K'Road and Ponsonby

 January 21

Sam on K'Road- Auckland

Fallen Architecture?  or Sculpture?

We  had  to check out of the Auckland City Oaks and we are checking into another hotel later today called The Quadrant.  We decided to head out and in the direction of the area where the used bookstores are since we cannot check into our hotel until later today.  We find our way to the bookstore and scored an el-primo parking space that doesn't require payment at all!  Woo-hoo.  The bookstore is like a maze- like old home with rooms and rooms of books.  We spend quite a bit of time in the bookstore and find a few items on the history of New Zealand as well as some new reading material for the kids.  It is interesting to note that the authors we think of as "classics" are not necessarily the same down here.  We walked along the

The Face to which no one can say "no"

streets and Annie just cannot seem to help herself....she is enthralled in all of the shops.  There are a lot of cute designers and every other store has her squealing in delight....."let's just pop in"  she will say with that look to which no one can possibly say"no".  The result is the boys are tiring of our little outing until we happen upon a wonderful bakery.  We enjoy croissants and egg and bacon pies.  I must go back in that shop about 5 times for more goodies.  We then find a park that has some wonderful classical architectural elements embedded into the side of the hills with interesting quotes carved into the sides of them.  It is really neat.  At the park the boys are playing with their rugby ball and a bridal party is being photographed....a WONDERFUL combination.  The boys are throwing, the bride is drinking, the bridesmaids are smiling, they are all posing and then.......the rugby ball hits the bride in the face and gives her a bloody nose and the blood

All smiles on K'Rd.-Auckland

Happy to be here!

starts squirting all over her beautiful gown and the bridesmaids starting running after Sam and Hudson and tackled them on the ground and then I ran over and had to beat them off and ended up giving the bride a black eye.......oh, wait a minute......that didn't really happen, that was what I thought might happen.  My bad.......but the ball did come perilously close to the bride's gown and we had to scowl at the boys and leave the park.  More shopping and walking ensues until we cannot possibly go another step and then we turn around and have to walk back to the car.  I swear, we walked a marathon today and good news....we can check into our new hotel.  It is pretty nice with a balcony and a lovely view of the waterfront harbor. We stop by a local grocery and pick up essentials for dinner tonight and tomorrow.  Our little hotels have the cutest little kitchenettes where somehow we are able to prepare pretty decent meals.  While in the grocery store, we hear a familiar accent and hear some guys talking to a young lady and tell her that they are from North Carolina...what a coincidence.  Afterward, Sam and Hudson come racing in and it turns out they have found someone's wallet.  We turn it in to the manager and hope that whoever has lost it will return to pick it up.  We return home to make our dinner, enjoy a little internetting and go to bed after enjoying a little TV.