Category: Blogs

Sunday 6th August
Another warm summers day ahead today, our last in San Diego. Last minute packing and domestics are our priorities. Our luggage hasn’t put on any more weight since Hawaii so that’s a bonus, wish we could say the same about us, but the home cooked meals by our gracious hosts proved irresistible. Not to mention Jim’s private stock of Californian wine that is now sadly depleted.

Apart from the packing the day is a relaxing one, I test drive the new camera on a group of hummingbirds that frequently swoop in to take advantage of the sweet nectar put out by Jim for their sustenance.

 After lunch we set up to watch the Aussie football, this time a home showdown between The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. Jim is keen to learn about the game, while Susan naps on the couch with Toby the poodle cross, we enjoy the win by the Crows who just look unbeatable at present. Come dinner time we order Thai from a local restaurant, named Spices, they have a great selection with a spice range from 1-10 where even 5 is hot. We all go for mild dishes with me having the hottest at 4, on the well placed advise of the locals. 

We set our alarm for 3.30am, our ride will be at the house by 5.00am tomorrow, say our goodnights to our hosts who insist on seeing us off in the morning and goodbyes to Gaby who will probably be just nodding off to sleep at 3.30am in typical teenager style then retire for an early night.
Monday 7th August
Early morning showers for us, a rude awakening, but outside the air is warm and balmy. Our ride arrives a little ahead of time, sleepy eyed Jim and Susan have woken to say their goodbyes, we thank them for all their wonderful hospitality, our stay an enjoyable one, great to see brother and sister together again and to be part of their daily lives for a short while. Meanwhile the black Chrysler 300c is loaded by our female driver, obviously new to the game she struggles to pack our suitcases into the boot/trunk we offer to help but she is insistent, one bag has to ride in the front with her. We are soon speeding our way through the dark San Diego morning towards the airport. Within 30 minutes we are there at kerbside checkin, a young attendant helps us with our bags, the printing of our luggage tags and boarding passes. Next through TSA pre-check security and within minutes we are seated at a coffee shop enjoying a morning coffee/tea. From there I witness a woman receiving a full body pat down by a very thorough security officer, embarrassing for her I’m sure, she must have set the scanner off big time. 

Time to board the Boeing 737 to Philadelphia comes around quickly, we board and after a short delay caused by a malfunctioning entertainment system we are on our way, sadly the entertainment system refuses to boot up, a long flight ahead with no onboard entertainment or wifi, thankfully we have our iPads.
We arrive on time to grey skies thick with rain laden clouds that have recently dumped a significant amount of rain on the airport and surrounds. Our transport is there to greet us, no failures so far every event running smoothly. Once we have our bags we leave the airport and head northeast through the concrete and steel jungle that is Philadelphia. We drive around the city itself visible under a veil of grey mist to our left, eventually connecting with the interstate freeway I95, the rain pours down intermittently as we speed along. The I95 is seemingly under constant construction, looking no different now than it did two years ago when we here last. Now heading towards the suburb of Holland, where Troy & Heather have their home we turn off the I95 venturing into a lush green belt of suburbia and semi rural properties. Magnificent giant trees, like American sycamore and beech spread their limbs across manicured park like lawns around commercial centres and suburban areas alike, very pretty. The lush green a reminder of the rainfall that this area receives. The driver is a very talkative fellow with a rich New York accent, giving us essentially a snapshot of current political and social life in this region. It’s always interesting to compare our society with that of the American way of life, so many similar issues confront both our societies. Power, water, global warming, technological change, the list goes on and on, we are living in interesting times.

It takes about an hour to reach our destination the rain significantly slowing the pace of the traffic that is heavy in parts. On arrival Heather, Troy Calista, Aubrey and Justin are here to give us a warm welcome. Abbey and Cadence arrive shortly after and stay for a takeaway Chinese dinner before going off on a weeks holiday with their mother.

After dinner we settle in, talk into the night with Heather and Troy before heading to bed for our first night in Pennsylvania.

Saturday 5th August 
Not a cloud in the sky this morning, just a brilliant blue, daily temperatures around 26c/82f. There are not big variations in the day to day climate at all, very little wind, just a gentle summer breeze that varies from day to day regulating the temperature. Some days blowing a little cooler in the evenings eventually taking us inside. Gabby is going to a music festival today at a stadium just outside San Diego, Jimmy is going to drive her in and asks if I would like to tag along, we can check out a camera store to replace my lost pocket camera he suggests.
We pickup a friend of Gaby’s, make sure they have plenty of water then deliver them to the stadium drop off point. The day has warmed up still not a cloud in the sky from horizon to horizon, if we were home on a summers day that looked like this it would probably be a scorcher. The grey concrete freeways cut across the landscape with not much to soften them against it. Eucalypts, pines & palms dominate wherever you are here, although sparsely. Water is at a premium and it shows, but gardens that have specialised desert landscaping look stunning with electric bougainvillea of red, pink and orange as well as other desert/dry coastal plants. 
We arrive at Nelsons photo store in a short while, traffic is stop start, its Saturday morning and perfect beach weather, a lot of people are heading to the beaches. I’ve researched the cameras I want to compare, the salesperson demonstrates them for me, I make a choice. Usually I stick with Canon a trusted brand but this time I opt for a Panasonic LUMIX. The features and price outstrip the Canon by far.
A happy chappy, my chauffeur Jimmy drives me back home in his big black Mercedes SL550 life is good! 

