Capurro's Restaurant and Bar, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

We only had approximately five hours to explore San Francisco and in this short space we did our best to take in the scenery, the most important part for Alan being the Golden Gate Bridge.

The very, very kind man..
Shame I can't remember his name (I must be getting old).
Please excuse the blurry photo.

After eventually managing to take the BART (with a little help from a very, very kind man) from Oakland to centre of the San Francisco, we walked the rest of the way.  I'm glad we did.  I loved seeing the arty buildings, and the hilly streets are just like they are in films.  I must admit though, some parts we walked through were a little grubby and could have been done with a bit of a scrub.

We reached the water and had a stroll up the Aquatic Park Pier to see the Golden Gate Bridge.  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to get any closer but we made the best of our visit and , luckily, the weather stayed on our side.

We saw Alcatraz too but didn't really get any great photos of it as it's so far away.  We would both love to go back and explore San Francisco more thoroughly.  

I was hungry and my feet hurt, so we stopped in the Fisherman's Wharf area to grab some lunch before heading back to our hotel to collect our bags before continuing our journey home.  The first place we came to, yes we were really that hungry, was Capurro's Restaurant and Bar.  We had pizzas and beer.  Two of our favourite things.



Mother Hubbard always said if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all, so I'll list the things that I did like about this restaurant -

• Nice outside seating area - we appreciated being able to sit in the sun and soak up as much of the San Franciscan atmosphere as possible.
  
  
• The beer was good - it was a local beer, the name of which I can't remember.  Can anybody help out?
  
  
• I loved the artwork on the outside of the building.

I think this may be my last honeymoon related blog post.  It's been a hoot!  Back to regular old married life now....

Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu - Oakland

We're starting our journey home, you'd think we would be sad but look how smiley I am in this photo...

Why is that?

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FREE FOOD AND WINE!

Waikiki Brewing Company, Waikiki, Hawaii

We have returned.  It's our last day and we have spent the morning wallowing in the turquoise water at Waikiki Beach.  It's thirsty work.

We visited here again to await our taxi to the airport as it's only 30 seconds from the flat where we have been staying and so ideally located for us to refresh ourselves before our flight to Oakland.  

I knew what I wanted - Jalapeno Mouth- and that's what I had.  

It's been great, Hawaii, we'll miss you.

Red Lobster, Waikiki, Hawaii

We don't have Red Lobster in the UK and so I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  I've never tried lobster, so I must say I have had nothing to compare this experience with.

I must admit, the place was lacking in ambiance, perhaps I was expecting too much from this chain restaurant, maybe it was because we had arrived fairly late in the evening, I really couldn't put my finger on it.  The young waitress showed us to the bar as they were 'full', although we could both see numerous empty tables.  We had a drink and waited.  We must have been there about 20 minutes and were discussing just leaving and going somewhere else when a different waiter came to ask if we were waiting for a table.  He seemed surprised that we were, and seated us in one of the numerous empty booths.

We had already decided what we were having, as we had to chance to view the menu when waiting at the bar, and so ordered straight away.  I had the Ultimate Feast as I was keen to try both lobster and snow crab legs, which I believe are somewhat of a delicacy in Hawaii.  I'll admit I was a little nervous about them, not knowing how to eat them or what they would taste like.

Our waiter seemed very nice and spoke to us about being Scottish, "I used to work with Jim from Edinburgh, do you know him?", and whizzed around the other tables without a second to spare.  He brought us Ceasar Salads and a basket of biscuits (the American kind, which is sort of like a scone, as opposed to a selection of custard creams or bourbons) which we did not ask for, but enjoyed all the more for it.  I'm unsure about whether or not these are complimentary to all Red Lobster diners, or if they were perhaps included in the particular meals that we had chosen.  As we awaited our main courses, I watched in awe every time a waiter placed yet another empty plate on a particular table in the middle of the floor in our section.  There must have been roughly a hundred dirty plates and sets of cutlery and glasses on the table, which nobody seemed to be clearing.  I couldn't understand why they were putting the dirty crockery there.  It was nowhere near the kitchen.  Some of the other waiting staff from other sections of the restaurant even seemed to be walking the whole length of the place to put dity plates on this table.  Some of the piles of plates were so high they were teetering and wobbled every time our speedy waiter walked past them.  I guess I'll never know why.

Our mains arrived and I think you'll see from the photo that I was absolutely delighted with what was placed before me.  Our waiter saw a flicker of apprehension on my face and quickly showed me how to eat the crab legs.  It really is much easier than it looks and I gave it my best shot.  I don't think I did too badly.  They were buttery and delicious, as was the lobster.  I couldn't finish all the food, having been filled up by salad and biscuits - I'll bear this in mind if I ever visit again.


