Highlight of my time in San Luis Obispo (Spanish for bishop), in terms of supreme kitsch, was the Madonna Inn. Alex Madonna, a construction magnate who died aged 85 in 2004, opened the inn with his wife Phyllis in December 1958. Pink is the dominant colour. The information sheet, packaging and even the receipt for the postcards I bought were pink. The men’s urinal is a major tourist drawcard. A sensor activates a small waterfall when someone stands in front of the urinal. Some of the 109 rooms require a one-year reservation. The pink cubicles in the dining room reminded me of 1920s nightclubs. The inn is ghastly yet fascinating. The surrounding hills and farm (Madonna owned huge landholdings) are magnificent.