Carola was a wonderful host! I stayed with her for a month and she took such good care of me, really going above and beyond. For example, she made me coffee and her amazing omelettes (sometimes with little pieces of fried tortilla in them) every morning. Before my first day at the Huntington (where I was doing research) she drew a map for me with some insider tips and directions for getting around the area. She was always available whenever I had a question about anything (where to get groceries, how long a drive to X should take, etc) but was never intrusive. Her two little dogs are also adorable and very sweet.

The house itself was comfortable and cool, decorated with interesting art and pictures from Carola's dancing career. Having access to the pool (which was well-taken care of but rarely used by the residents) was a definite perk for LA summer heat! The neighborhood was a quiet residential area with a grocery store just down the road and a nice little park on the corner. I was commuting to San Marino every morning and the drive was a very easy 15 min. The location in general was great: about a 45 min drive to the airport (longer in peak traffic), 20 min to downtown LA, and a 10-15 min drive to the Norton Simon Museum and Old Town Pasadena.