We recently dined at a fabulous restaurant in Houston, Texas called Toukei. It’s located at 9630 Clarewood Dr in Houston, TX. Let’s get to our review!

The Good

The food is fabulous although there aren’t many vegetarian options on the menu if you’re looking for a vegan or vegetarian restaurant. Almost all dishes have some type of meat infusion or cooked with animal fats and oils.

Prices for the dishes are reasonable considering the inflationary escalation most restaurants have had since COVID pandemic. We include our receipt below to give you a sample of the money spent. We had a group of 6 so we ordered quite a bit of food and shared amongst the group.

The Bad

We made a conscious effort to arrive here early at 5:45 p.m. to ensure we got seated. This restaurant gets extremely busy and most of the restaurants in this area of Houston (Chinatown) get really busy on the weekend. While we had no problem getting a table at 5:45 p.m. when we left at 8:30 p.m. there were several groups waiting in line to find a table. The restaurant itself is not very large and there are no reservations, it’s first come first server and the restaurant won’t seat incomplete groups.

The wait staff were fine when we started our evening with frequent visits from our waitress but as the night carried out, we saw less and less of our waitress

The Ugly

The ugliest thing about this restaurant is that it is trying to pretend to be a nightclub. The music in the restaurant was playing so loud our group could barely hear each other talk. We were so concerned that I whipped out an app on my smart phone to check the decibel rating of all the noise. The joke for the evening was wondering if Toukei was a restaurant trying to be a nightclub or a nightclub trying to be a restaurant. The food is good but we don’t want to go deaf enjoying it.

We asked the waitress if the music could be turned down and she immediately said, “No!” She then explained that the music comes from a computer in the owner’s office and only the owner had access to it. We asked if she could call the owner to turn it down and she immediately snapped, “No!”

It was obvious to us that other customers had complained about the music because she immediately had responses prepared with an emphatic no each time. Why does it matter? From The National Council on Aging:

• Sounds below 70 decibels are safe, while sounds above 70 decibels are harmful.
• Prolonged exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels can damage your hearing.
• Sixty decibels is equal to the sound of normal conversation, 90 decibels is closer to a lawn mower or hair dryer, and 120 decibels is more like a siren on an emergency vehicle.
• Exposure to sounds at 120 decibels may cause discomfort, and 140 decibels is considered the threshold of pain.

Conclusion

It’s a great restaurant with good food but the loud music and the risk of incurring hearing loss isn’t worth it so we doubt we’ll return to this restaurant anytime soon considering there are hundreds more restaurants in the area that aren’t pretending to be a nightclub.

Categories: Houston
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The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is supposed to be one of Hilton’s largest properties and unfortunately it’s also one of the worst ones I’ve stayed in and I’ll tell you why..

Staff: D+

We give the staff a D+ for good reason. First our check in was horrible. The woman checking us in kept getting distracted by other clerks asking questions. I suspect she is either the supervisor or simply knew more than the others but she could never focus on one thing. Checking in shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes at best but 20 minutes later we were waiting for our room keys. Adding to our aggravation was the constant up-selling to larger suites or other services we didn’t want, need or ask for during our check in process. On top of all the fiasco, her computer system was down and she kept having to ferry from one terminal to another.

If this had been the only issue with staff we could simply shrug it off to a bad day, everyone has them but it didn’t stop there. Our daily room service wasn’t really service. While the beds were made, there was no attempt to check if the body wash was empty to refill it. Luckily we had our own body wash but for a room charging in excess of $300/night, we expect at least the soap to be refilled!

Entertainment: B-

The Tapa bar had a live band playing almost every night so at least there was some entertainment to be had on premises and there are tons of shopping just across the street from the hotel but the options did feel a bit light.

Services: Incomplete

We did not try any of the services aside from the beach and were glad to have towels offered but quite frankly many of the service were way over priced. Most meals for room service were in excess of $30 to $40+ so we opted to just walk down to the nearby restaurants and eat there.

Dining/Food: Incomplete

The food was overpriced. Breakfast will run you about $40 for eggs and toast and it’s not fantastic just over priced.

