Happy July 4th, America!

Thirty years ago today I was lucky enough to be in Boston for the 4th of July celebrations. It was a day I will never forget.  Americans sure are proud of their country and know how to celebrate it. Every street was lined with Stars and Stripes bunting, every public building adorned with flags, every person walking around with a great big smile on their face, parades and festivities all day long. I was with my husband, brother, sister-in-law and nephew and we made the most of the day, from following the Independence Day parade to eating gigantic hot dogs in the park. 

Reading of the Declaration of Independence

The Salute to the Dead Ceremony

 It was a privilege to attend the Salute to the Dead Ceremony at the Civil War Cemetery and to hear the Declaration of Independence read from the exact same balcony it was read from 240 years ago. Americans around us had tears in their eyes at the glorious bass rendition of 'America' sung from the same balcony.  Then, formalities over, it was party time as  Bostonians thronged the streets, strolled happily, sang, danced and picnicked in the park while tourists, like us, lapped it all up.

Yep, that's me, Faneuil Market, Boston July 4th 1986

Much to my husband's embarrassment I bought a statue of liberty headband and wore it all day.  Well, you have to get in the spirit of these things, don't you?
I think my husband was surprised when a newspaper photographer asked to take my photo and by the several offers from strangers to buy the headband off me, at vastly inflated prices I might add!  I kept it, money didn't tempt me, and I still have it today as a souvenir of a truly wonderful memorable day spent with family.  Sadly my brother and husband are no longer here but these memories of a great day with them will always remain.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA AND SPECIAL GOOD WISHES FOR MY AMERICAN FRIENDS!

It's a Celebration - and a thank you!!!

Celebration time!  This is how I feel!  Not my photo but one I love - (copyright free)

  Wow!  I can't believe it!!  My little hobby travel page has now had over 30,000 readers, 30,066 to be precise and  I'm tickled pink.  It is satisfying to know that there are people all around the world reading and finding something of interest on my blog.  A huge thank you to all of you!

When I hit the 10,000 and 20,000 marks I sent a small gift to the person who got me there but this time I was taken by surprise by a web address in Mauritius which made multiple visits today and pushed me well over the mark.

Writing this blog  has kept me motivated to get out and do things in order to have something interesting to write about.  It is also a handy diary of what I've been up to, so it's been a win/win all round. 

Don't hesitate to put remarks - good or bad - in the comments section. I'd also love your feed back on what New Zealand  topics and/or places you would find of interest and then I will aim to please :-) 

 I am off on another international adventure shortly so, hopefully, will have a lot more of interest to write about. I'm getting excited with the very thought of it!

Meanwhile here are my 5 most popular posts:

• Des Goupillieres - Troglodyte Village - Loire Valley (Featured post)
• Flavigny Sur Ozerain....and Chocolat
• Akaroa - New Zealand's only French Village
• Australia Zoo, Queensland - Home of the Crocodile Hunter
• Cappadocia - A magical, Ancient Land

Haiku and Zen poetry

I'm a great fan of Haiku, the Japanese poetry discipline which manages to say a lot in very few words.    The art of Haiku is to establish a thought provoking image, traditionally, but not always, using just seventeen syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. The idea is to take imagery from nature as a basis for deeper philosophical thought.

Although it is now winter in New Zealand my garden is acting like it is late autumn, the scarlet leaves still gently falling from my maple trees. The leaves give me great pleasure and have inspired me to re-read a few autumnal haiku.

I went straight to the works of the greatest zen poet of all, Matsuo Basho (1644 - 1694) I never fail to be entranced by his succinct word pictures. Originally in training as a samurai, or warrior, Basho abandoned that life to travel around Japan and pursue the life of a wandering poet. His works are widely acclaimed throughout the world. This is his most well known Haiku:

An ancient pond

A frog jumps in

the splash of water

And here are a couple of his autumn themed poems:

An empty road

lonelier than abandonment

this autumn evening 

Won't you come and see loneliness

Just one leaf from the kiri tree 

This poem is by Ryokan (1758 - 1831)

My legacy....

What will it be?

Flowers in spring

The cuckoo in summer

And the crimson maple of autumn

Here is one by Shiko, an artist, engraver and poet (1903 - 1975)

How enviable

Turning beautiful then falling

Maple leaves 

But since it really is winter I think I should add a couple of winter themed haiku.  These two are both by Basho:

 

How admirable

to see lightening and not think

life is fleeting

And:

Winter solitude

in a world of one colour

the sound of the wind

 Every season has it's pleasures and it's downsides, just like life.  The beauty of Haiku is the way it can combine the imagery of nature with the full range of human emotions. Occasionally I like to try my hand at writing them with varying degrees of success, however, I am fond of this one I wrote in memory of my late husband, a keen fisherman:

Waitemata dawn

Golden glow on silver sea

Quietly fishing

All photos are my own.

Architecture - The Iconic New Zealand Villa

To most people the word 'villa' conjures up images of white washed or ochre coloured houses in the Mediterranean or around the Caribbean, not in New Zealand, though. Here the Villa is a very distinct and iconic style of architecture, with no resemblance to the villas of the northern hemisphere. 