When we arrive home, Susan & Amanda are busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, Susan’s mother also named Susan and brother named Michael are joining us tonight. The theme tonight is a Lebanese feast, Susan’s heritage is both Mexican and Lebanese. When Susan’s mother arrives she dons an apron and gets stuck in too, helping to prepare the dishes. The men as they do, sit around drinking and chatting, with all those knives spinning around in the kitchen it is a good place to stay clear of. The menu to night is beef kibbeh, ground beef, onions and bulgar a type of cracked wheat are finely ground together and baked in the oven. Baba ghanoush dip, blended roasted eggplant, tahini (made from sesame seeds) and olive oil. Mujadara, Lebanese Lentils, Rice and Caramelized Onions. Plus a garden salad. For dessert a flan, apparently the Lebanese specialise in this type of egg and milk dessert rather like a Pana cotta served with a caramelised sweet sauce. Needless to say all exotic for us and delicious. Susan’s mother is an interesting character, a diminutive blond in her mid seventies, runs her own clothing business across the border in Mexico, a self made woman that had to take over the family business after her husband passed away. Gaby returns home painted in rainbow colours, her face, chest, arms and legs daubed in thick paint and glitter, a result of getting into the groove at the music festival. Dinner underway the evening slips away in pleasant conversation, the air temperature dropping dramatically as the night draws to a close on another day in San Diego.

 

Thursday 3rd August
Another warm one today, any cloud cover is completely burnt off by early morning, leaving clear blue skies in the inland valleys.

We are really enjoying the relaxing atmosphere and being part of Amanda’s brother Jimmy, wife Susan and daughter Gabriella’s life, even if it is for a short while. Just relaxing and enjoying the family things together has given us a lot of joy. After a morning of chilling out on the patio we meet a friend of Susan’s who is about to travel to Australia for a two week holiday. We are able to pass on some tips to her to hopefully assist in utilising her time there to the best advantage. Later we re arrange the patio furniture to give the appearance of a larger space, we are all pleased with the results. All good fun.

Dinner is once again superb, pork loin, fruit salsa, fried plantains (a type of banana not experienced by us before, raw slightly bitter to taste, but when they are sliced and deep fried the sugars are drawn out sugars giving them a sweet caramelised coating) rice and slaw.

Friday 4th August
Warm sunshine again greets us this morning, we haven’t seen a drop of rain since arriving a week ago. On our travels we often see rising thunderheads over the mountains but there they seem to stay in-prisoned in their own zone. Today Jim and Susan have decided to buy a patio table and chairs. They tell us about consignment warehouses that are huge secondhand stores, they are hopeful of finding a suitable setting at one of these places. We take off to one such place, leaving the quiet residential Carmel Valley to join one of the many freeways that criss cross the county. The freeways are strips of concrete sometimes twelve lanes wide that carve their way in, out and around San Diego. Essentially this is a coastal strip of low hills, canyons and mesas, there are few trees around, just sage coloured plants known locally as chaparral, covering the chalky hills with an occasional gum tree, or pine. The city lies on approximately 200 of these deep canyons and hills separating its mesas, creating small pockets of natural open space scattered throughout the city and giving it a hilly geography. In parts home to the rare coastal Torrey Pine that gives its names to local areas and businesses. These canyons tend to give the area segmented feel as we travel in and out of them, glimpses of the ocean never far away.

San Diego is a major city in California situated on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the tip of Southern California, approximately 120 miles (190 km) south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico.

With an estimated population of 1.4m San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is best known for its mild year-round climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches, Navy base, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center.
Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California 200 years later. The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly independent Mexico, which reformed as the First Mexican Republic two years later. In 1850, California became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War and the admission of California to the union.
Californians also love their cars,

the availability and range of vehicles here is staggering. European cars are very popular as well as the all electric Tesla. We continue on in Jim’s big 7 seat white Nissan infinity until we reach the first warehouse that is situated in a warehouse district close to a commuter train line. Inside the huge floor space is covered with all manner of furniture, from Armours to Wardrobes and every piece in between. It is a home decorators delight with many interesting pieces at unbelievably cheap prices. Off course there are some pretty gaudy and tasteless pieces, at least to our eyes but one mans trash is another’s treasure. Patio furniture choices are not that big here, there is just one setting that is a possibility but it doesn’t quite work for them.

Back in the car we head north towards Encinitas along the main highway to LA sometimes through what we would call heavy traffic, but it flows pretty well.

The next warehouse is in more of a shopping district, but equally as large, with rows and rows of chairs stacked high on either side of aisles in the centre. All manner of furniture is laid out around the outside, lamps hang from the ceiling rafters, glass cabinets display estate jewellery and other knickknacks. Again a mishmash of styles and quality that boggles the eye. Jim & Susan are in luck this time they find just what they are looking for, a circular glass table, on a faux stone Grecian urn, complete with lid, iron scroll work supports branch out from the urn to support a crystal clear, beveled edge tempered glass table top some 2 metres round.

The set of chairs of which there are six, are good quality, cream bentwood and wicker, gold stylised fish adornments in an 18th century French style complete the arm rests. All the faux leather seating pads are in good condition with no splits or cracks. A pretty good buy for around $700.00. After some deliberation the purchase is made. In the meantime Amanda and I wander around, it’s an interior decorators delight with many pieces, particularly chairs that would re upholstered be great statement pieces. Again their are some unusual pieces, one lounge setting that would suit an African prince or middle eastern sheik. Consisting as it does of a huge white plump leather sofa and two matching chairs with carved gold topless mermaids adorning the front corner uprights. To match this a large glass coffee table supported by two gold elephants. A leopard skin rug would complete the decor in my mind.
The deal done and delivery organised we make our way back to Carmel Valley after a brief stop in Encinitas for Gabby. It is going to be a busy evening, first the delivery of the patio furniture scheduled between 5-6pm then an early dinner (on the new table), of giant filet steaks with a Mexican squash, sweet and regular potato bake. This to be followed by a little bit of culture, a play put on by the local repertory theatre at 8.00pm entitled “At This Evenings Performance”
All goes to plan the table arrives on time, amazing service, the carriers right there at the store, quote and organise immediate delivery. We eat dinner on the newly cleaned table and chairs and then hurriedly dress for the show. We are soon on our way to the theatre, situated in a shopping mall, indistinguishable from the other stores other than the North Coast Repertory Theatre sign.

