of others. He worked furiously and in his short life, he produced over 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings.

Rabbit also liked the fact that Van Gogh was trying to find the beautiful and the magical in the every day, often choosing as the subjects of his studies ordinary, hard-working people. He focused on peasants' life and their honest and humble existence in the face of encroaching industrialisation. His paintings also convey his love for the nature, that Rabbit certainly shares with the artist. He really appreciated a series of paintings of Orchards in Blossom, but wasn't that kin on a famous Vase of Irisis painting.

​Rabbit was saddened to learn about Van Gogh's struggles with mental illness that eventually led him to his suicide at age of 37. The first in a series of artist's mental breakdowns occurred couple of years prior to his death when his friend, Paul Gauguin, came to visit him in Arles. Their personalities clashed, and after a quarrel, Gauguin left the house. He later claimed that Van Gogh had pursued him and threatened him with a razor. After returning home, in a state of a total confusion, Van Gogh cut off his left ear. Rabbit held his ears tight listening to this terrifying story.

In spite of his mental illness, often accompanied by anxiety and hallucinations, Van Gogh did show a tremendous appetite for work and he produced hundreds of paintings in his final months. Was his creativity driven by his mental illness? Who knows...?

​The painting thought to be Van Gogh's last, found unfinished in his study, is the one of Tree Roots. At first sight Rabbit thought it is a jumble of bright colours and fanciful abstract forms, but after a closer look he realised that, indeed, it shows a slope with tree trunks and roots. 
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Our small-town Rabbit was grateful for the opportunity to explore Van Gogh's artworks and he enjoyed his visit to the museum. He did not, however, develop admiration for artist's style and use of colours, and to the terror of numerous art experts, who proclaim Van Gogh as one of the greatest artists of all times and a forerunner of the expressionist movement in 20th-century art, Rabbit could not understand popularity of the artist.

Today Leo's Rabbit enjoyed a short ride on Angel's Flight Railway between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill in Downtown LA. Built in 1901 by colonel J.W. Eddy, lawyer, engineer and friend of president Lincoln, Angel’s Flight is said to be the world’s shortest railway - just perfect for a small Rabbit! It is estimated that Angel’s Flight has carried more passengers per mile than any other railway in the world, over a hundred million in its first fifty years.

Rabbit travelled up the steep slope with one of the two funicular cars (Olivet or Sina), running in opposite directions on a 298 feet long shared cable. It took about a minute to get to the top. As short as the ride was, it was an enjoyable experience. Rabbit was amazed by the railway's history - he has never travelled by a 117-years old car before :-) 

Catalina Island, with its blue skies and amazing coastal scenery, filled our little Rabbit with awe. While admiring spectacular views, he experienced an incredible sense of peace and an overwhelming joy. Slowly, a big smile brightened his face. He noticed many smiling, happy and relaxed faces around him, and thought that the locals found here an idyllic place to live. He learned that there are only two communities on the island; Avalon, with less than 4,000 residents, and Two Harbors, at the opposite end, with about 150 residents. 

After visiting island's website, Rabbit discovered that although Catalina Island has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years, it was named in 1602, when on November 24, the eve of St. Catherine's Day, the ship of the a Spanish explorer, Sebastian Viscaino, sighted the island. In the early years Catalina was used by otter hunters, smugglers, and ranching, mining and military operations. Thankfully now, it is mainly a posh tourist destination, with many celebrities visiting. 

Leo's Rabbit did not spot any famous film stars or celebrities (not that he would have recognised anyone other than Bugs Bunny ;-) ), but he read in a tour guide that Taylor Swift, Barbara Streisand, Nicolas Cage, Rob Lowe, Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry, recently visited the island. Catalina Island has been popular with celebrities since Hollywood's golden era. During the 1930s and 40s its close proximity to Los Angeles allowed stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Johnny Weissmuller and John Wayne to sail or cruise their boats in the open ocean and reach Avalon harbour in only hours. The restaurants and bars were alive at night with music, which wafted through crowded streets, abundant with people drinking and dancing. Thinking of one-time parties and glamour cheered little Rabbit even more, and he hopped happily along the very same streets that once witnessed it all.

Rabbit enjoyed a long stroll exploring the town of Avalon. He walked along the shoreline and watched the boats and yachts anchored in the port. The day was very sunny, so he popped in to Leo's Drugstore (Leo's Rabbit shops at Leo's store, simples ;-) ) and got himself a sunscreen before proceeding towards vibrant Descanso Beach, one of the last private beaches in California with public access. It hosts a sandy beach, sea side restaurant and bar, cabanas and chaise lounges, and beach time fun, with easy access to pristine waters, snorkeling, kayaking, the Catalina Climbing Wall, Snuba, and the Zip Line Eco Tour. Rabbit wasn't up for an active adventure and he enjoyed a relaxing time sunbathing on the beach.  

From the beach he admired the island's iconic Casino building, a 12-story, circular structure built in 1929. He learned that, in fact, gambling has never been allowed here and Casino took its name from the Italian word for 'gathering place'. Well, he wouldn't like to gamble with his carrots anyway. 

​During his walk, Rabbit noticed that there are hardly any cars on the island, but instead many people walk, use bikes and golf carts. There is a 2,100-yard golf course on the island, but golf carts are used everywhere in the town as means of transportation. He was told, that it takes residents 14 years to get a permit to own a car! Rabbit thought that if he was a resident and he would have applied, his permission probably would have not arrived in his lifetime. Well... small island can be easily explored on paws, even small paws like his.

It took him 4 hours to hop around the entire island twice. He was hoping to see some interesting wildlife, especially a shy fox or a herd of bison that roam the hills. Unfortunately he wasn't at luck (well... or maybe he was) and did not come across a bison. Fourteen animals were brought to Catalina in 1924 by a film crew, which left them to fend for themselves after the movie was shot. Apparently, the island was used for filming of hundreds of movies and assorted TV shows, documentaries and commercials. The film industry discovered it in the 1930s and it became Hollywood's back lot, portraying places as diverse as Tahiti, North Africa, the American frontier and the home of that famous mechanical shark, Jaws. Leo's Rabbit felt a bit uneasy anticipating a possible shark attack. For a while he watched the waters from the pier, and eventually he rested re-assured that there are no predators around. Besides, none of the people who were fishing there caught a shark - 'that's a definite proof', thought Rabbit.

To make his day in paradise even sweeter, Leo's Rabbit popped in to Lloyd's of Avalon Confectionery for a little treat. The candy shop, opened by Mr and Mrs Alfred Butts in 1938 and named in honour of their son Lloyd who fought in World War II, has been Catalina's tradition for over 75 years. He learned that at the age of 15 Marilyn Monroe lived on the island for a year and she was known to visit Lloyd's for treats. Rabbit was spoilt for choices - world renowned salt water taffy, 16 special flavours of fantastic candied apples, 26 flavours of ice cream, perfect peanut brittle, creamy fudge and scrumptious hand made chocolates, colourful jellybeans, fudge... endless possibilities. Rabbit finally settled for a tasty ice cream in a freshly baked waffle cone, and he wasn't disappointed. He wolfed the big portion in a matter of minutes.  

After a lazy day in paradise, well rested, happy, relaxed Rabbit with full tummy, boarded a ferry back to Long Beach. He had an amazing day on the island and was enchanted by the quaint town of Avalon. He would recommend the trip to anyone who needs a little escape from reality.