 In the early days of settlement  New Zealand was a largely rural society with  most people living in small cottages. As cities grew and  suburbs developed, people became more affluent and looked for larger and more permanent homes, which the Villa provided. Drawing on Victorian influences the Villa was ornate and decorative having its heyday  between 1880 and up to the start of the first World War when austerity measures were adopted.Villas were built entirely of wood with  metal roofs, and often pre fabricated,  floor plans  were usually chosen from a catalogue. They featured high ceilings, sash windows and wide hallways and decorative features included stained glass windows, lacy fretwork and turned finials on the roof. 

A two storied Villa with all the usual features; finials, ornate fretwork, wrap around verandahs and stained glass

 
They were not built for the sun, with the master bedroom and little used, formal, parlour facing the road regardless, which, together with being  uninsulated, made Villas cold and draughty. Different cities in New Zealand had slightly different styles of villa, for example, in Auckland's warmer climate large wrap around verandahs were a feature, in Wellington Villas tended to be narrower and in Dunedin wrought iron was used as a decorative finish. They did not have running  hot water and in the early days, as was normal for the times, the toilet was a long drop in the garden.  Later the toilet was moved to the main house but was usually located at the end of a back verandah which meant going outside the house and along the verandah whatever the weather, an improvement on having  an outhouse in the garden, at least.

My Grandparents house, a later version - the Transitional Villa.  The only change is the top floor, added by new owners.

I have a particularly warm spot for the Villa, my grandparents lived in one and it is where my mother spent part of her childhood. Typically their Villa had a wide central hallway with the master bedroom one side of the front door and a small parlour, for entertaining guests, on the other side. This part of the hallway was separated from the rest of the house by dark red velvet curtains, no doubt to contain the warmth and prevent draughts.  Beside the master bedroom were two more bedrooms and beside the parlour was a large sitting room with a fireplace.  Next to the sitting room was a kitchen/dining room which was bright and sunny in the afternoon and next to the third bedroom was the bathroom.  The walls of the bathroom were vertical ship lap timber painted green and the bath was free standing and heated by a gas caliphont which gurgled and spluttered and frightened me as a child.  The sunniest rooms in the house were the bedrooms, bathroom and toilet. Also, typically, the toilet was along the outside verandah and the laundry was in a separate outhouse commonly known as the wash house.  There was no running hot water in the kitchen, hot water came from a wall mounted Zip heater, although in later years they did have a hot water system installed. Despite the slightly terrifying caliphont I have nothing but warm happy memories of this house.  My grandmother grew masses of daphne along the side path and I only have to get a slight sniff of daphne to be transported back there, full of happiness and nostalgia.

Today Villas are highly sought after although they need to be extensively altered to suit modern lifestyles. The key to a successful renovation is to retain the exterior (as seen in the photos above) while altering the layout inside.  Villas epitomise the romantic dream of a house a garden and a white picket fence.  At the time they were built cities were very small and villas were out in the new suburbs.  Today, as the cities have grown, those suburbs are mainly central city. Partly because of their central location and partly because they are a beloved style of architecture in New Zealand a well refurbished Villa is now very expensive.

A modernised Villa, adapted  for modern living but retaining many original features. 

Examples of Villas are spread throughout the inner suburbs of Auckland but some suburbs have more than others. Devonport and Cheltenham are two of the best but they can be found in numbers in Herne Bay, Ponsonby, Parnell, Remuera (where my grandparents lived) and Epsom.

All photos are my own

Ode to Autumn

 I love living in a country where the seasons change, where long hot summers turn to mellow autumns and where cold, rainy winters turn to vibrant, colourful springs. It is always a pleasure to enjoy that first barbecue in summer or the first bowl of soup in winter, to see the flamboyant reds and yellows of maple leaves in autumn and the shy, peeping buds and lime green leaves of  trees in spring. Each change is a cause for celebration, however, of all the seasons I think autumn is my favourite.  In my home town of Auckland autumn often means still days where the sun glitters on a calm sea and the cooler weather makes it perfect for walking or playing sport. It is fun at the end of the day to draw the curtains, curl up with a good book and get cosy. Much as the thought of an endless summer on a tropical island appeals I know I would miss the anticipation and pleasure which each season brings.

Many poets have written about the joys of autumn.  I wish I had their eloquence! All I can offer are a few photos, so here they are, my Ode to Autumn.

My autumn garden

And I caught a leaf falling!

Auckland's Westhaven boat harbour on a glorious autumn day

Cyclamens flower in autumn

Tis the season for me to make jam and preserves

Ah!  That first bowl of hot soup for lunch

I know it is autumn when my cat, Molly, spends the day on my bed

And what could be better than a comfy chair, a warm rug, and a good book to read by lamp light?

Autumn, you are welcome. Please come again next year.