Surprisingly inside is a tiny well equipped 50 seat theatre, the ceiling bristles with spotlights and lighting equipment. The stage only a few feet from the front row seats. Our plush red upholstered seats are at the very back but they are only five rows from the stage. Behind us the control room, controls the sound, music and effects.

The theatre darkens, the lights come up and the play begins. There are seven players, five play the parts of actors in a small company that entertain the residents of an imaginary Eastern European state “Stavia” under occupation by a authoritarian government. One player plays the part of the stage manager, a somewhat creepy character with connections to the state police (think KGB). The last player plays the government minister for cultural events, a pompous official with a great opinion of his own worth and the power to back it up. The play starts in the actors dressing rooms, both the female and male rooms are visible to us the audience as seperate partitions. Their private conversations that take place behind the scenes between cast members not on stage and then at intermission, show a distaste for the current government. Their passion for their art keeps them acting their parts in the company’s productions that are designed to be apolitical and not dissenting in any way. The troupe is also entwined in their own interpersonal relationships, two of the troupe are married, both in the throws of affairs with the other female and one of the other male members. The other male member an older gentleman is just happy to be acting. The stage manager suspects that one of the cast members is a spy, and that they are sending coded messages through certain spoken lines during the play. He informs the lead actor of his suspicions and that the actor who speaks the coded lines in tonight’s production will be shot on stage. He doesn’t know which of the lines, or which actor will speak them. Panic sets in as the lead actor thinks that it is he who will speak the lines and protests his innocence. He determines to find out who the spy is, already suspecting his younger counterpart who is having an affair with his wife, but also secretly planning to elope with his mistress. Having it out with his fellow actor, bears no fruit as he also professes innocence. He confesses to his wife that he might be shot if he says the lines.

During intermission the Government Minister for Cultural Events arrives and pays the troupe a visit, wanting them to act in plays he has written, and act them out in a once famous theatre that now acts as his palace. The lead actor refuses as the plays are patently badly written and is threatened with imprisonment. The troupe members defy the minister knowing that one of them could be shot on stage. The minister denies any knowledge of the murder attempt but could help them if they bend to his wishes. Before the actors go onto stage for the second part of the play the older actor is injured and unable to take part. The stage manager also an understudy is called in, but doesn’t know the lines.

The stage is cleared and we now see the stage set on which the actors are performing (a Classical Greek or maybe Roman play).

The actors tentatively take up their positions to act out the second part of the play. Dodging behind props to avoid being shot at, the actors act out their roles, but no shots are fired, eventually they call on the understudy to enter and say his lines. As the bumbling understudy performs his lines he is immediately shot. There is an uproar as the curtain comes down, the signal for an uprising has occurred and there is fighting in the streets. The older actor returns to the scene, he was the spy all along and now has to secret the actors out of the city. The married couple are once again drawn together as the female actor is impressed by her husbands stand against the government, the other two are free to pursue their relationship in another country and the older actor the spy, job done can now move on with the troupe to seek acting careers in Paris. Of course this a very simplified version of events, the play a farce with many hilarious twists and turns is extremely funny but carries a deep social message. A Very entertaining night.

Tuesday 1st August
Chill out day today relaxing in Jim & Susan’s backyard, we are on holiday this is California, chill out capital of the world. The gloomy early morning skies that have dominated our visit so far quickly burn off leaving a warm sunny day. Just as quickly they return in the late afternoon threatening rain that never happens. Hummingbirds with green almost iridescent backs dart about coming and going, vying for that perfect sweet spot that is the centre of one of the mock flowers that surround the bird feeder hanging outside the kitchen window. The sweet man made nectar has them flying in and waiting in a holding pattern until another of their kind moves on. Having had their fill, they fly to the water fountain, dipping their tiny long curved beaks into the water, wings beating furiously before disappearing again into the shrubbery at the rear of the property.

The quiet of Carmel Valley only occasionally shattered by the sound of airforce jets from the nearby Miramar airbase rocketing across the skies. In this house diner is always a treat, tonight the penne and tomato based sauce are delicious. Some puréed Alaskan salmon mixed with cream cheese and topped with crushed walnuts has become a ball of delight, to be spread on a cracker or two. This followed by a strawberry shortcake dessert complete with whipped cream while watching the movie “Bad Moms” completes the meal. If you are a hard working mum with growing kids to look after than this movie is for you, the moms are real bad, plenty of foul language and sexual innuendo, that would make a grown man cringe, but it is funny.
Wednesday 2nd August
The weather has warmed up distinctly, the morning gloom banished out to sea, we can feel the heat rising when we do. A quiet morning while our hosts continue with their daily lives, we relax on the patio. When Jim arrives home around midday we take off for lunch at La Jolla. Carmel Valley is about 20 miles north of San Diego, we travel back in that direction then up towards the coastal town that is La Jolla, situated in an elevated position about 12 miles south west. The towns elevated coastal position makes it a popular residential area for the well heeled of San Diego with far reaching views from the rocky hillsides over looking the Pacific Ocean to the west. The only drawback being the one access road in and out of the town making travel a slow process at times, particularly if there is a vehicle accident on the access road. Today though, the going is easy and we make it to our lunch destination in good time. Lunch is in the Main Street at George’s, we rise up from the main entrance to an elevated deck that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. 

