We have landed in Hauula on the windward side of Oahu, a part of the infamous North Shore. Our bungalow is called the Hibiscus Hale and has a screened in Lanai, or patio as we call it. The fresh wind rolls off the ocean which we can see from the lanai, and the rolling waves can be heard and seen right from my cozy chair. It is a quiet peaceful place that has a lot of appeal to my weary bones. I am recharging. Today we were up early as the Vans Triple Crown World...

We took a tour to see the memorial and resting place of the SS Arizona of Pearl Harbour. It is a visitor centre that has a museum, submarine, warship and memorial from the attack on Pearl Harbour from the Japanese on December 7, 1941. It is still a working navy base today. It was the beginning of World War 2, and it was an ambush of epic proportions. Over a thousand people perished that day, many buried at sea with the the ship itself. Many other ships were hit ...

Aloha! We have arrived in Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu. We are enamoured with the warm welcome of the locals and the Aloha spirit that is evident everywhere. Friendly, warm and authentic people from our uber and taxi drivers to the locals living in our complex. We are staying in a vacation rental with my dad a couple blocks from the beach. Waikiki is a tourist town and the locals claim to steer clear unless they work here. I can understand, but I think we ...

We are flying home after two weeks of eating, eating and did I mention we ate a lot? Italy is a beautiful country to eat in but there is so much to love. In between meals of the local meats, cheeses, pastas and pastries with cappuccino we spent our time exploring and appreciating the historical sites like the old stone churches and their grand frescos and mosaics. We immersed ourselves in the culture with its art, music and food and figured that we could definite...

Our last few nights in Rome went quickly and were full. We stayed in a funky little neighbourhood near Termini train station and ate at a great little taverna where the Grandma was hand rolling the pasta in the kitchen and Grandpa was running the plates out to happy diners. We loved the fresh food that inspires us to cook simply and with fresh ingredients. On our anniversary we had booked a day trip beginning at the Vatican museums with early entry at 8am. We wa...