Infrastructure: D-

The infrastructure of the hotel is our biggest complaint and we’ll detail why:

1. Room had a musty moldy wet dog odor to it. We had read reviews on booking sites that this was a common complaint but we thought people were exaggerating, they were not.
2. Internet – I had to work from this hotel and heavily rely on internet to work remotely. Well the internet connection in our room was unstable. My VPN to the office kept dropping every few minute. I switched to my personal computer and suffered the same problem so it wasn’t a computer issue. The internet here just sucks.
3. Hot water – It’s nice to take a shower with hot water but if you want hot water you need to shower early in the morning or late at night because the whole complex seems to be hooked up to one 40 gallon water heater. We called to complain and maintenance said they didn’t have the part to fix the hot water so our room was changed to another floor. One of our traveling companions booked in another room also lost hot water at some point.
4. In Room Desk – As I mentioned, I needed internet to work from my hotel room so while I was delighted to have a desk and chair in the room there was nowhere to plug my laptop into without unplugging the lamp. The other outlet was taken by some contraption that I dared not unplug for fear of bringing down the power grid at the hotel.
5. Room is dated – Not really a big deal for us but for the price we pay we would have liked to have a nice more modern hotel room with adequate power outlets that included USB for charging our phones. It is beyond me why a hotel like this doesn’t offer USB infrastructure for cell phones and tables that everyone now carries. Power at the desk is a no-brainer except for Hilton.
6. No spare blanket – You would expect a room with two queen beds might have a spare blanket but not at the Hilton where saving a penny is great as long as it’s an inconvenience to your customer.
7. Parking – There is self parking for a whopping $68/day but you better get there early or you may not have a space!
8. Roads – The whole area has too many cars and quite frankly, we would prefer if the city/county/state would simply turn most of Honolulu Waikiki beach into a pedestrian zone and build elevated trains to move people around. The horrible traffic alone is enough to keep us out of Honolulu and this hotel for a long while. Please get rid of the cars!
9. TV – The room features a nice TV so when we wanted to catch up on the news it was surprising to see that the TV guide button listed a guide with no useful information. You can’t make this stuff up.

Overall Grade: ???

We really don’t know how to grade this hotel but we are sure that we won’t ever return to it. We normally stay at the Sheraton down the road but wanted to try something different on this trip and give Hilton the opportunity to earn our loyalty but after this experience we’ll return to Marriott on our next trip out here.

Categories: Hawaii
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We’ve now completed our 10 day cruise tour of Italy, Greece and Malta (see itinerary below) and had time to reflect on the journey and report on the experience.

Staff: Grade A+

The staff & crew on the Norwegian Breakaway were hard working and friendly. We were frequently greeted with good mornings or good evenings and we disembarked or embarked on the cruise ship and various other places we went around the ship. Alexis said there was only one unhelpful person when trying to change an excursion but overall we thought the staff and crew did a great job in keeping us fed, entertained, welcome and safe.

Entertainment: Grade A-

We attended a magic show by J Alexander which was entertaining, funny and magical and we attended two musicals Burn the Floor and Six. We had a good time at all the shows and it was great to have something to do while at sea. We also enjoyed the live band that played at the main foyer during our Starbucks coffee runs as well as the Jazz singer and band at The Manhattan.

Excursions: Grade B+

Our excursions, overall, went well. The biggest complaint we have is that there has been no technological advancement in on-boarding or off-boarding such large numbers of people on the ship. Over 10 years ago, we went on a western Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Epic and the process to go on excursions was the exact same way: wait in an area, get your assigned group number called, walk to the exit point and get your card scanned to get off. A second complaint and a huge forthcoming issue for all cruise lines is that many of the excursions do not offer people with mobility/disability issues the ability to visit sites. In the US, there are 50 million or so baby boomers that will continue to grow old and develop mobility issues and if cruise lines don’t address disability and excursions they will ultimately lose business.

