Post-vacation Rest

The highlight of my island trip was the sailing along the Na'pali coast.

And I also loved the smell of the plumeria and gardenias, but also the sight of hibiscus blooms like the one pictured above. I remember only scarlet hibiscus in the Puerto Rico of my childhood. En route home, I was famished and gave in to eating a breakfast sandwich at the airport, but this jalapeno hot sauce on the table that I kept pouring on my sandwich was delicious and I vowed to find some more of it to eat at home.

And I’m back. Ironically an island paradise was not restful for me because I slept so poorly. I blame an uncomfortable fold-out sofa mattress and having a roommate though Julie was very hospitable and generous to share her VRBO with me. I just relax more in solitude. Nevertheless I do enjoy travel for discovery and experiences I wouldn't normally enjoy at home, and the boogie boarding and hiking and sightseeing and beaching were definitely fun. But travel also makes me miss and immensely grateful for home. I asked hubs to sauté summer squash from our garden to eat with the leftover spaghetti and meatballs still in the fridge.                                      

And I love the variety of colors in hubs' latest floral arrangements.

As I did in Hawaii, I listen to NPR and discovered this Fresh Air episode I missed while traveling.

While sailing the Na'pali coast, I talked to the cook, Garrett who relocated to Kauai from Dallas. My face must have fallen when I asked him if he was vaccinated and he replied no and that he thought he was pretty safe from the virus being on the island. I didn't verbalize my judgment, but I wonder if his attitude is because he's from Texas where cases of COVID are on the rise especially among the unvaccinated. 

Kauai is not a destination for shopping though I did buy T-shirts and chocolate for the hubby and coffee and rum for myself. While replenishing my pantry yesterday and on the search for that hot sauce I tasted at a Phoenix airport, I bought island booze since I didn't get to sip brews or listen to Hawaiian music at Kalapaki Joe's.                    

 

I fell in love with this tiny grill. If it ever goes on sale, I will definitely buy it and grill Filipino bbq sauced skewers of pork.

I also found the bottle of rose that was recommended to me at the wine shop in Koloa. My friend, Julie asked how much it cost on the mainland and was a bit shocked at the difference. But yeah everything including a lot of foods are shipped to an island, and proprietors there have to make a living too, so I don't balk at paying more in Hawaii. Whereas it cost me $21.99 at that wine shop, it cost $13.99 at BevMo (Total Wines and More was out of it).

But I was grateful for that couple who owned the wine shop and their recommendation of that rose as well as their gift of my airport reading (I posted a review of Oona Out of Order: a Novel on GoodReads). I also bought dark rum to make mai tais with the passion fruit juice and coconut pineapple sparkling water while shopping to replenish my pantry. I had also bought a gallon of spumoni ice cream, but I'm craving a more gourmet ice cream flavor.

I'll likely pick up Sea Salt with caramel ribbons for the hubs and the honey lavender for myself.