Back at the coast the cloud cover is still evident, the sky a steel grey that is reflected in a calm rippling sea of mercury. Under white umbrellas surrounded by glass balustrades we enjoy lunch, the sky looks threatening but too high to produce any rain. The sea is devoid of marine traffic except for a local large tourist fishing boat that is bobbing up and down in one spot, while anglers crowd together dangling their lines over the safety rails, no overhead casting here. The skies are a different matter, intermittently small planes fly out of the hills behind us across the ocean to hug the coast line around the bay. Further north Dana Point is hidden by the hazy misty clouds that are also hugging the coastline. The view is still spectacular, I joke to Amanda that on a clear day you could almost see clear across the pacific to Australia some 12103.5km away. 

Susan’s brother Michael joins us briefly at lunch, he is working nearby as a Kinesthesiologist, a doctor whose area of study is human movement. More specifically, this refers to the movement of joints and muscles in the body.

After lunch we stroll down Prospect street, La Jolla’s tourist driven main street our target Cote Sud, a small shop specialising in French table linen for alfresco dining. On our last visit two years ago, we stopped and shopped here, the proprietor Frederic, also French willingly shipping our purchases home. The products are good and so we return for more of the same.
Business concluded, we take a drive in a circular route out of La Jolla and back to Carmel valley. On our way passing some stunning views along the coastline. 
San Diego has four distinct microclimates, in less than an hours’ drive, you can experience all four, coastal, inland valleys, mountains and desert.

The Coastal microclimate is characterized as moderate with little temperature change and generally light breezes. Pleasant summer days cool down in the evenings, with some early morning cloudiness and fog mostly in the spring and early summer. As we have witnessed low clouds may extend inland over the coastal valleys and foothills, but usually dissipate by mid-morning. Afternoons in the coastal microclimate are usually clear until late in the day when the marine layer can roll in.

As you move inland from the coast, the daytime temperature goes up and the nighttime temperature goes down. Summer months in the San Diego inland valley microclimate can get very hot. On average you can predict that the temperature will increase by almost one degree for every 1.6km (1 mile) that you go inland.

In the winter months the inland valley microclimate is quite a bit cooler at night than the San Diego coastal microclimate and it may experience occasional frost. Isolated afternoon thunder storms can pop up during the hottest part of the summer. The San Diego inland valley microclimate gets more rain from the winter storms than the coastal microclimate.

Then there is the mountain areas, where the summer nights are cool and the days are warm with occasional afternoon thundershowers. The winters can be cold with occasional snow accumulation that ranges from a trace to 15cm or 6″. It doesn’t last long and usually melts away within days. A lot more rain falls in the The mountain zones 750mm (30″ per year) than in the coastal microclimate 260mm (10.3″ per year). Last is the Desert zone, like most desert climates, expect extremes with very hot summers and cooler winter nights. The mountains capture most of the rain, creating the arid desert landscape. Where as in the Australian outback after a particularly wet winter magnificent displays of wild flowers can be witnessed. Certainly an interesting region climate wise, very Mediterranean with some similarities to Adelaide. 
Back home, in the inland valley zone, the temperature hasn’t varied much from the 26c/82f we left this morning, there is no wind at all. It’s wine o’clock before a planned BBQ dinner of Brats and chicken. We are all not that hungry after lunch, wine o’clock stretches into the evening as we watch a spectacular sunset from the patio. 

As darkness falls we rig up some lights under the umbrella, deciding to eat outside in the balmy night air. Brats short for Bratwurst are sausages made from veal, beef or more commonly pork. Jim simmers them in beer until cooked then they are transferred to the grill to add a little BBQ flavour. With this a little sliced BBQ chicken add some horseradish cream. Susan was gifted from a friend a box of fresh figs only a day of so ago, we add them to the mix along with some cheese to round off a light but satisfying meal.

We all to soon realise the lateness of the hour, clean up and head for our beds.

Monday 31st July
If Los Angeles is the city of Angels then maybe San Diego is the city of lights (stores that is). The May/June gloom continues unseasonably to blanket the early day in that now familiar marine stratus cloud. There is no accompanying wind, all is still when we awake in Carmel Valley this morning. We are greeted by Muffy the white female chihuahua cross, tail wagging profusely, while Toby, the just as tiny curly haired white male poodle cross sleeps upstairs with Gaby.
Jim is off to work this morning and Susan is conducting a Jazzercise class not far away. After breakfast we relax for awhile out on the patio, reading and writing.
Susan returns and we make plans to tour some lighting outlets this afternoon although not before graciously making us an enjoyable salmon salad lunch.

Susan drives us to a commercial district where there seems to be a cluster of lighting stores. Our mission is to identify trends in lighting, try to find light fittings for the new house both internally and externally that will add to the houses decor. In the US the choice of product is far superior than in little old Adelaide, but export is usually a challenge. 

Our first stop is like walking into a medieval, manufacturer of castle light fittings. Heavy wrought iron products are their specialty. Great monstrous iron and wood chandeliers with candle like bulbs fit to sit above King Arthur’s round table hang from the warehouse ceiling. Wall sconces that take light bulbs instead of oil soaked torches sit on the walls. Out of character a white and gold porcelain chandelier more suited to Louis the XIV sits in a myriad of pieces awaiting assembly. The shop is a jumble of dark heavy pieces that will not fit at all, the proprietor tells us they can make anything we want out of iron but we have the lighter feel of copper and glass on our mind.