(all photos are my own)

A Delicious Nordic Rhubarb Pie Recipe

I find it too easy to get into a boring old rut with cooking, always making familiar, tried and true recipes, mainly because I feel confident they will turn out well but also because I'm a bit lazy. However, when I'm in the mood I like to experiment and try something new.  This weekend I was asked to a dinner party to farewell lucky friends who are off to live on their vineyard.  I offered to make the desert.  As luck would have it I am in the middle of a creative period so scanned my recipe books for inspiration.  My London based daughter in law had sent me a Nordic recipe book for Christmas, apparently all things Nordic are very fashionable in London right now, so that was my first "go to" for a new recipe. This one caught my eye because it bears  my name.  I'm pleased to say there were plenty of oohs and aahs around the table at the dinner party, everybody seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.  I now know this will become one of my favourites for special occasions (yes, I know it has a lot of sugar in it but it is a "now and then" desert) and here it is:

MIRIAM'S RHUBARB MERINGUE SHORTCAKE

Ingredients

100 grams softened, unsalted butter
65 grams caster sugar
2 eggs, separated plus one extra egg white
125 grams plain all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 tablespoons of milk

Filling

3 to 4 stalks of rhubarb trimmed and cut into small pieces
1 and a quarter teaspoons ground cinnamon
85 grams of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
30 grams of slivered almonds

A loose bottomed 10 inch flan tin, greased. (I didn't grease mine and the flan came out no trouble)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C or Gas mark 4

Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor until pale and creamy.  Add the egg yolks one at a time mixing well. In a separate bowl mix the flour and baking powder together, then add half the flour mixture into the butter mixture, blending well. Add half the milk, mix well and then add the second half of the flour mixture and the remaining milk and mix well. Press this mixture into the flan tin, evenly covering the bottom and sides.

Filling: mix the rhubarb, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of the caster sugar together and spread evenly over the shortcake base.
Whisk the egg whites until they are firm and hold soft peaks then gradually add the rest of the sugar and beat until thick and glossy.  Stir in the vanilla extract and pile the meringue on top of the shortcake.  Don't smooth it out, keep it in little peaks.  Place in the oven.  After 10 minutes quickly sprinkle the almonds over the top without removing the flan from the oven and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes.

I served this with a thick vanilla bean custard but you could also serve it with cream or ice cream.  It is delicious.  I am so pleased my name caught my eye!

This recipe is an adaption of the recipe in NORDIC BAKERY COOKBOOK by Miisa Mink.

I can't wait to try other recipes in the book now.

Karaka Bay, Auckland - an historic site right on my doorstep

 

 Excuse the first fuzzy frames - it gets better, I assure you!

       A short walk from my home is beautiful Karaka Bay and since today was a calm, sunny autumn day  I decided it would be perfect for a walk to one of my favourite places. 

There is a bookshop in Auckland called The Hard to Find Bookshop and their byline is "but worth the effort".  The same could be said for Karaka Bay.  Located at the end of  short, sloping, Peacock Street, the bay  is accessed by a long, steep, winding path.       ( NB: take everything with you,  you do not  want to run back to your car for forgotten items!) However, when you get there you will agree, it truly is worth the effort.

Karaka Bay is named after the karaka trees that used to grow there and it was once the site of a Maori Pa or village.  It was here that Governor Hobson, on behalf of the British Crown, signed the Treaty of Waitangi, in March 1840, together with the chiefs from 17 Maori tribes. The Treaty is considered to be the founding document of New Zealand as a nation and the signing  is commemorated on a plaque on the path leading to the bay.  In early 2015 a reenactment of the signing was held at the beach.  At the time I had  French and Japanese house guests so took them along to the ceremony to their great delight.

Above and below: Re-enactment of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Karaka Bay 2015

Nowadays the bay is home to writers, artists, architects and professional people.  The houses in the bay are a mix of old baches (holiday cabins), converted boat sheds and plush new architecturally designed homes.  It has a strong bohemian vibe and the residents are pretty proud of their independent spirit and occasional flouting of city rules, such as planting vegetable gardens and fruit trees on the grassy area above the beach and placing their own colourful furniture out there too.  

Vegetable gardens on public land

Colourful furniture for all to use

Bohemian letter boxes say "Individuals live here"

   Tibetan prayer flags fly from bamboo stakes and, at times, the residents  hold community beach parties complete with a  jazz band.  I have been told that when the city council objected to a resident having an outdoor shower the residents arranged to be there when the city inspector arrived. Confronted with a line of naked residents waiting for a shower, the inspector fled, or so the story goes. One resident owned a large pig as a pet which he allowed to free range.  Other residents became annoyed by the pig's deposits on the beach and declared  the pig had to go, which it did, but not before a children's book was written about it. The difficult access ensures the residents co-operate with each  so  will  collect each others mail and packages from the letterboxes up the track above the beach if they are returning from a trip out. 

A beach house in the city

Interesting garden decorations

Sometimes in summer I like to take a book and sit on the beach and read.  It is a peaceful, beautiful place, the only sounds, the sea lapping the beach and the occasional bird call.  Today I had the beach completely to myself. How lucky am I to live so close to this beach, less than 15 minutes from the city centre but seemingly hundreds of miles away?