The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced.  I felt the restaurant needed spruced up a wee bit, just a lick of paint here and there.  The waiter we had was really lovely, I'm annoyed I can't remember his name.  I must remember to keep an eye out for Jim next time I'm in Edinburgh though.

Blue Water Shrimp, Waikiki, Hawaii

We got lost trying to find this place.  I'm glad we did because LOOK at the beautiful sunset we stumbled upon!!

We might not have caught a glimpse of this if we hadn't have been a bit lost.  We didn't linger for long  though because my husband was hangry and he turns into a Hulk-like being if you forget to feed him.

"You won't like me when I'm hangry!"

Eventually, after doing many, many loops of the rather expensive looking Hilton Hawaiian Village, we found the Blue Water Shrimp and Seafood Market and luckily managed to nab a table.  It was a busy place and seemed to be much more chip-shoppy than I had imagined from the name, with lots of people obviously just looking for a takeaway.

There was a good selection of food on offer and Alan was particularly excited that they were selling pineapples to drink from, as he had seemed to have become accustomed to drinking from tropical fruit.  He was pleased as punch.  

The food was really good - posh fish and chips which was beautifully presented with a tropical flower salad garnish.  Luckily, the portions were big, preventing Alan from turning green and traumatising the other holidaymakers by bursting out of his clothes.  He fairly enjoyed his pineapple too.  

Waikiki Brewing Company, Waikiki, Hawaii

We're finally in Honolulu.  We are off the ship!  Thank goodness!

We have discovered over the past ten days that cruising is just not for us.  I like to see things more thoroughly than you seem to be permitted to on a cruise.  We were only ashore in each place from around 8.30am until 4.30pm and, for me, this was not long enough to experience each place properly.  I love to try new food and drink, but the cruise itself was so expensive that you felt you really had to get your money's worth during breakfast, before disembarking for the day, which meant that by dinner time (lunch for you posh folk) you were still stuffed from breakfast.  It was the same with drinks.  The beer is 'free' on the boat, so why pay for it ashore if you can help it?  If only we were rich and could just drink all the beer...

We stayed in an Airbnb.  We have used Airbnb a few times and have been really pleased each time and this was no exception.  The view we had was awesome, and the place was conveniently located near all the things we wanted to see, as well as being almost next door to Waikiki Brewing Company.

We visited twice in our short stay as it was so good and really just a little too convenient.  We each had four wee beers to taste, making sure they were all different ones as I don't like to think that I'm missing out on anything.  The beers were awesome, my particular favourite being 'Jalapeno Mouth'.  I just LOVE chili beer and I now seem to be seeking it out wherever I go.  No luck so far though.  Brewdog did one called 'Chili Hammer' a year or so ago and it was really good but it's not available anymore.  I'll keep looking.  

Take Home Maui, Lahaina

This wee shop was great.  It sells lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, all grown on Maui.  We originally stopped in past because Alan was on the hunt for another coconut to drink from...

...but we were sidetracked by this wee cutie...

This is Kehau and he lives on the porch outside Take Home Maui.  I'm always drawn to parrots, especially African Greys as I had one as a pet when I was small.  Freddy originally belonged to my granda but he became too frail to look after him properly and so my folks took on the challenge.  It's not that Freddy was a difficult pet to keep, but he was quite particular about who he liked.  He was definitely dad's boy!  Unfortunately Freddy died suddenly and left us all heartbroken.  He had lived to a very healthy age of 47!  People are often surprised when I tell them this as they don't expect parrots to live for that long.

This beautiful lad seemed to be everyone's friend and even let me give him a wee scratch on the head.  I'm desperate to have one again!

Hilo Hattie, Lahaina

We're still in Lahaina and we LOVE IT!

I had a few things I wanted to try whilst we were in Hawaii and Dole Whip was one of them.  Dole Whip doesn't seem to exist in the UK.  Why not?  Lack of pineapple plantations?  Sounds like an excuse to me.  Get it sorted!

Hilo Hattie, a touristy shop in Lahaina, sell Dole Whip and that's where we found ourselves so, never folk to let food opportunities pass by, we ordered a small for me and, I think it was a large, for Alan.  I managed to tear Alan away from the Hawaiian shirts that he insisted he would wear 'all the time' when we got home.  This is the lad who won't even wear any mildly patterned clothes for fear of drawing attention to himself and looking 'different'.  *eye roll*

I'm not really sure what's in Dole Whip; I guess at least some pineapple and a ton of sugar but apart from that your guess is as good as mine.  It had a fresh, pineapple sherbet taste to it and was much more refreshing than ice cream.  It wasn't icy like sorbet but not creamy like ice-cream.  It really was like someone had whizzed up a load of pineapples.

