A Morning in Christchurch

We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Christchurch, but we'd heard the gardens were lovely. Our hotel was in the city center, so we could wander around on our way to the gardens, get a feel for the city over a couple of hours.

Christchurch had a large earthquake in Feb. 2011. It was a blip on our news in the States. I remember hearing that the downtown had been ravaged and their noteworthy cathedral had collapsed. 185 people were killed.

Visiting almost five years after the catastrophe, what we found was shocking. Instead of high-rises in the skyline, there were cranes jutting up every which way. At so many intersections, streets were blockaded or rerouted as one-ways to accommodate construction. Five years and the city was still smack in the middle of rebuilding. There are cranes/construction in almost all of these shots.

There are signs of life everywhere you look, though. Street art thrives on the condemned buildings, and those left standing.

Strip club street art keep in theme.

The fallen church was haunting, but yellow wildflowers now grow at the base where they never would have.

The gardens were worth the hype.

Nothing was in bloom, but the secluded paths next to canals allowed for peaceful strolls.

The greenhouse was full of plants and humidity. Plus, it was warm on a cold morning.

Interislander to Picton to Christchurch

With the work part of the trip over, it was time to go to the South Island. We took the Interislander Ferry to Picton.

Even though the chop was listed as moderate, the ride was smooth.

Passed snow-capped mountains and hills jutting out into and from the ocean.

And then we pulled into Picton.

The train ride from Picton to Christchurch was gorgeous.

Saw lot of cows, even more sheep, and a giant rabbit in the green hills. At one point there was azure ocean out the left window, and snow-capped mountains on the right.

Just beautiful scenery that was a good taste of what was to come.

There was an open car for optimum photo-taking. It was really windy when we were on the train, though, so it was closed for most of the ride.

The most fun part of the train ride was watching the baby lambs run from the train. They didn't seem scared, but wanted an excuse to run. Sometimes we all need an excuse to act crazy.

Wellington - A Beautiful Day of Sadness

A couple days after our arrival in New Zealand, my grandfather fell and broke his hip. His health had been declining for a few years. His heart was too weak for surgery, and he passed away on Oct. 1. Francis L. McCarter was on the Earth for 94 years, and he waited until I was halfway around the world to leave it. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony, it made the sadness hurt a little less.

Hubs had to work the day I'd learned of his passing, and knew I wouldn't be able to make it home for the funeral. It was a beautiful day in Wellington, so I took a walk along the water.

My grandfather was a kind, peaceful soul. He loved nothing more than going to the local airport and watching the planes take flight. He'd been a pilot in WWII, and I think there was a dream of flying as a career that never materialized. He also loved his family so, so much. There was nothing he wouldn't do for us, and we felt that love every day.

I journaled on a bench along the sea dedicated to Gita Patel.

Maybe she and Grandpa have met somewhere in the great beyond.

The tide keeps coming.

The sun keeps shining.

Some days stand still.

Martinborough Wine Tour

With the time difference, Monday was a Sunday in the States, so we went on an all-day wine tour in Martinborough. After some train technical difficulties which involved us being moved to another train and then taken off the train and bused to the station, we ended up arriving an hour and a half late. Oh well.

We booked through Martinborough Wine Tours and I highly recommend them. Our driver was Simon, and he was very passionate about wine and the area. Our first stop was Poppies, which ended up being the highlight winery of the trip.

The woman pouring our tasting was a hoot, and we had our favorite wine of the day there, the Pinot Gris. It was sweet, but immediately dry upon swallowing, no sweet aftertaste whatsoever.

We had lunch outside, surrounded by their beautiful, picturesque vineyard. Bright blue skies. Fluffy clouds. Mountains. It was a glorious day.

And the food was fab. A plate of all sorts of delicious things. And a glass of that Pinot Gris, of course.

The other wineries we did tastings at were all great, too. We just had an exceptional experience at Poppies, and spent the most time there because of lunch.

Palliser - Sound like a racehorse name. Our favorite wine was their Chardonnay.

Ata Rangi - Favorite was the Celebre, which was a blend.

Schubert - Man doing the tasting was very nice and chatty. We liked the Syrah and sweet desert wine.

Te Kairanga - We liked the Runholder Pinot Noir the best. The man serving was reserved at first, but then we started talking movies and TV, and he opened right up. He'd just started watching TRUE DETECTIVE Season 2 and we apologized. Poor guy.

Delicious food. Beautiful Wine. Fabulous Day.

Wellington - Food & Drink Highlights

Wellington is a fabulous food city. We ate so well there. Here were the highlights. There are a lot. I love food, what can I say? Lack of photos doesn't mean the quality of food was any less; I forgot my camera. Sad face.

Salty croquettes, roasted beets and broccoli, margherita pizza, and a carafe of Sangiovese at Ombra. Cute, dark place.

Breakfast at Fidel's. Baked Spanish eggs. Waffles and bacon.

Dinner at Restaurant 88. Drunken salt & pepper chicken. Mixed grill. Hot Vietnamese coffee.

Drinks at Hummingbird.

Banh mi @ Nam D. Oozing pate and butter. Yuuuuhhhsssssss. Sorry, no photo.

Moonless Stout and Tuatara Sauvinova at Little Beer Quarter.

Friday Night Market on Cuba Street.

Bowls from Sichuan Spice. Perfect cold weather food.

Zaida's Bakery. We bought pastries from here and ate at our hotel a few mornings.

L'Affare. Oatmeal and pancakes. Savory pastries and pomegranate goat cheese salad (2 different meals).

Shared a burger, harissa beef poutine, and croquettes at Grill Meats Beer (points for adorable name). Plus a Madame Brown and Emerson Pils, which was like if a Blue Moon and a good Pilsner had a baby. A delicious, orangy baby.

Breakfast at Sweet Mother's Kitchen. The Eggs Bomba is basically spinach artichoke dip covered with eggs and hollandaise over grilled bread. Appropriately named. Plus Pain Perdu and mediocre beignets. Get the eggs bomba.

Fish and chips at Mt. Vic Chippery (two different meal). And a whitebait fritter. Whitebait is a local specialty and it was in season, so I had to. It was salty and had eyes and was not my thing. The fish and chips were totally my thing, though. And the grilled fish I had for another meal with sweet potato fries was good, too. And very affordable.

It has eyes!

Egmont St. Eatery. A little upscale. Had an amazing burger with beet root relish, tangy sauce, jack cheese, and an onion ring. And it was huge. Shared boneless chicken wings and a lovely salad with squash, broccoli, farrow, chèvre and herbs. Also had one of my favorite beers of the trip: Parrotdog Bloodhound, a red ale, bitter, but not hoppy.

Bountiful spread at Chow during 2 for 1 Mondays. Laksa, blue cheese wontons, chicken satay, and fried dumplings. Too much food. We took leftovers home.

All this wonderfulness from House of Dumplings.

Smoked mackerel hash and ham on ciabatta with eggs and hollandaise at Floriditas. Hash was divine. Not at all fishy.

Small plates at WBC, recommended by Hubs' work contact in Wellington. Clam fritters, empanadas, corn cakes with feta and honey, and brussels sprouts with bacon aka heaven. Plus a Panhead APA (very good) and a coconut porter for Hubs because he's okay with sweet things fucking with his beer. Not my thing.

Food truck sushi from Miki at Moore Wilson's. All good. And you get to pick your own individual pieces of rolls, so maximum variety. Which I'm all about.

Drinks at Hawthorn Lounge. Really cute place to chill out with friends, but I wished the drinks were stronger for the price.

A Gorgeous George and Pikelets from Joe's Garage.

So much good food in a week and half!