Services: Grade C

We utilized the spa for several massages and while the massages were great, the cruise gets a C for deceptive pricing. We had signed up for a $199 massage special that included an extra half hour when we boarded the ship. Much to our surprise, they did not disclose a $40 service charge so we essentially ended up paying full price for the massage. We also dinged Norwegian on this grade because of the constant and never ending up-selling that takes place everywhere from pushy photographers to art sales and additional services at the spa. We also had the ‘unlimited liquor’ package but struggled to get more than 1 drink every 30 minutes at bars like O’Sheehans because they were clearly understaffed and had too many drinks to prepare.

Dining/Food: Grade C-

There is no way to sugar coat this (pun intended) but the food at just about every ‘free’ restaurant and buffet on the ship was mediocre. The ‘paid’ restaurants that we visited, Moderno Churrascaria and Le Bistro weren’t much better. Le Bistro was a french themed restaurant was the best meal we had on the ship and it was likely because it probably had an actual French chef cooking food. The ‘Brazilian’ themed Churrascaria cooked the worst picanha I have ever had as the meat was overcooked, was heavily seasons with pepper and no salt. Other cuts of meat were over cooked, poorly seasoned, rubbery and tasteless. The traditional sides were really the only things edible at the restaurant.

Bars: We went to several bars asking for local wines or Greek/Italian cocktails and were informed that only certain liquors and alcohols would be served on the ship. What’s the point of going on an Italian/Greek cruise and not get access to Italian and Greek booze?

Wine Tasting: We went to a single wine tasting expecting to sample some Greek or Italian wines but the wines we tasted were from California, Oregon and Portugal. WTF? If we wanted California wines, we would have just stayed home!

We gave the dining experience a C- instead of an F because while the food was terrible, we didn’t get ill from eating it the 10 days we sailed.

Infrastructure: Grade C+

When we boarded we had to request several fixes to our cabin. First, the shower wouldn’t drain properly so we had to get an engineer to make a visit so it would drain properly. After a couple of days the issue was fixed. Secondly, while we don’t expect to have great internet access while out in the ocean, we did expect that when we paid $10 per passenger to utilize Norwegian’s internet app that it would work consistently but that wasn’t the case (see image below).

Norwegian ‘banned’ radios because they want to force people to use their unreliable app and service. We really didn’t have a choice but to buy it because it’s difficult to communicate with others if you don’t have cell service onboard the ship. We may consider bringing our own Starlink Satellite Internet the next time we cruise but I’m sure the cruise lines will find a dumb reason to ban them as well.

Epilogue: Overall Grade: C

Overall Norwegian Breakaway scored a C which gives it an average rating. There was nothing particularly exceptional about the ship except for the staff. Would we cruise on the Breakaway again? Probably not and we were leery of booking this cruise after reading the reviews of it on CruiseCritic.com but booked anyway as it was the only cruise that fit our tight schedule.

Categories: Norwegian - Breakaway, Uncategorized
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When we were in Rome, we rented an apartment through VRBO. Our apartment was located on Via Pierluigi da Palestrina in Rome. Since we were traveling as a family, we rented a four bedroom apartment. The apartment could have been fantastic as it was close to the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican as well as plenty of shops and restaurants but there were far too many issues with the apartment.

The Good

The apartment was very large and had plenty of room and beds to sleep up to 6 people. It had a kitchen, dining area, family room, and 3 bedrooms with the family room having a sofa bed (4th bedroom). It was located near the Italian Supreme Court, Castel Sant Angelo and the Vatican. Below are some views of the courtyard from the apartment.

The Bad

Despite the great location and size of the apartment, that’s about where the good ended. Here is a list of issues with the apartment. First, there was barely any hot water. This apartment uses a tank-less water heater system and it rarely worked. There was a weird combination of having to open the sink faucet to drip then you might get hot water out of the shower. If that were the only problem it wouldn’t have been that bad but it wasn’t. The second problem with the shower was the water pressure which provided but a trickle of water from the apartment. The third problem with the shower room was mold in the corner of the bathroom. The fourth problem with the shower was how tiny it was and there was no shelves for soap or shampoo or much of anything else, fairly primitive even for European standards.

