Travelling with Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4

Hello! It's time for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4

Summer is June 21st and people usually take advantage of the warm weather to take a trip or vacation or day trips to visit, shop or for recreation.

  So could we talk about travel?

1. What are the most memorable destinations you've visited, and what made them stand out? (this could include places like museums, art galleries, etc. not only a vacation site.)

Memorable places? The first that came to mind when I saw this question was my trip to Fiji with a nursing colleague when we were  just 18. The culture was so different to anything I knew and the colours, smells and sights were so wonderful. The first overseas trip either of us had ever made, in an age where no one went overseas (not where we lived anyway). It was so exciting and we looked forward to it for so long.  It was probably another 40 years before I went overseas again and that was to visit my sister and her husband and family who had moved to Australia. We took the family and that was an exciting time for all of us. We had a great time, visited one of the islands off the Queensland coast among other things. But we learnt a good lesson, don't visit north Queensland in the summer, we'd gone for Christmas! Never again.

Then Aaron  was living in Japan, met a Chinese girl and we went to Japan for the wedding. What a wonderful time and I don't really know where to start. So totally culturally different and we didn't speak the language. Thank goodness we had our family interpreters with us most of the time :) We learnt how to use the buses and some of the drivers got to know us and where our stops were. All I can say is if you plan on going to Japan - do. It was a wonderful experience made even better because we were staying in Aaron's flat in an older part of the city and didn't do only tourist things.

the view from Aaron's flat in Kobe, Japan

2. Which hidden gem locations have you explored that you'd recommend to others ?

I don't know that Te Papa the national museum of New Zealand could be called a hidden gem but if you're in Wellington make a point of visiting, even if it is just to visit the Gallipolli Exhibition. I found it to be a very emotional experience but had to rush the end of it, one because I was getting emotional and two because my GKB had disappeared about 10 minutes earlier. It depicts conditions for the men and women in the battle at Gallipolli during the first world war and as well as letters, photographs and short films there are life size models of soldiers and nurses as well as a model of the trenches. Well worth a visit.

Anywhere in New Zealand is well worth a visit though :) We have lakes, beaches, rivers and mountains all within a short drive of most places.

Milford Sound on a misty day

The Southern Alps 

3. What’s the most unique cultural experience you’ve had while traveling ?

Well, lets see. I've been packed like a sardine into a commuter train in Japan, eaten raw seafood which was still moving. I couldn't get out of it as I was the future mother in law and that position held a certain amount of prestige apparently. And part of that was getting to eat first whether I wanted to or not. I didn't want to actually but was told I needed to and looked around the table and every eye was on me, kids and all. My GKB was smirking away but he got to try it too. So I bit the bullet, or raw, moving octopus, and swallowed. Then they all  clapped and I had to do it again. And then they all tucked in. Not my most exciting moment I can tell you but certainly memorable.

that greyish stuff is the still moving, sliced octopus

On the day of the wedding I got to take part in a tea ceremony at the reception. No one warned me but I duly took part and Aaron's sister in law guided me through, We finished our tea, only the bride, groom and mothers took part, and I looked up to see Aaron and Sofi kneeling in front of me. Once again no one had warned me I was supposed to bestow a blessing on them so I stumbled through something, I'm not good at off the cuff stuff, but finally it was over. 

4.What mode of transportation is your favorite for a long trip? How about a short trip?

I would have to say I prefer to travel by plane for a long trip. Well let me qualify that. I live on an island. If I want to visit family who don't live in the South Island I have to cross the sea, to the North Island or to the bigger island to the west (Australia) so really I don't have a choice. I don't enjoy flying and we usually drive if we're going anywhere in the South Island.

Scavenging again

For photos that is. Most of them are from the archives, some are new. We haven't been out and about much in the last few weeks what with my GKB being a bit under the weather and then the snow followed by floods. I hope you enjoy them anyway even if you have seen some of them before. 

1:  Crane

We had been to Nunobiki Herb Garden at the top of the Ropeway (cable car, gondola) overlooking the beautiful city of Kobe in Japan. Travelling back down and naturally taking photos of the view we spotted this building being constructed. The crane was in the centre of the building on a gantry and as the building pushed skyward the crane was also heading skyward. Three photos I'm afraid.

2:  Ring

A cinnamon roll (ring?) I had for lunch one day whilst out with my GKB. Technically not a ring but with a smidgen of imagination it could be - it's circular, sort of :)

3:  Set

My DIL was baking and when I went out to the kitchen this is what I saw. I have never seen a cake cooling like this before but apparently it stops the weight of the cake from flattening itself. Who would have thought? Not me. Anyway I thought this cake was well enough 'set' to put in this post. I hope you all agree :)

4:  Light

Light reflecting off the top of the display case containing antique pocket watches. We took this photo in the jewellers/watchmakers shop in Shantytown earlier in the year.

5:  Bow

The bow used to be the pointy bit of the boat and landlubbers like myself could tell one end from the other. But looking at these two ships I'm not sure which end is the bow and which is the stern but I believe the ship on the left is bow toward us. If not we can see both ends of the ship on the right so one end must be the bow. Mission accomplished! Phew.

6:  Spring

Out visiting the local vet one 'spring' day and this was 

what I saw over the fence. 'Spring' lambs and one

 of them is 'springing'. 

7:  Open

Only 'twasn't. In fact it had been shut for a couple of weeks and was due to reopen the following day. We took this while strolling around one of the city suburbs one lunchtime and thought number  one son and DIL might be interested in visiting Kamome for a meal sometime. 

8:  Grand

We certainly felt grand sitting in these throne like chairs when out for dinner one evening with friends while on holiday. If we had realised how grand the setting was going to be we might have taken some grander (cringe) gear to wear. Still everyone enjoyed the dinner and the company and that's what it was really all about.

9:  Park

A sign pointing to a car park in a national park. Jacksons is a small place in Arthur's Pass National Park in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. If you blink  passing through you could well miss it, literally. There's a pub and not much more. That is the car park on the left, the sign on the right and it is surrounded by beautiful national park. 

10:  My own choice

A Thrush singing his lungs out one grey day.

 Just enjoying being alive

Joining Hawthorn and friends over at 

  I live, I love, I craft, I am me