On Tuesday, cousins Maureen and Denzil transported us to our new home, in Taradale. We thought that we travelled light, but with books, bags and bikes it needed both of their vehicles to make the move, but only a 10 minute drive.
Our new home is in Jervoistown, just East of Taradale, and somewhat rural - lots of market gardens and vineyards in the area. The centre of Taradale is about a 15 minute walk from here. The house is new, on a large lot, and we are in a suite attached to the back of the house.
Our hostess is an artist, working especially with mosaics, and the yard is tastefully decorated with her work.
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| Mosaic Artwork |
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| Teapots |
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| Flower Pots |
Right outside our back door is a large vege garden, and we have been instructed to take as much lettuce as we wish, and we have also been given tomatoes and courgettes (zucchini). It feels like we have been transported to the Garden of Eden (without the forbidden fruit).
On Wednesday we met Marlene's friend, Glenys, and husband Alan, for coffee in Taradale, and then visited the local library and picked up groceries.
We have had a few good bike rides - twice around the Puketapu loop, and once out to Clive, but the weather has not been very cooperative. On Friday and Saturday it poured with rain all day and all night. Not so good for Art Deco Week, but very welcome to the farmers, who have been suffering with a lack of rain.
Not letting the rain beat us, on Friday, we and cousins Maureen and Denzil went on a road trip to visit a 3rd cousin (relationship-wise) who lives on a farm near Onga Onga, which is about an hours drive away. We had a great day out, reviewed masses of family history information, and as it was almost dinner time when we got back to Taradale, ate in a local restaurant. No exercise, apart from the flapping of lips and the wagging of tongues.
Sunday's weather was much better, so we got out for a bike ride in the morning, ending up at the cafe at the Silky Oak Chocolate Factory. Marlene was in heaven - coffee and chocolate. I saw a cute sign (which could apply equally to women) - "Men are like chocolate - Avoid the nutty ones and the ones that someone else put back".
As it was a nice day, and we had not seen anything of Art Deco week, we decided to take the bus into Napier, to check out the festivities. We rushed to the bus stop for the 1:30 pm bus, as I was thinking that it was Saturday, but then realizing that it was Sunday, found that the next bus was at 2:30 pm. So we walked into Napier, which took us an hour and a quarter, but we still got there sooner than if we had waited for the bus.
The city was very busy, with street performers, music in the soundshell, and the annual Art Deco Picnic. We found some shade near the soundshell to eat our ice cream, while listening to the music and watching the people go by. By 5 pm our muscles were telling us it was time to quit, and we caught the bus home.
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| Dancing at the Soundshell |
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| Picnic by the Fountain |
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| A Boy and his Bears |
We only have one more day in Napier, and that will include coffee with yet another group of cousins, in Napier. Then on Tuesday we head back to Wellington to prepare for our trip to Tasmania.
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