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...

Denny's, St.Edwards Drive, Richmond, Vancouver, Canada

Before embarking upon a cruise ship headed for Hawaii, we decided we would need some sustenance in the form of bacon and maple syrup.  Around the corner (and next door to the great place we ate last night) was chain diner, Denny's.

We were waited upon by a really lovely chap who brought me a cup of coffee, which he attentively refilled throughout our visit, and Alan a chocolate brownie milkshake.  I heard him speaking to other tables and during one conversation he mentioned that he was relatively new there, which was surprising as he seemed to whizz around the place as if he had been there for years. 

We both ordered the 'Original Grand Slam' which consisted of two big pancakes, two fried eggs, two sausages and two rashers of bacon. As if that wasn't enough, Alan wanted two extra pancakes.  I also ordered hash browns, not because I thought I would still be hungry, but because I'm a total brat and was jealous that Alan was ordering something extra.  'Food envy', I think the grown ups call it, but instead of waiting until the food arrived to be envious, I tried to outdo him.

It didn't work.  I was full by the time I had eaten half of my breakfast and he ended up having to finish some of mine.  I'll never learn.  Food is too tempting.  

We paid and continued our journey, happily wired on coffee and syrup.

Chop Steakhouse and Bar, Richmond, Canada

It's the first day of our honeymoon and we're jet lagged.  It's 5pm in Canada but we're still on UK time after crossing the Atlantic on our 10 hour flight and so it's 1am to us.  I'm tired, and hungry.

Luckily I did my research.  Right down the road from our budget accommodation is a small selection of restaurants.  Chop Steakhouse and Bar is the one we chose based on our love of steak and their Tripadvisor reviews.

It was warm and we sat outside in an oversized booth.  It was massive.  I am aware that things tend to be a bit larger over the pond, however, I did feel that I might need a booster seat.  We ordered local beer which was lovely and cold.  Our waitress was very friendly and chatted to us for a while about the local area.  She seemed to take a genuine interest in what we were doing so far away from home.

I ordered the 'Chop Experience Dinner' which is a set menu of starter and main course.  Alan ordered from the regular menu as he fancied a burger which wasn't on the set menu.  We both had soup; a seafood bisque for me and french onion for Alan.  He said it was the best french onion soup he had ever tasted!  The cheek!  I make excellent french onion soup!  I think he liked it so much because it came with a slice of crusty bread on top which was loaded with cheese and then popped under the grill.  I'll have to up my game...

Our mains arrived along with a new set of cutlery.  My fork was dirty.  One of my pet hates is dirty cutlery and crockery, even a watermark on a glass will make me want to polish it with my napkin.  It drives Alan mad as I'll even do it at home.  I'll often swap drinks or cutlery with him when we're eating out.  However, not one to make a fuss, I tried to clean it on my napkin, discreetly of course, as I am accustomed to.  The attentive waitress spotted this and came over with a new set of cutlery.  Service such as this makes a massive difference to the experience of dining out.

I had prime rib which was the best thing I had eaten in weeks.  It was cooked to perfection, pink and juicy, and was flavoursome.  It came with a selection of vegetables and some wasabi mash, which worked beautifully.  Alan hates wasabi so I probably wouldn't make it at home just for me, but it's certainly something I would consider if I was cooking for more than just the two of us.

We were both really pleased with our meals and service and happy withe price we paid.  A great start to our adventures.  We both left the restaurant with full tummies, ready for bed...at 6pm.