We take our leave, proceeding a short distance to another lighting warehouse, more reminiscent of stores at home. This two story store warehouse is filled with lighting pieces and fans but in lots of ways is too similar to home. In fact we see the very same external light fittings we purchased for our current house back in 2009 on display. The available ceiling fans are vast and varied and we do find some we like will just need to research them to see if they are available at home.

Next stop before we leave the area is at a much smaller retailer. We are greeted by a greying round faced gregarious South African proprietor, who once he finds out we are Australian regales us with his Aussie adventures in Sydney and far North Queensland. He does have some interesting pieces both for external and internal use and he is happy to pass on his advice and knowledge but any talk of shipping to Australia kills the conversation dead.

Susan decides to take us to UTC Mall, formerly known as University Towne Centre, the again, Westfield Mall is a large three story outdoor mall that houses some home decor stores that could be of interest. The mall could be the future of malls in Australia. Susan designates the mall a “destination mall”, in that it has a focus on entertainment venues, cinemas, restaurants, even an ice skating rink. Once there presumably you may as well shop anyway. The mall is undergoing substantial renovations adding even more shops and boulevards. We take a look at two stores Pottery Barn and Renovation Warehouse. Pottery Barn is less about pottery than home decor in general, closest store comparison at home would be Freedom furniture but this is bigger and more varied. The entrance is huge, American solid timber barn doors hang on the matching rustic solid timber clad facade. Inside they do have a very nice range of clear glass lighting in the theme we are looking for maybe some possibilities here. We stop for a Starbucks break, not just coffee anymore but a wide range of drinks, from plain iced tea to fruity caffeinated concoctions that boggle the mind, to juices, smoothies and more, much more! I am almost embarrassed to order a humble cappuccino that they have never quite perfected, but they have moved on to bigger, more profitable and less demanding refreshments.
Moving on drinks in hand we make our last stop at Restoration Warehouse, Kate back in Honolulu has raised this store as one we should consider too. The store has an interesting story, the originator a male on finding himself divorced and having to decorate an apartment finds that it is not an easy job, the decorating skills having departed along with his ex wife. Never the less he puts together products and colour schemes that no matter which you pick instantly go together, a clever idea for abandoned males. These males though will need to be well heeled, the cost of pain free home decor doesn’t come cheaply. Their lighting range is small, simple but elegant, Amanda falls in love with a glass and polished nickel spherical piece 24″ in diameter (600mm) weighing about 59Lbs (26kgs). Beautiful but no shipping options overseas. 
Susan, our hostess, cook, and now chauffeur/tour guide, patiently drives us back home after our tour of the city lights (shops). We now have some great ideas, now we just need to do some research and search out possibilities at home. Pottery Barn, it turns out does have an online store that delivers in Australia.
Jim & Susan are great cooks and are soon in the kitchen preparing Mexican dishes for tonight, with partially Mexican roots Susan can give us a true taste of Mexico tonight. Gabby forever the teenager, makes a cameo appearance for dinner helping her mother with final preparations. When dinner is served, it is wheat or corn tortillas with sliced BBQ beef, cooked in a smoker oven with a little side chimney and hopper that delivers applewood chips to add flavour to the smokiness. Also grilled marinated pork. Wrap these in the tortillas and add a delicious creamy mild Mexican green chilli sauce, with hot salsa for a bit of spice, garden salad and side of red beans with onion strips and you have I am assured authentic Mexican. A glass of crisp French rose, poured from a crystal clear glass bottle with an unusual glass stopper, not cork, and with a rose patterned base, proving that not all French vintners are traditionalists, completes the meal.

Another day draws to an end and we once again retire for the night.

Sunday 30th July
We awake to an overcast sky this morning, apparently this a feature of the San Diego area, the so called May/June gloom has in recent years decided to extend itself into July and even August. A layer of coastal marine stratus clouds seep in off the ocean keeping temperatures cool but not cold. The sun usually not making its presence felt until around noon.

We will be staying with Jimmy Susan and Gaby in their home in Carmel Valley until the end of the week, just hanging out, relaxing and enjoying Susan’s home cooking (a welcome change to restaurant food). 

True to form the gloomy skies open up later in the day, allowing us to enjoy the quiet of our hosts patio in pleasant temperature around 23c. 

A little shopping for essentials needs to be done plus overdue domestics that takes us into the afternoon. We hook up by phone to Amanda and Jimmy’s sister Sue and Mother Shirley in Indiana to catch-up on their current situation. 

Before Susan, whips up some magic in the kitchen, Alaskan Salmon, white rice and cracked wheat with Swiss chard, all very healthy and delicious. 

Later we watch the Adelaide Crows, on the big screen through the magic of Apple TV, suffer a huge beating in the first half of their game against the Melbourne based Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A miserably disappointing first half has left the team with a 50 point deficit, only very rarely do teams come back from this position. We decide to go to bed and being the diehard that I am, and believer in miracles I continue to watch the game on my laptop. The Crows mount an unbelievable comeback reducing the deficit to three points, them Collingwood kick away again, but the Crows again reduce the deficit to four points, again Collingwood add another two points, leaving a deficit of six points, just seconds before the final siren we take a mark in front of goal, one straight kick and the result is a draw. An amazing finish that turned a disappointing game into an exciting one, that left the Crows still top of the ladder. Time to sleep ready for another relaxing day in sleepy Carmel Valley, California.

Saturday 29th July 
Good morning San Diego, although by the time we wake up the biggest part of morning is gone, so much so that we have missed breakfast altogether. Undeterred we order room service and enjoy a leisurely brunch in our room. The US Grant hotel is situated in downtown San Diego, a Westfield mall sits directly opposite in Horton Plaza, a little taste of home. 

