Bayswater and Back

Made the most of a big day out with visiting friend Eileen and old friend Marlene.  We got the 11.00am boat across the harbour  to Bayswater.  There were only another couple of passengers on the boat across and it was a brilliantly sunny day for the end of April.the boat seemed to have trouble berthing and getting close enough to the wharf but succeeded after the third attempt of tying, pulling tight and  unwinding the ropes that brought the ferry close enough to drag out the gangplank and let us trip safely off.  

Did so smartly though the connecting bus drove off just as we approached leaving us to spend another half hour waiting till midday for  the next one.  There was a lovely parklike reserve round the marina and we waited there watching somebody fishing, another flying his drone, another couple of workers mowing the lawn and trimming the edges.  What a life on a day like that! 

We were en route to one of my favourite cafes at present, Little and Friday, except in our case it was Big and Wednesday as you can see by the size of the quiches.  Ditto the cakes and their fabulous doughnuts, big enough in fact for the four of us to have a piece of each.  Today's filling was peanut, salty caramel and chocolate ganache and delicious.  

After that it was on by bus through other tidy North Shore suburbs to Takapuna and thence on foot to the beach. Made a short visit to the library in the Strand en route and enjoyed some downtime gazing out to sea and  Rangitoto while the others had a stroll along the beach at low tide.

Took the bus back over the bridge , crossed leafy Victoria Park on foot, picked up another bus to Ponsonby and flopped into bed for a rest.

Day in Town

Saw Auckland anew through the eyes of my Australian visitor today as we sampled the sights of mid-town Auckland a trois.  Started by delivering 5kg of freshly picked guavas from our tree to Giapo who gave us an icecream voucher in return.  

Sampled Giapo Buono, Giapo's Special might be a good translation, and decided on that - caramel icecream with bits of wafery biscuit through it, decorated with roasted gilded hazelnuts and the glossiest Italian meringue squiggles possible, a veritable work of art. 

From there across Aotea Square we walked up to the pop-up Globe Theatre to see if we could get tickets for Romeo and Juliet or Twelfth Night but it was not to be.

Then we went to the Central City Library to look at the Shakespeare exhibition on at present, including copies of the First and Second Folios. I enjoyed reading a couple of the sonnets and a page of Twelfth Night, among other books of Shakespeare's time.

Back past the side of the Town Hall with it colourful flags.

Time for lunch at Smith and Caughey, a meaty mushroom and blue vein tart with a colourful salad with tomato chutney on the side - good value at $10.

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