KTMusings

I went to church at a charming, TINY little Catholic church called St John's in Parnell in the morning. A few things were different, but Mass was mostly the same. I went out for coffee afterwards, had a low key afternoon, went to dinner at a place called Di Mare for a seafood and pasta dish, and went to bed early in anticipation of a 4:15am alarm tomorrow! I have loved having the week to explore and relax, but am very much looking forward to some more company for the next two weeks. Day 8: http://kellytmiller.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-8-monday-321.html

I had a very low key day just wandering around. I found a few cricket matches being played at a local park and watched for quite a while ... and still have no idea how the game is played. I think Bill Bryson's description is quite accurrate - from "In A Sunburned Country": Imagine a form of baseball in which the pitcher, after each delivery, collects the ball from the catcher and walks slowly with it out to center field; and that there, after a minute's pause to collect himself, he turns and runs full tilt towards the pitcher's mound before hurling the ball at the ankles of a man who stands before him wearing a riding hat, heavy gloves of the sort used to handle radioactive isotopes, and a mattress strapped to each leg. Imagine moreover that if this batsman fails to hit the ball in a way that heartens him sufficiently to try to waddle forty feet with mattresses strapped to his legs, he is under no formal compunction to run; he may stand there all day, and, as a ru...

The library is closed tomorrow, so unless I find an internet cafe, don't expect an update. We'll check in Monday morning (NZ time) to let you know D&Ry arrived okay (then I think we're heading out to climb the youngest volcano in Auckland - Rangitoto - for some supposedly great views of the area and the islands). Once we leave Auckland I expect internet to be spotty, and we'll be busier, so I'm not sure we'll update much. Day 6: http://kellytmiller.blogspot.com/2011/04/day-6-saturday-319.html

Yesterday I walked over to the Parnell Rose Gardens. The roses themselves were pretty, and there was quite a big park stretching down to the water. Then I grabbed a coffee and sandwich and headed back to the Domain by the museum and sat in the park for lunch. I watched all the school kids come up to the park for recess and play soccer and rugby. It rained in the afternoon, so I went back to the Chalet and took a little nap. When I went out for dinner I forgot it was Friday night and busy, so I just got take out ("take away" as they call it here) and went back to the Chalet and watched American Idol over dinner. A French family checked in last night with a 2 year old. At breakfast today he kept venturing over to talk to me ... but instead of just having the barrier of trying to understand a 2 year old's speech, I was totally at a loss for French! (And I just kept picturing the Friends episode where Phoebe tries to teach Joey to speak French ( "wi poo poo!" ) and ...

I had a very low key day yesterday ... I sat at a great cafe for lunch for over two hours - took out my book, but ended up just people watching and was very entertained. I left for Catherine and Colin's about 3pm - wasn't too excited about driving again, but it's getting easier every time I do it - I think we'll be fine once we're out of the big city here. It was great to see Cappy, Colin, and the kids. They made a yummy dinner on the grill - hamburgers, sausages, potatoes, and Greek salad. It was nice to catch up. I realized when I left that we didn't get a single picture together! :( It's sprinkling here today - I just wandered down to the Parnell Rose Gardens for a while and now will go grab lunch. I think all my exploring is catching up with me - I may need a nap this afternoon! Day 5: http://kellytmiller.blogspot.com/2011/03/day-5.html

Yesterday I ferried over to Waiheke island for the day. I signed up for the Taste of Waiheke tour - our first stop was Stonyridge winery for a couple samples and lunch. Then we went to an olive oil maker, which was really interesting - they still hand-rake the olives off the trees, which looks like a lot of work! Then to Wild on Waiheke - a brewery that also has some wines, though most of their business comes from serving beer to corporate parties and then handing them laser guns and bow & arrows for some archery down the rows of grapes! Our last stop was Mudbrick winery - they had my favorite wines. And the most gorgeous view! We got out of the bus and had a beautiful view back towards Auckland city, then they had us a climb to the top of the vineyard, which I was thinking was an awful lot of work for another sample of wine :) but from the top the view was absolutely jaw-dropping. The bus then took everyone back to the ferry, but I had the driver take me back into town and I sat ...

I spent yesterday as a true tourist ... I walked back to the museum and caught the hop on-hop off bus and took it to the Sky Tower. Rode to the top and got a nice view of the city and surrounding islands. They had two viewing levels and a cafe near the top - had a coffee and "sweet treat" and enjoyed the view! Then I caught the bus to the harbor and walked around a bit. Had lunch overlooking the water. Caught the bus again and went to Bastion Point - a high point in the city used as a lookout over the harbor - more beautiful views. From there I walked down to the beach and walked in the water for a bit, then climbed back up the hill and caught the bus home. I wandered around Parnell Rd a bit more - stopped for gelato again (Bailey's flavored gelato ... need I say more?!) and did a little shopping. Last night I went to dinner at a sushi place my hosts recommended - I ordered a rainbow roll, but to my disappointment they used what looked like salad mix (complete with carro...