The way down...

On our way down from Belvedere Lookout, we made a stop at the Titiroa Marae.

A marae is a temple in the times before Christianity was introduced to the island. Accoriding to my travel book, Titiroa Marae had supposedly been restored. However, all we were really able to see were a few old walls and general foundations. The towering chestnut trees had grown right up through some of the rocky foundations.


According to the history we read about on this informational display, apparently human sacrifices were made here and Polynesian Chiefs also used to practice their archery here as well.

Shortly after we turned off of the road leading from Belvedere Lookout, we spotted this beautiful beach area along the road. Of course, we had to stop!

I never got over the beauty of the bright blue water the whole time we were there. Also, the water was pretty warm...I waded in a bit to give it a test...


While we were admiring the beach front view, we met a couple from New York, also on their honeymoon. Imagine that! We got to chatting about things to do around the island and how they were enjoying their trip so far. They were off to Bora Bora next, just like us. If I haven't mentioned it previously, it seemed like everyone we met was from the East Coast. We certainly never ran into anyone from the middle of the USA. The couple was nice enough to snap this picture of us...

And I snapped one of Nate checking out the view.

Up next, lunch and the rest of our afternoon...

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Relaxing Days

On all three islands we stayed at the Intercontinental brand of resorts. They were very much first class in service, cleanliness, and activities....


And did I mention the expensive food prices? It wasn't just the Intercontinental alone, mind you. And not just food either. Everything in French Polynesia was pricey. So if you're planning a trip there, do save your pennies.

Nate and I quickly learned the secret to getting by on the cheap for breakfasts and lunches. There was a convenience store that was a very short walk from our resort--across the street from the resort entrance, in fact. We could place an order for fresh bread for mere nickels and dimes (a french baguette, chocolate croissants, etc.) at the convenience store and then go and pick up the bread the next morning. We'd grab some packaged lunch meat and cheeses, yogurt and the like, and walaa, instant meals! We also ventured down the road a bit on foot and visited a small grocery store, where we bought our own alcohol. Note to self: next time, pack booze!

These cool houses built into the hillside were right across the street from our resort.

And on the way to the grocery store, we came across these beautiful pink flowers (bougainvillea, perhaps?) covering this white picket gate, so Nate snapped a picture of me. It was pretty early in the day and already really warm.


Back at the resort, we checkout out the sand and sun. Our first couple days in Moorea were spent relaxing and soaking up the rays. It was always windy, so one would never get too hot....and if so, there was always water nearby!


Prior to the wedding I was always fantasizing about my definition of ultimate relaxation: reading my book on the beach. You can see my vacated lounge chair in the picture above--I was in heaven! It's all about the little things...

As I said, there was plenty of water and beach around the resort, so we had options. Lots of options...





While at the grocery store earlier in the day we purchased some orange juice to go along with our complementary champagne. Nothing like some late afternoon mimosas from our room balcony to add a little spice to the day.

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Weekend Finds

Whoa, five months and counting!

My parents paid a visit this weekend and we got ALL of our flowers planted outside! That in and of itself is a big accomplishment, but we also did a little shopping and I had the best of luck finding some things. It was one of those trips to the mall where you just happen upon things you've been looking for for a long time. Know what I mean? And with all the great stuff I found, I didn't end up spending that much money. I had coupons for almost every store I bought something in, which is a huge help. I almost refuse to buy anything anymore unless I have a coupon. Anyway, on to the finds! I found several honeymoon items, all of which I'm very excited about. I'll start small first... White sunglasses for the beach!

I'm really loving the big sunglasses right now. And don't worry, these aren't Paris Hilton big! They have some cute detailing on the sides, as you can see in the picture below. And all for an affordable prices of $6. Score!

And speaking of the beach, anyone a fan of the big, floppy hats? This one isn't huge, but it's a great size for a mid-day walk to the beach to lounge in the sun. It was no where near the $100 version I saw in the Boston Proper magazine I received in the mail recently. AND the best part is that it fits!!! Some of you know I have a rather large head. Thank you Gap!

And the final item, which just screamed "beach in Tahiti" to me, is this wonderful, ORANGE, lightweight, flowy top. It will be perfect to cover up a swimsuit with white shorts or capris. And I got it for 40% off. Woot!

And the best find of the entire weekend had to be my earrings! As you will recall from my post a few days ago, I was having a really hard time determining if I wanted something sans pearls. The first store we went in was Macy's, and my mom convinced me that we should look at the jewelry again, although we had already looked through the entire jewelry section in a previous shopping trip. Well, all I can say is I'm glad I listened to her, because I happened upon these babies:

They are the perfect combination of dangle and sparkle. No pearls needed! I tried them on and I think they will be a perfect compliment to my dress and hairstyle. Now I'll just have to find a bracelet that compliments the dress and earrings!

Amidst all this stuff that I bought for myself, I also got a very good start on bridesmaids gifts...and I'm especially excited about one of the items my mom discovered for them! I will say no more because I know you all read this, but hopefully you'll like this item as much as I do. Along with starting the BM gifts, we pretty much knocked out a gift for the flower girl as well.

What a great shopping weekend!!

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