I've scoured the internet for a recipe and have found one from Fat Mum Slim.  I can't wait for the one or two days of Scottish sun that we are due this year so that I can try it out!  Don't let me down, Scottish weather!

Breakwall Shave Ice Co., Lahaina, Hawaii

Neither of us had ever had shave ice before.  I'm really glad we tried it whilst we were away.  At Breakwall we were able to watch as a fairly large block of ice was put into a machine and turned into something delicious.

I think we got a large sized one as we intended on sharing, and it really was large - I'm glad we didn't get the 'massive' size, I can only imagine how big that would have been.  Ours was around the size of my head (take that as you will).  I'm afraid these photos don't seem to capture quite how big it was - the shaved ice, that is!

Once the ice is shaved, flavoured syrups are then poured over the top.  We had pineapple, watermelon and mango.  I didn't think we would manage to eat the whole lot but we did.  I also I didn't think the syrup would make it to the bottom of the cup but it did so it was delicious all the way to the end.  

What a tasty way to keep cool, and definitely less sickly than a huge ice-cream would have been!

Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lahaina, Hawaii

We're in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

We had burgers for breakfast!

They come with a wee slice of pineapple, so that makes them healthier, right?


 

Hilo Farmers Market, Hilo, Hawaii

The cruise ship sailed around the Big Island and went past an active volcano.  We were lucky enough to see lava flowing into the sea.  Unfortunately we only had our phones with us so didn't get any awesome pictures.  We thought our DSLR would be too bulky to cart around with us, but I regret thinking this as we missed the opportunity to capture something we will not likely get the chance to see again. 

Never mind, I'm just really glad we saw it.

We docked in Hilo.  Hilo is like a step back in time and although we felt there isn't really much to do in Hilo itself (apart from an awesone sweetie shop!), we took the opportunity to travel a little further to see the Botanical Garden and also Richardson Beach which has black sand because of all the volcanic rock and is where sea turtles hang out.  Here's a picture of one (he's right in the middle).

We also had a wee wander around Hilo Farmers Market where Alan bought a coconut.  It came with a free starfruit.  As you can see he is absolutely delighted about this.

He kindly decided to gift the starfruit to a homeless person.

I love my husband.

Kona Brewing Company, Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Finally we are off the ship!

YAY!

Here is a picture of our very smiley faces to show how pleased we were...

It was a whole lot hotter than it looks in this photo.

We visited Kailua Kona on the Big Island today.  We rented a car and drove to what I keep calling the seahorse factory.  It is in fact a seahorse farm.

At Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm they breed seahorses for both conservation purposes and as pets.  We got to see many different breeds including sea dragons, some pregnant males and teeny tiny baby seahorses!  The staff at this family run business seemed very knowledgeable and I'm satisfied that the welfare of these beautiful creatures was of prime importance, especially given the fact that some breeds are nearly extinct.  We even got to hold a seahorse - an experience we will likely never get the chance to repeat.

Here is a photo of Alan's beautiful face...

One for the wall :)

We then toddled off to Kona Brewing Co. for a quick bite to eat and some cold, refreshing beer.

We both love beer and trying local brews.  It was an absolute treat to try these ones.  There are some that are brewed with tropical flavours such as passion fruit or coconut and we found them very appropriate for our first day in Hawaii.

We sat outside and felt like we were in a lush green paradise as we listened to the birds tweet singing around us.  My favourite beers were the Lemongrass Lu'au and Castaway IPA.

I tried my first 'poke' too.  I'm a particular fan of raw fish and the traditional Hawaiian dish was delicious.  I'm afraid I didn't get a photo of it.  Alan had pepperoni rolls which he refused to let me taste - I assume this means they were good.

Today was a breath of fresh air.  Here is a picture of a wee chap we found outside.  

Sushi on Five, Celebrity Solstice

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean dining options are a bit limited.  I'll admit, by this time in our cruise, we had decided that cruising was not really our cup of tea, which is a shame since you're really meant to absolutely love your honeymoon.  Never mind though.  We tried to find little ways to make it more our our style.  One of these ways was to pay a bit extra to dine at one of the speciality restaurants on board the ship - Sushi on Five - such names as it is located on the fifth deck.

We paid  £25 each for all you can eat sushi.  A bargain if you ask me.  Sushi is my absolute favourite.  I even enjoy it more than steak!

The sushi was delicious and well worth what we paid.  I also tried sake for the first time (Alan says we have both tried it before but I honestly don't think I have).  It was really lovely and our friendly Russian waitress was knowledgeable about it.  Alan doesn't eat raw fish so it was a little difficult for him to find something he was willing to eat but the few dishes he did order were plentiful and we struggled to eat everything we had asked for.  We didn't realise the dishes would be so big and so had ordered quite a lot of different things to try.  As soon as we cleared one plate, another was brought in its place - it was great!

Here I am in my element...