Secondly, one of the AC units (pictured below) was not working. It was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit while we were in Rome the last week of July and not having AC was brutal. We managed by cranking up the other AC units and strategically placing fans to circulate as much cool air as possible.

The furniture in the apartment was the cheapest creakiest stuff possible. The beds all creaked at the smallest movement and the mattresses were fairly thin and offered very little padding.

The Ugly

We were charged a 170 euro cleaning fee upon arrival which needed to be paid in cash. We’re not sure what the cleaning fee was for because the floors in the apartment were dirty. Clearly it wasn’t mopped prior to our arrival as there was dirt everywhere. The picture below is of the outside shutters, does this look clean to you?

It was great to have a full kitchen with gas stove, fridge and small dining table however the pots and pans provided did not have any lids so we had splatter everywhere anytime we cooked something. When I say pots and pans I really mean a small pot and a wok that was provided to cook.

Epilogue

With all the issues many people are having with VRBO and AirBnB and the ones we’ve experienced, it’s unlikely we will use those services again. I won’t say NEVER because the reality is that some cities simply don’t have enough hotel rooms or offer rooms large enough for more than 2 or 3 people much less kitchens but we will definitely use hotels more frequently over VRBO & AirBnB.

The cost of this ‘fabulous’ apartment was about €400 ($438)/night which was still cheaper than getting two hotel rooms during the prime summer vacation month in Rome.

Categories: Rome, Italy
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We arrived early to Livorno but the busses took a while to get loaded and take us to our destination.

We stopped for gelato at an amazing place called Bar La Terraza with majestic views of the Tuscan countryside.

We decided to take a look at a few of the properties for sale in the area. peccioli is an amazing place nestled on a hill overlooking the Tuscan countryside with cool breeze blowing through and wine country keeping the soul nourished.

We stopped by a local church where our group would assemble for our next stop: Winery.

After our walking site visit it was off to lunch and wine tasting.

Meanwhile in the other side of the Tuscan hills…

Back to the ship and our final stop Rome.

Categories: Italy
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We arrived early in the morning to Naples.

We drove about 40 minutes to Gragnano to visit an old pasta maker named Pastificio Cuomo. We got a tour of the facility and rich pasta making history of the area.

This whole street had pasta vendors at one point but now there are mostly shuttered retail outlets.

We sat down for lunch which included a cold plate appetizer with the fresh mozzarella being the highlight. The pasta was good but the tomato sauce stole the show.

The current owner of Pasta Cuomo said he may be the last family member to produce pasta given mass production and economies of scale with larger producers. If this is true it will be a sad day for the original pasta street.

Before we left Naples, we had to try a slice of pizza so we stopped by this place near the port called Cafe Beverello and the Legend of Dutch could be seen wolfing down slice after slice of pizza.

After our pizza, it was time to head back to the ship for our second to last stop.

Categories: Italy
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We arrived at Catania at 7 am and this industrial port seemed a bit different than all the other ports we have visited. We are taking a bus later in the day to Taormina.

There is a spectacular view of Mt Etna from the stern of the ship.

We drove an hour to Taormina but once we got there it was amazing.

We stopped and had lunch at Amigos Bar and I warned that if they didnt have a wood oven cooking the pizza it would be as good as they were expecting and sure enough it wasnt cooked in a wood fire oven!

We stopped by for a few items then boarded the bus back to Catania. We leave for Naples this evening.

Categories: Italy
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We arrived at Valletta Malta at sunrise like a ship scene in an episode of Game of Thrones, just wow.

Our initial impression of this place was just wow. Just looking around we instantly felt we needed at least 3 days here instead of one. While we arrived early we wont be able to get off the ship till 11 or so for all the “bureaucratics” to take place but we are eager to get going. We are doing the beach here but that is a 40 minute bus ride away.

We arrived at Ghadira and plunged right into the perfectly temperatured water.

The time flew by and we needed to head back and on the way we saw some magnificent sites!

