And yesterday the song lyrics were pretty much right. We had strong winds and rain, and the view from our front window was less than idyllic. But it was Sunday, a chance to hunker down and to do nothing much in particular. It was a challenge we were happy to take up.
Category Archives: New Zealand
One year ago today
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July 12 2011 – we were staying in the lovely Villa Greta in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It was a scorching hot day with the temperature hovering in the low 30’s (celsius) with hardly a breath of wind. The … Continue reading
A taste of Italy
Every time Jean and I feel homesick for Italy we make the pilgrimage to MariLuca Ristoro. It is owned and run by a friend, Guiseppie, and stepping through the door feels like stepping back to Italy. It’s all warmth and friendliness and excellent Italian food, all in the heart of Wellington.
Bellisssimo.
Note: photos are courtesy of MariLuca Ristoro
An Echo of Tuscany
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Every so often, as we sit here in the middle of Wellington’s winter, there is an echo of our time in Italy. Over the weekend we hung a picture on the wall. It was painted by our friend and talented … Continue reading
Start me up – carefully
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Ever since returning to Wellington my cars have sat, in garages, unused. Given their ages, starting them up after a 12 month hiatus isn’t as simple as turning the key and cranking. Just sitting still doing nothing means all manner of … Continue reading
It’s all about looking out for each other
Daisy the dog had a rough night last week. Part of her heart condition means that sometime she can’t pump enough blood around her system and without enough blood to her brain she faints.
This isn’t a pleasant thing and when she faints we always wonder if she will recover and be her old self. So far she has.
Before we moved back into our home she was fainting regularly but the return to familiar surroundings and routines has meant this had become a thing of the past – until last Wednesday night. She fainted twice and we were up until 3am making sure she was comfortable, relaxed, sleeping and, most importantly, still breathing.
And that’s where looking out for each other comes in.
Poppie is Daisy’s partner in crime when barking at the gate or begging for food but not the rest of the time. That changes when Daisy is unwell and then, somehow, Poppie knows.
Like last Thursday morning when Daisy was recovering. Poppie is the one on the right.
What a beautiful day
To mark the last day of autumn Wellington produced one of those magic mornings that, sadly, we see too infrequently. Crisp, with no wind to speak of and just starting to warm up as the sun rose over the eastern hills.
At 8:15am the view from our front verandah looking south over Evans Bay to Cook Strait (and beyond to Antarctica as there’s not much in the way) was worth a photo.
Under familiar skies
Southern Cross and Pointers
One of things I remember from our time in Italy was sitting outside in the evenings watching the stars appear overhead. Often it would be in a small local restaurant, but more often on the terrace at our place in Tuscany or overlooking the bay at Positano. I always remember thinking that among all those stars there were nothing I recognised. All the familiar constellations were missing. Being a kiwi, one in particular was sorely missed.
Now we are home, looking up at night has that familiarity that was missing last year. And, as always, there is that pair of bright stars pointing towards our Southern Cross.
Note: Photo was taken using 18-70 zoom lens – 38mm, f4.2, 2 sec, ISO 800.
Our place – Wellington
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Having written about various parts of the world over the last year it’s time to write about our place, Wellington, New Zealand. It’s where I was born and where I have lived since. After every overseas trip or holiday there … Continue reading
Christmas in April
It really did feel a little like christmas on Wednesday when we made our first trip to the storage unit we filled prior to heading overseas last year.
This was our chance to bring some of the precious (and not so precious) things we had put away last year, home.
And every box was a new and exciting experience. Our box labeling was a bit haphazard – as you’d expect when things were being packed a week before heading overseas – so boxes marked “books” contained plates and boxes marked “plates” contain pictures and boxes marked “pictures” contained books.
Hence the reason it was a bit like christmas.
The bad news was that even after removing around a dozen boxes, the storage unit still looked full to the ceiling. Yikes.
How quickly routine takes over
We’ve been back in our house for nearly three weeks and it’s amazing how quickly the daily routines of life take over. Having said that, in the last fortnight we’ve had a family wedding, my sister staying for a few days and the arrival of painters to turn the house into temporary chaos so maybe that’s not exactly routine.
The girls have settled back in as if they’ve never been away and are back terrorising those who dare to walk past our front gate. If you have seen our dear old Daisy in the last few months you would not recognise her now. Since coming home she’s had a new lease on life – in the video she’s the wagging tail on the right.
Coming home
Daisy rediscovers the delight of sleeping on our bed
On Friday we moved back into our home. It is almost a year to the day since we moved out and already that year seems like a blur. Since arriving back in New Zealand with five suitcases, two carry ons and two boxes of freighted stuff we have clearly accumulated some more as it required a small van to move us from the home of our friends to our place.
We arrived home with a little more than we left with
It was fascinating seeing the reaction of the dogs when they walked through the front gate. They knew this place – and immediately set about rediscovering everywhere they used to go and the things they used to do. Those that say dogs just live in the here and now are wrong, our girls remembered everything.
Even old Daisy with her heart condition, failing eyesight, deafness and tendency to collapse at a moments notice gained an added spring in her step and sniffed out her old haunts – immediately starting to bark at those poor passers-by who dared to walk on the pavement outside her front fence. I could almost hear them curse “those bloody barking dogs are back”.
As I write this Daisy is curled up in her basket beside me asleep, at peace with the world. And that’s a good thing.
A perfect day
Wellington has not had a good summer. Apparently the weather has been generally cold, unsettled, blowy and not what you expect from a kiwi summer.
This week that’s all changed and today was a cracker. To prove it, I captured a shot of a young lady enjoying the afternoon sun – her identity remains a mystery.
It wasn’t quite a Tuscan sun but it wasn’t too shabby either.
A wee slice of New Zealand – Part 2
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The drive from Blenheim to Kaikoura which starts through rolling fields and vineyards soon gives way to the rugged Pacific Coast. The area around Kaikoura is famous for its wildlife. The abundance of wild life becomes apparent as you journey … Continue reading
An odd place for Fur Seal pups
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On the drive between Blenheim and Kaikoura you pass the Ohau Stream. During autumn and the winter months it becomes the playground for young Fur Seal pups. The stream runs through New Zealand native bush to the sea and the … Continue reading
La dolce far niente 