Jim, Susan & Gaby have contacted us with an invite to dinner at Salvatore’s Italian restaurant just a ten minute walk away tonight. But for now we relax, sleep some more and generally try to put our body clocks back in order.

Time for dinner arrives and we walk out into the cool overcast evening that is San Diego tonight. The air temperature around 23c/76f is pleasantly refreshing after the high humidity of Honolulu. In less than ten minutes we are at the restaurant, there are very few people around for a Saturday night, but the night is young. We enter and I am immediately impressed by the warm friendly welcome, not stiff or formal but genuine, like we are old family returning after a long absence. We are seated and await the arrival of Jim, Susan & Gaby. They arrive in just a few minutes and it’s hugs all round. The menu is extensive, we decide on sharing plates family style, this type of dining is becoming more and more popular. The Chinese and Indians have done it for decades, but Italian? We first came across this eating style at an Italian restaurant on a cruise a few years ago and now more and more we see the style, and why not, you can sample so many dishes, at one sitting.

Our feast includes Italian favourites, thick slices of heirloom tomatoes topped with buffalo mozzarella, pumpkin ravioli, sea Bass, veal scallopini and Ossobucco. Accompanied by some great wine from Jim’s own personal stock and from the restaurants cellar. Then finishing off with my personal favourite creme brûlée and Tiramisu. 

Altogether a wonderful evening. Together we stroll back to our hotel through the still quiet night, the glow of the city lights illuminating our way. Jim, Susan and Gaby taking their leave after seeing us safely to the hotel. The city below our fifth floor room coming to life as the younger after 10pm generation of revellers attend their late night haunts. We are lulled to sleep by the sounds of the city wafting upwards, perhaps the lack of double glazing being our only criticism of the hotel.

Friday 28th July
Time on our Hawaiian clock is running down, the minutes silently ticking away. One more beachside breakfast, drinking in the view, a stage set for a never ending stream of players, that will arrive to take their turn in our place once we depart.

As we enjoy the last of our island breakfasts, in the warm Waikiki air, two young Japanese girls, fresh off the plane dressed in matching long creamy white lacy outfits sit within our view.They have just had their breakfast served, one the full eggs Benedict and the other a stack of pancakes. The meals look great, but they never want to forget this moment, first out come the phones, they proceed to take pictures of their own, then each other’s breakfast. Next outcomes the camera and more photos are taken, with special care taken to tilt the meals outwards so that with them posing behind them and the camera turned inwards towards them at arms length they capture the perfect pic. A server comes along and he is roped into the action, taking more photos of the two and their meals from every angle. Just when I thought they where done outcomes the selfie stick and the process starts again, with the girls posing and pouting at the camera. By this time the meals must be lukewarm at best, but eventually they put their devices away and hoe into their breakfasts. Behind them the white foamy surf continues to roll in on the milky blue sea, a little bigger today.
Back in our room good news comes through on the family intranet just as we are making our last room check, Tania has finally given birth to a baby boy, Kingston Ehukai (Hawaiian for the mist that comes off the surf) Woessner is a bouncing 7lbs, 19.5 ” mother and child doing well! And as far as we know so is father Kaua, but who cares about men at this time. Grandma Sandi is over the moon. First pictures come through and he is all pink and gorgeous, dark hair and very healthy looking. We send off some congratulatory emails, welcoming a new generation into the family.

Back to the task at hand we make our last preparations for leaving, suitcases packed, hand luggage packed, travel clothes on, goodbye shorts, goodbye flip flops, hope to see you again in San Diego, time to fly! 
Express checkout is a breeze no more waiting in a queue, just send a text to reception advising you have checked out, call the bell hop, who drops our just underweight luggage under the Porte-Cochere and await Jimmy the Vietnamese cabbie for our ride to the airport. 

Jimmy is not far away, we are soon loaded and on our way, Jimmy a likeable guy, chats away in his stilted English, telling us about his family back in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam, they are bakers making 20000 loaves a day he proudly informs us. We certainly enjoyed our Vietnam visit we tell him, he thinks we have probably seen more of his homeland than he has. The clouds cry as we leave, dropping their sad departure tears along the way. Somewhere on the road in, the sun is welcoming newcomers to the islands.
Time again slips through our hands like sand in an hourglass, arriving at the air Alaska terminal in double quick time. Whether coming or going Honolulu airport is always efficient making entry to the US a pleasure. Consequently we are soon checked in and walking to our gate.

The aeroplane, a 737-800 is a few minutes delayed but not enough to disrupt our schedule. As we take to the skies Diamond Head and Waikiki are clearly visible below us, before we finally rise to cruising altitude where the only islands below us are puffy white clouds.

The Alaska airline flight is a smooth one, we settle in, eat an ordinary meal (or is it just that we have recently experienced a much higher standard), watch a movie, thought I might have time for a nap, but before we know it we are approaching San Diego. Our arrival time is 11.30pm, the airport is quiet, our car is there to whisk us to the Hotel US Grant in downtown San Diego, where we are staying for the next two nights. All being good with the world our weary heads are soon on our pillows, another night another city.