There are plenty of things to see and do in Malta and we barely scratched the surface. There are some downsides though, the traffic is bad and the overall infrastructure needs improvement. At the beach there were no places that we could find to wash off the sand. The food at the beach was mediocre and there were people peddling goods on the beach right at our beach chairs, very annoying.

While we were at the beach, Alpha Team and the 10th fleet headed elsewhere parts unknown…

It goes without saying that the first thing we do when we board the ship is hit the showers. It is too hot and everyone is sweating profusely. Next summer we will likely do a Norway Fjord or Scandinavian cruise but not on Norwegian…

We will be off to Italy soon…but here is the view from Alpha team

Today, I had an enchanting experience exploring Medina, the City of Knights. The limestone streets whispered tales of valor as she wandered through the historic pathways. The beautiful blue sky above added a touch of tranquility, creating a picturesque setting that connected the past with the present. Medina’s timeless charm left her in awe, immersing her in a journey where history meets the heavens.
Following that, she found herself in the breathtaking city of Valletta. There, she stepped into one of the most stunning co-Cathedrals she had ever laid her eyes on, St. John’s Co-Cathedral. The tour left her captivated by the grandeur of the historical setting.

As the noon sun blazed down, I sought refuge at a charming café outside St. John’s Co-Cathedral, facing a pivotal decision. The historical ambiance and a delectable brownie provided solace and contemplation. Lost in her thoughts, she savored each bite, finding comfort in the bustling city. The weight of the moment lingered, and the world awaited the outcome of her journey under the unyielding gaze of the sun.

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We set off for Touris Club in Olympia for a fabulous meal. It was a 30 minute bus ride out from Katakolon to Olympia. We started with a cooking class, moved on to eating then finished with traditional Greek dancing.

After lunch we stopped at a souvenir shop to pick up some last items as this is our last day in Greece.

Of the places we visited in Greece I would rank them as follows:

1. Mykonos – With restaurants, bars and beaches within walking distance to each other, Mykonos earns the top spot on this trip. As an added bonus there are historical sites to visit and plenty of other things to do such as sailing or fishing.

2. Athens – The key drawback to other locations in Greece is restaurant/food variety. You wont have that problem in our number two stop which includes a huge variety of food dining options in addition to a large array of museums and historical sites as well as bars and other entertainment. The biggest drawback is the heavy traffic and air quality.

3. Santorini – This is a beautiful place but it is too crowded, the narrow passageways in city spots make navigation difficult especially when cruise ships offload 5000 people. The cable car ride had a 2 to 3 hour wait and if you are staying in the hilltop it will be a long way down to the beach. You really need a car to get around this island. I doubt I would return to this location in the future.

4. Katakolon/Olympia – I expected more from the birthplace of the olympics but the whole area is boring. We had great food and entertainment at Touris club but that was about it.

We are off to Malta!

Categories: Greece
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Another early start today, we boarded a small boat at 7:40 am sans half the team (due to illness) to the island of Delos. This is the birthplace of Athena and one of the most important archaeological sites.

Lots of walking and ancient history from 3000 to 8000 years ago…

We were given ipads which had 3D virtual simulation of what these structures were supposed to look like..

Amazing color from 3000 years ago!

After our Delos visit we had a treacherous 10 ft seas in Gilligan’s boat to Mykonos, there were a few people puking their guts out.

We visited a small church where we were dropped off and then opted for lunch at a restaurant named Kadena.

The lamb chops at Kadena were amazing. They were served with a refreshing arugula and strawberry salad with a sweet strawberry puree. I asked the waiter if he knew the seasonings and he said salt, oregano and olive oil. So simple but he added the the lamb was fresh from the island. I stripped the bones bare on this tasty meat.

So far Mykonos is far more enjoyable than Santorini. Although the winds are strong it has far cooler temperature. The city center is right on the beach with plenty of restaurants and bars along the bay. We noticed several people using the beaches too.

After a little shopping we sadly had to return to the ship for departure this afternoon around 3 pm to our next stop.

Here is my view as I publish this post…

Categories: Uncategorized
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