The Traveling Kiwi

… the journey continues with some unexpected twists and turns. I am so lucky to be house sitting my dream home. Perched up on Huntsbury Hill with 180 views of Christchurch this house is perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing.  A library, a chefs kitchen… I am in heaven. I have Daiquiri the dog and three serious siamese to keep me company.  No I don’t have a job yet, there is potential on the horizon but no counting chickens!!

I would like to stay in Christchurch, I sit on the balcony here at night and watch the softening pink of the evening turn into the twinkling lights of night and I feel a real connection here, this is home, even if I have to leave again I know I will always be back.

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…nothing like the peaceful perfection of a beautiful lily floating in the inky waters to make you stop and appreciate the moment…

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so when your steeple falls off in an earthquake just wrap it up in christmas lights and no one will notice 🙂

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The glow of the roses in the morning light gave them an abstract quality that I have tried to capture.

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I know, you have seen it all before, but its been a while and the trees are in now and growing, my brother Ian’s trufferie is well under way. Today we had glorious late spring weather, hot and still. The hills were green and the bird life prolific, monarch butterflies floated over the long grass and huge hawks soared above. Nestled into the hillside the long grass is taller than the trees for now but they are rocketing away and it won’t be long till it looks like an oak grove. I love the hills and limestone of North Canterbury, the scenery changes every turn of the of the road and the wild flowers splash some unexpected colour into the greens and golds.

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On all journeys there comes a time for rest and contemplation before moving forward again. All around me I see the signs of growth and renewal and hopeful potential for the future, nothing shows that more emphatically than the fragile spring blossoms, bravely blooming in the wild winds and rain of spring weather only to be torn from the tree to carpet the grass in pink and white. Yet even though the beauty of the blossom is lost so quickly the fruit continues to grow.

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How could a foodie like me not mention one of my favorite tastes of Paris – the food and the shops, tiny specialist cheese shops, chocolate shops, puppet shops – the shops in Paris are small, unique and wonderful, I could explore them for hours, window shopping is such a delight. Oh Paris! I will be back…soon…

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My good friend Jose took me on a walk to give me a taste of  Paris from a local’s perspective – the photo’s speak for themselves.

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This was my first real excursion into the true tourist zone and quite a shock, it was crowded, noisy and every second shop sold tacky souvenirs, the sidewalks were filled with slick hawkers selling chanel number 5 and watches. The interesting part came when I got off the tourist track and explored the narrow back streets of Monmartre.

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