Thursday 27th July
Today is effectively our last day in Hawaii, sad but true. Time once again marches on and we must keep to our schedule of moving ever further east to circumnavigate the world in ninety days. Another quiet morning on the beach at breakfast time this morning, no amusing sights to occupy our attention. The catamarans are coming in from their harbour across the bay to beach on the sand ready for their next load of adventurers. The sea is still a milky pale blue with those small white foamy waves that give those “P” plate surfers an easy ride. Clouds do gather quickly and dissipate quickly too! While we gaze out at the ocean its colour changes to a greeny grey, a shower of rain comes thundering down, sending early beach goers scrambling for cover, but just as quickly the sea colour magically returns, turning once again to that pale milky blue, cloudless skies triumphantly return and the scene returns to the normal picture perfect we have come to expect. Undercover we watch on at the colourful scene laid out before us as we enjoy another beachside breakfast.
We return to our room to complete the packing of our suitcases and determine if we need to ship any items back home or on to the mainland. Maintaining our luggage weight on this trip is essential. Our personal weight we are sure has increased dramatically, just as well the airlines don’t weigh you at each jump off point or we would be up for excess baggage for sure.
Kate returns for another visit, And we once again stroll out into the Waikiki strip on some last minute errands that include shipping a couple of parcels home and one on to Troy & Heather on the mainland. We locate the post office in a quiet corner of a shopping mall on the second floor of a Waikiki strip building. Just a whole in the wall really, but fully stocked with parcel boxes and staffed by a very friendly and helpful employee who helps us complete customs forms etc. for parcels heading home.

Leaving the floor, movement catches my eye, behind the clear glass office doors of ANA, a Japanese airline, stands a robot greeter, waiving its arms about furiously. The closer I move towards it the more it recognises my movements gesturing me in with both arms. Kate and Amanda join me as we bow to it and it bows back, nodding its head. A visual display on its chest shows messages in several languages. Remarkable but apparently common place in Tokyo.

On our return we stop at the Royal Hawaiian bakery for some refreshments, cashing in our bonus free bakery item voucher for some delicious looking banana-macadamia nut muffins and banana bread. We stop to enjoy them in the grandeur of one of the cool cloistered spaces that the hotel offers. 

We part ways as I wander around the hotel with my camera, trying to capture the essence of the place. While the sisters cruise the hotel arcades shops just because they are there. 

We all meet back at our room, the sisters having had a fun hour or so browsing the hotels stores, predictably picking up the odd trinket or fashion accessory. Jim is on his way in from his office in downtown Honolulu to have a special celebratory dinner with us. This evening we are celebrating the approach of his 80th year, we are starting the celebrations early, encouraging him to continue them right up to his actual birthday in October. 
Tonight we dine at the Royal Hawaiian’s restaurant the Azure, magically converted from the breakfast space it was this morning into an elegant outside dining area.
By the time we arrive for dinner the sun is low in the sky it’s intense heat dissipated for the day. The Royal Hawaiian sits in the centre of the bay that is Waikiki and so the view from our outside table hides the Sun but takes in the ocean and Diamond Head Crater that is set against darkening clouds. The rays of the sun catch a rain shower as we take in the view forming a rainbow that appears to be shooting upwards from the point into the sky! Beautiful!

Fish is on the menu of course, locally caught and purchased fresh each day from Hawaii’s famous Pier 38 market. Amanda and I seem to be finely tuning our fishy tastes and on the eve of our departure we have a grip on the scaly creatures names. Tonight the Onaga (Red tail snapper) oven roasted with a crispy skin tempts us, this we order with sides of mashed citrus, white sweet potato and the chefs version of spicy Kim Chi Brussels sprouts. Needless to say beautifully presented and delicious. For a different taste tonight we try a glass of a Sonoma valley Rose. Rose tends to be a little drier style here, but this one is spot on not too dry not too sweet. Pale rose coloured in the glass a blend of Pinot noir and Grenache, delightful.

The sun goes down briefly painting the wispy clouds pink, lights from the hotels and restaurants around the bay blink on, providing the dinner cruise guests out on the water with a panoramic light show view of Waikiki. We just have a partial view but it adds to the elegance of the location with twinkling light bouncing off every reflective surface. We have a wonderful last night with Kate & Jim, topped off when Jim is presented with a chocolate birthday dessert by the restaurant waitress, he immediately cuts into four, for us all to share. Really hard to believe we are at the end of a four week stay. We say our sad heartfelt goodbyes, then make our way to our room for our last nights rest before hitting the skies again tomorrow, destination San Diego.

Wednesday 26th July
If you could live in paradise what would it be like, warm sun filled days, cool dark nights filled with starlight. Soft breezes at dusk after spectacular sunsets. Scented air from tropical blossoms produced by giant shady trees that cool you in the heat of the day. Green, red and purple variegated tropical foliage, ferns and palms to sooth the mind. Seafood, seafood and more seafood freshly caught everyday. Tropical fruits and juices on tap. Oceans of turquoise blue as warm as the air you breath. This is Hawaii and the reason we keep coming back.

A very quiet day today breakfast by the milky blue ocean, calm seas, the occasional foamy wave, clear blue skies. Even the beach is quieter, a Japanese couple receive surfing instructions on the beach, laying on the huge boards, they seem diminutive fully clothed flailing about with their arms as they mock paddle in the sand. Then they are kneeling, then standing swaying about imitating the oceans movement. The instructor all the time quietly encouraging them. The instructor disappears and the two connect the boards to themselves with the ankle straps. Pickup the boards by the pointy end and drag them towards the ocean, where we loose sight of them hopefully where they put into practice all they have learned.
One could sit here and people watch all day, sitting on the beach in the hot sun all day is certainly not our cup of tea but thousands flock here each day to do just that. While the ocean looks inviting and the temperature is warm the sand is hot and gritty, mix with sweat and suntan lotion for a sticky abrasive cocktail. Fun when we were kids at our northern hemisphere summer coasts with our buckets and spades, building sand castles with moats and burying ourselves to our necks in that grittiest of mediums. Now, under a stinging sun, covered in a greasy 50 plus lotion, to prevent skin cancer, might be bearable for a few minutes but certainly not all day.
Breakfast over we return to our room to spend some time on the domestic pursuits that travelling away from home at times necessitates. Kate is coming into Waikiki today to take a look at the new international market area that was opened earlier this year after several years of controversial construction. Originally a huge area just off Kalakaua Avenue, situated in the middle of the Waikiki shopping strip it surrounded a huge Banyon tree, and was filled with a rag tag collection of market stalls and kiosks selling all manner of touristy goods. Amanda back in the late 8O’s purchased her first Hawaiian bracelet here, silver with black enamel letters that are now worn and chipped. Here was the place for Hawaiian print clothing, carved wooden sea creatures and tikis as well as cheap ukulele’s.

