If you know where to find them, there are many things for seniors to do in the high-priced Los Angeles area that don’t cost anything. Actually, some are even more fun than the usual pay-for activities.

And the weather is perfect for your visit. March and April daytime temperatures average 75º, with nights at 55º. Here are just a few of the freebees:

Olvera Street: The City of the Angels was born here more than 235 years ago. Today it's a tourist attraction that offers historic neighborhoods and Hispanic foods, dances and other events. It was often the setting for classic movies, including Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 The Kid, and Gene Kelly’s dance number in the 1945 musical, Anchors Aweigh.

The Griffith Observatory: The hilltop planetarium offers visitors up-close views of the skies, as well as Los Angeles spread out below. Movies made there include Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. There’s a bust there of James Dean, who died in a car crash the same year.

The tiny Isle of Capri shines like a sparkling jewel in the Mediterranean just 60 miles off the coast from Naples. Ever since it served as a royal vacation destination for wealthy Romans 2,500 years ago, it has been a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world.

Getting There: Capri is reached from the Italian mainland by regularly scheduled ferry and hydrofoil services. The trip takes 40 pleasant minutes by hydrofoil and 80 by ferry.

Must See On Capri: The Chairlift Monte Solaro offers a breathtaking ride and spectacular views up the mountain cliffside. The world-famous Blue Grotto boat ride through the cathedral-like natural rocky formations set in deep blue ocean water is an experience of a lifetime.

Restaurants in every city have special dishes that define local favorites, including shepherd's pie in London, fois gras in Paris, weinerschnitzel in Vienna; and Peking duck in Beijing. If you prefer street foods, the same dishes from outside carts may not be as fancy, but they’re as tasty and much cheaper than in sit-down restaurants.

Also, dining on a park bench or grass on a sunny Spring, Summer or Autumn day can be just as enjoyable as sitting at a fancy café table. Many cities have a familiar street food item that defines them. Here are some favorites:

Brussels Frites: Belgian street chefs are skilled with frites (French fries). By double-frying them in two different-temperature oils, once to cook, the second time to brown and crisp, culinary perfection is achieved. Our favorite cart is Chez Antoine, usually located at Place Jourdan.

A senior reader’s personal experience: The metropolis was the Russian royal capital for 200 years, established by Czar Peter the Great. It later was where Empress Catherine the Great ruled the nation.

The city's name was changed to Leningrad after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Surrounded by German troops for more than two years during World War 2, the city heroically defeated the Nazis. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990, the city's name reverted back to St. Petersburg.

We went ashore from our cruise ship and joined an excursion group led by a young Russian schoolteacher. She spoke excellent English, and her wry sense of humor made our excursion a delight. As she pointed to a former Soviet naval base, she told us that if we Americans had been this close before 1990, we’d have been arrested as spies.

Most other Russians we encountered were more reserved, and rarely spoke to us. An exception was a street band of musicians dressed in old Red Army uniforms. When they saw us, they immediately struck up, "Yankee Doodle", and after we gave them tips, happily posed with us.