Marcia's home was wonderful. An old farmhouse renovated into a five star home, like something out of a design show on tv. Long panel curtains in every room and big open spaces, all well thought out, relaxed and practical but with a special eye for design. Marcia said the land lady spent a few years on it.
Wednesday
I did my laundry today for the first time since leaving home. And I dried it outside on the line, just like the New Zealanders do. I also had the chance to pay my bills and get my phone to work properly. Thank you Marcia! Turns out enabling Wi-Fi calling disables the data from the network tower. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to use your phone.
This evening we had the most delicious ice cream from the nearby berry farm. I had boysenberry. What a treat! They grow the berries on site and they mix them with vanilla ice cream right there in a machine while you watch. Intense flavor. Amazing experience. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Thursday
Had a nice lunch with Marcia and Maggie at a cafe near her house. We both had a tasty Moroccan chicken salad dish, with pumpkin and tomato and a warm creamy feta and couscous on a bed of spinach. It was really well done. So many ingredients but beautifully combined and presented.
Later we visited a local park. I'm so impressed with all the nice outdoor spaces they have for themselves here. This park went back to a at least the 1880s. It had several ponds, a lake, jungle gyms of all shapes, a water wheel, a tea house a cricket field, and who knows what else. I think we barely saw any of it.
Going to bed, I feel a bit sad for some reason. Like maybe I'm home sick. It will be two weeks tomorrow since I left and already I want to go back??? Or maybe I'm just tired. I feel like Marcia has bit of more than she bargained for with all this traveling, she is visibly tired. Hopefully she will rally in the morning because we're due to be on the road again tomorrow, on our way to the south island.
