A day spent around Blenheim, originally with some idea of a wine tour but which, due to a surprising feeling of lethargy, was commuted to a visit to a microbrewery, a swim, a short walk to Pollard Park because it has the same name as an area in Bradford and we were curious and more excellent food from the local New World Supermarket.Today was hot and sunny, with a significant south wind, tho' not enough to worry us for the tent's sake. The swimming pool here at Top 10 is pretty tiny and just heated by the sun, which I guess keeps the masses out. We played at armchair swimming races (a sort of backwards backstroke) - Guy's voluminous bathing shorts meant that he never had a chance of winning. Pollard Park, Blenheim, NZ, is delightful and has a centenary rose garden that's pretty good. Tennis courts and herbaceous borders, plus a stream with small lakes, create a lovely atmosphere. Space, which NZ has and England does not have, certainly allows the kiwis (or a huge proportion of them) access to a lovely lifestyle. Is it surfing, tennis or biking in the mountains today? Or just sipping local wine or eating local olives in the sun? They haven't yet quite got the comfy pubs that the UK has been perfecting (in spite of excessive tax on beer, fruit machines, canned music and cheap canned beer) for centuries but they are working on it.We visited the Renaissance Brewery and tasted their ales - we liked their dark 'elemental' ale in particular - pretty similar, I thought, to Titanic Stout (which is, hooray, for sale in the local New World Supermarket along with a superb range of British and Belgian beers - Orval, Westmalle, Moinette, McChouffe and many more. We award the best beer in a supermarket prize to New World Supermarket in Blenheim. Only a Booths or a Waitrose around West Yorks would beat them.We also did some washing so that we have some clean cothes for the flight back to the UK. Being stuck next to us for a long haul flight might otherwise be cruel.
A day spent around Blenheim, originally with some idea of a wine tour but which, due to a surprising feeling of lethargy, was commuted to a visit to a microbrewery, a swim, a short walk to Pollard Park because it has the same name as an area in Bradford and we were curious and more excellent food from the local New World Supermarket.Today was hot and sunny, with a significant south wind, tho' not enough to worry us for the tent's sake. The swimming pool here at Top 10 is pretty tiny and just heated by the sun, which I guess keeps the masses out. We played at armchair swimming races (a sort of backwards backstroke) - Guy's voluminous bathing shorts meant that he never had a chance of winning.
Pollard Park, Blenheim, NZ, is delightful and has a centenary rose garden that's pretty good. Tennis courts and herbaceous borders, plus a stream with small lakes, create a lovely atmosphere. Space, which NZ has and England does not have, certainly allows the kiwis (or a huge proportion of them) access to a lovely lifestyle. Is it surfing, tennis or biking in the mountains today? Or just sipping local wine or eating local olives in the sun? They haven't yet quite got the comfy pubs that the UK has been perfecting (in spite of excessive tax on beer, fruit machines, canned music and cheap canned beer) for centuries but they are working on it.We visited the Renaissance Brewery and tasted their ales - we liked their dark 'elemental' ale in particular - pretty similar, I thought, to Titanic Stout (which is, hooray, for sale in the local New World Supermarket along with a superb range of British and Belgian beers - Orval, Westmalle, Moinette, McChouffe and many more. We award the best beer in a supermarket prize to New World Supermarket in Blenheim. Only a Booths or a Waitrose around West Yorks would beat them.We also did some washing so that we have some clean cothes for the flight back to the UK. Being stuck next to us for a long haul flight might otherwise be cruel.