Auckland again

The school winter holidays already seem like a distant memory, even though they finished only a week ago. We spent most of the second week in Auckland, visiting the same friends (G & C and their brood) we came to see back in 2009. I had managed to see some of them when I came for work last year, but we hadn’t all been together in four years, and DP and Miss B hadn’t even met the newest member of the family, who’s just turned 2. So we headed over for four days of changeable weather, kid-friendly activities, gabbing in front of the fire, and good food.

As you can see from the picture above, I seized the opportunity to beef up the New Zealand section of my cookbook collection. I was particularly pleased to buy Treats from Little & Friday in the café from which it originated, on a short but very enjoyable child-free break with C. We got a chance to sit down, sample the café’s famous doughnuts (filled with pastry cream and raspberry jam) and have a few minutes of uninterrupted conversation. 

A few other highlights from our trip:

 

Authentic Montreal bagels in Auckland - especially appropriate
since DP and G first became friends in Montreal mumble years ago

Admiring local produce at a French food market; had a chat with the stallholder about iPhones
and left with a free bag of limes, along with six of those mini jars of jam and chutney

At the same market, a chocolate fudge cake filled with berries and frosted with chocolate ganache;
this stallholder insisted on giving me the biggest wedge after I finished oohing and aahing

Paddling at Mission Bay; love the bare-feet-and-winter-clothes combo

New shoes for everyone!

Climbing Mt. Wellington

What kind of adventures have you been having?