As Waikiki became slicker, more up market, tourists with bigger dollars to spend arrived, big brand names moved in. The old international market didn’t suit the city fathers vision of a super modern, slick urban shopping space it had to go.
When Kate arrives we go out onto the strip to discover exactly how this area looks and feels now that the work is complete. We walk into the area through an arcade style entrance, shops lining the walkways that continue in the style of the strip, creamy, natural earthy colours of sandstone, laid in a crazy paving style.

My immediate reaction is yes very slick and modern in the style of the Ala Moana

Shopping mall, multi level open air shopping with restaurants on the upper levels.

Gone are the down to earth traders with colourful but shabby stalls and chaotic displays of merchandise in typical market style, replaced with big brand name chains with slick store fronts and minimalistic displays. Also up and coming brands 45r, Anthropologie, Greenroom, Aesop, and many more we have never heard of. The Banyon tree still takes centre place, with the second level providing a walkway right into a tree house, in reverence to an original structure.

Walking further into the centre there is a quiet reflective park with artificial grass, and rounded boulders for seating. Children splash through a shallow circle of water filled from bubbling stars that replicate the night sky that the Hawaiians used to navigate by. The space is named Queens Park after Queen Emma, the wife of Kamehameha IV and mother of the last of the Kamehameha line, Prince Albert who died at age four. The land that the international market sits on is owned by the Queen Emma land company, the profits of which support the Queen Emma Medical centre the largest privately owned not for profit medical facility in Hawaii. Elevated Bronze statues of King Kamehameha IV, the young Prince Albert and Queen Emma also sit in this space, surrounded by tropical plantings and water features.

Another central space to the design is situated inside, with a spiralling series of planters that lead the eye up to a domed segmented glass circular skylight high above. A water shower consisting of single streams of water spaced evenly apart cascades down into a stream nearby.

The overall feel is in complete antithesis to its origins, peace and tranquillity the theme, replacing the noise and chaos of previous years. There are plenty of places with comfortable designer seating, where venerable older patrons sit snoozing away dreaming of the centres colourful past. One second floor balcony space on the second floor is lined with solid timber rocking chairs filled with shoppers just rocking away. Not a coin operated padded faux leather massage chair insight.
Back out into the Waikiki strip a steady stream of colourful people make their way this way and that in the early afternoon sunshine. Some with floppy hats, beach chairs strapped to their backs, or towels over a shoulder, or an inflatable water toy or ring firmly gripped in one hand. While we turn the corner to stroll back to the cool sanctuary of the Royal Hawaiian.
It is date night tonight, Amanda and I will have dinner alone at our favourite restaurant The Hua Tree. This is arguably the best point to watch the sun go down, situated as it is at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki looking back almost directly west across the bay. Part of the beach that the restaurant overlooks was commandeered just a few days ago by a rare endangered female Monk seal, where she then set about giving birth to a single pup, it will be interesting to see how she is doing when we are there.
Our cabby Jimmy arrives early and whisks us to the restaurant, we are a little too early and decide to unwind with a cocktail in the bar before dinner.

It’s not long before the hostess calls us to dinner and we are shown to a table situated along the familiar white balustraded wall separating the diners from the beach. The Hua Trees that over the years had grown to provide an extensive canopy over the dining area, have recently undergone significant pruning opening up the dinning area once again to the sunlight. Sun shades block the portion of the sky at exactly the right angle, to dilute the glaring sinking sun, without blocking the beach and ocean view. To our left a small crowd of people and animal protectionists stand watch over a makeshift fence that prevents unwitting beach goers from stumbling on mother and calf. All we can see from our vantage point is a long sandy looking lump that is a little darker than the surrounding sand. Mother is fast asleep, baby somewhere tucked in close to her body unseen.

We order our meals, again in sync, starting with slices of tomato topped with buffalo mozzarella on a lettuce leaf layered with fresh basil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Then moving on to a seafood mixed grill of prawns, lobster tail and Mahi Mahi. Again the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, goes great with this.

Meanwhile the shades protecting our eyes from the extreme glare are removed, the suns heat has dissipated and is now just an impotent fiery orange ball slowly sinking into the western tip of Oahu.

The corpulent Monk seal occasionally flaps a flipper but little else as baby stirs and fusses around its mother no doubt trying to find a way in to suckle. The seals small dark head appears over the mother silhouetted against the lighter sky and then ducks down again to continue the search.

All the time we continue enjoying our meals and wine as the sun once again shows off its fiery light.

The tide is coming in, mother moves cumbersomely further up the beach in lumbering caterpillar like movements then all is still again as darkness falls. The animal protectionists pack up their beach umbrellas and beach chairs for another day and head for their homes, no doubt to be back at daybreak tomorrow. We understand this routine will go on for four to six weeks or until mother and pup take to the sea to rejoin their group.

We stay awhile declining dessert, finishing our wine and enjoying the cool night air as the gas torches flicker along the beach wall. Eventually though it’s time to summon Jimmy the cabbie and return home to the Royal Hawaiian, to recharge for our final day on the islands tomorrow.