Birthday Week

Sometime around mid-November last year I casually asked Nicky what she wanted to do for her upcoming birthday. Her reply was “go to Dunedin”. A quick bit of internet research revealed that the air tickets would be almost double what we normally pay because of booking at such short notice. So, I suggested that we plan for Birthday Week in Dunedin for the following year, as this would also coincide with the more significant birthdays.

As a result, we found ourselves driving off to the airport on Monday morning for our lunchtime flight to The Deep South. We had a good range of LOB’s from having Tanya and Steve over for Sunday tea, so once the fasten seat belt signs were extinguished, I retrieved my back pack from the overhead locker and we tucked in. We were occupying two seats in a set of three, and Jim, the third person in the row, was quite envious of our smorgasbord of goodies (poor man).

Due to a late take off we were a little late in arriving in Dunedin but Ryan was waiting patiently to collect us and take us to our accommodation in the centre of town. We had booked three nights at The Chapel on Moray Place, which was Dunedin’s first chapel and is now a suite of apartments. Ours turned out to be two storey and with a spiral staircase. It was both quirky and comfortable.

Claire finished work early and she and Ryan collected us and provided fettuccine with a lovely mushroom and tomato sauce for dinner at their home.

We woke on Tuesday morning after an interesting night’s sleep as one side of the bed was against a wall which made access difficult. I had also started with a sore throat again on Sunday, either a reinfection or resurfacing of the bug I had in November, and was very congested. We discovered that we could move the bed which really improved the access issue.

Nicky and I had bacon, egg and cheese crêpes for breakfast at The Dog with Two Tails, a café just two minutes from The Chapel. This we greatly enjoyed and it prepared us for some serious window shopping (we were looking for a handbag for me to purchase for Nicky’s Christmas gift). Late morning Claire and Ryan joined us at The Chapel for Claire’s birthday gift present opening. From us, this was 30 things each with a 30 theme (30g, or 30 cm, or 30 units) with the exception of the photo book which I had put together of her first thiry years.

The opening of the 30 gifts took quite awhile so it was early afternoon before we made it to the Settlers Museum, but that didn’t diminish our enjoyment of the exhibitions and their contents, or the afternoon tea and large scones. We gently strolled along to Emersons brewery for an early and excellent dinner accompanied by very good beer and wine. Nicky and I had a meat plater for two with a side of smokey fries, and Claire and Ryan had grown up macaroni cheese and roast pumpkin respectively. Our walk home was a little damp but it didn’t actually rain.

We made our own breakfast on Wednesday morning (Nicky’s birthday) with oats and cinnamon provided by Claire, and then went off to the art gallery where we really enjoyed the Contemporary Chinese Art exhibition. Claire and Ryan joined us prior to lunch, but the café we had planned to eat at was fully booked with University graduand’s and their families. Sushi and falafels were soon acquired and consumed back at The Chapel. The sustenance helped power us up the steep hill that stood between us and our next destination, Olveston House, an early 20th century building which was given to the local council in 1966 by the family which had built and owned it. The guided tour of the house was very good, and I was particularly taken with the billiards room.

We had the same problem with our planned dinner venue as we had experienced at lunchtime, so instead we ate at a pub which served excellent pizza.

Claire was back at work on Thursday morning, and after more porridge Nicky and I packed and deposited our suitcase with Claire before raiding the shops again. We found a number of suitable handbags and made a purchase after weighing the various pros and cons. Claire, Nicky and I had lunch together in the café we had planned for Wednesday, and then Ryan collected us from Claire’s office and took us to the airport. Once we had got through security we met the same Jim we had met on the flight down, and we were all in the same seats again!

It was 10º warmer when we landed in Auckland a little after 5pm, and we enjoyed cheese on toast and a quiet evening at home. It had been a very enjoyable trip. All the activities were very good, we had some great food, and it was really nice to spend a couple of days with Claire and Ryan. It was unfortunate that I was (and still am) suffering with a bug as that took the edge off the pleasure for me (and probably everybody else) some of the time.

Friday was a work day for both of us. Nicky had originally planned to be on leave, but just before she finished at work last week another member of staff was discovered not to have booked time off for a family wedding on the 14th, so Nicky cancelled her leave so that their would be enough staff to run the library. I had a couple of on-site jobs to do, a pile of washing and some shopping.

Nicky had yesterday (Saturday) off work to attend the final BHB Quilters of the year which also included a shared Christmas lunch, which went down very well. She returned home to Scrabble with Stella, Steve and Ros. While she was out, I made a birthday cake for her (hummingbird with fresh mango and cream cheese filling) and then around 6pm a select number of family and friends joined us for a surprise fish and chip supper. Nicky, as ever, took this in her stride and enjoyed the evening as I hoped she would.

Today has been warm (27º) and mainly sunny, so with all the table linen that was used yesterday I did three loads of washing and got it dried and ironed. After church Nicky did some deliveries and cut the grass, and then zipped off to Henderson to collect Stella and go into town for a performance of the Messiah (100 Hallelujahs) at the town hall. This they really enjoyed as the music and singing were magnificent. A good way to end the week.

Take care, (it’s almost Christmas), Rick