Living vicariously

I was going through the Charles Victor Morine photos the other day, and I realized that there are a whole lot of non-knitting shots from our April trip to Oahu that I never went through, shared or even edited! Mid-November seems like an EXCELLENT time to re-live the delicious warm breezes and pretty sights, don't you think? (Well, excellent for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Y'all Aussies will just have to bear with me.)

On our first day there, we took a stroll down the Waikiki promenade, where we saw this young woman with her gorgeous parasol. (She was very sunburned, though, I'd recommend packing your parasol AND your sunblock.) Since we were staying on the other, quieter and less populous side of the island, we never went back, but it was fun to see the super-famous, crowded beach, the classy old colonial Moana Hotel, and the Waikiki Shell, where my young mom saw such luminaries as The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. We were struck by this lovely flower, which was almost the exact color of Mom's nails:

These red-crested cardinals are one of my grandmother's favorite birds. I have to agree that the males are quite striking. Tutu wasn't along, so I snapped some photos for her.

There are hibiscus everywhere:

Our digs (which were courtesy of my very generous uncle Vic) afforded spectacular sunset views. I feel kind of ridiculous taking photos like this: so idyllic!

When I visited Oahu as a little kid, I was OBSESSED with the banyon trees. They seemed so cool and otherworldly that I was sure they couldn't be natural - they seemed like works of sculpture that had been intentionally constructed.

On special occasions my Tutu used to take my mom out to fancy tea at the Wai'oli Tea Room, a gorgeous, old-fashioned spot up in the hills which was once an orphanage and "home for unwed mothers."

After our afternoon tea we took a walk in Honolulu's Chinatown, and made the acquaintance of a number of shop cats.

When I think "tropics" I think "sun and sea," but Hawaii has a spookier side, too. Some of my favorite shots from the trip come from our visit to Oahu Cemetery (Charles Victor Morine and Jessie Lambdin Morine are buried across the street).

We were there in the late afternoon, and the light was golden and perfect.

I love this gradient shot. It reminds me of the cover of Jose Saramago's novel Blindness.

And it's not just graveyards. When we went over the Pali Highway the rain was coming down sideways, and the mountains were swathed in clouds that looked like Japanese prints. My mom was disappointed that David and I didn't get the full view from the cliff, but I think the mist was gorgeous.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was revisiting the neighborhood in Kailua where my mom and her brothers grew up. Of course it's nearly unrecognizable now, but it was still great to see the schools she attended and the houses where she lived. Near Kailua Beach, we went to Buzz's Steakhouse, which has been there for an age and where my grandparents used to go to escape the kids on special occasions and business dinners. They have puffer fish light fixtures.

It was a fantastic trip. Even more exciting is that my uncle is generously giving David and I another week at his timeshare as a present for our Partnership Celebration! We'll be heading back in June...aloha!