Back in Canada, almost home

The last legs of this journey are pretty boring. So you can skip this if you want. But you never know...


In the Auckland airport, I had a couple of hours to watch the rain, orrr.... I could have a little snack. Typical of this blog, and as people who know me know, this meant food. My brother asked if I could attach pictures of some of the wonderful food I've been eating in NZ, and it was something I hadn't really thought of. Fish and chips on the beach didn't seem interesting enough, so my camera had been left in the car. But I managed one last little meal, and this one definitely met the criteria for a photo opp.


Now, I realize that the presentation lacked a little something, and the water wasn't exactly vintage (although it was New Zealand's finest spring mineral water). But the sandwich was darn near gourmet. Chicken, (roast, not processed), brie and cranberry on whole grain bread. And the banana was perfect, no blemishes anywhere and exactly the right ripeness. So what if the atmosphere was a little, uh, bright? The view was of the rainy runway, and I was watching planes taking off and landing, definitely rivalling some of the finest harbour and mountain views of the past couple of weeks. ;)

Finally we get the boarding call, and it's off to Vancouver. Too bad that there isn't much to see between Auckland and Vancouver other than water and cloud. Good time to sleep.
So now I'm back in Canada, and after a good long walk and some sushi, it's time for more sleep.
Having explored another country so far from home has given me a much different perspective on what is accessible, what is adventure, and how much there is to explore right here at home. Especially after seeing the Rockies under sunny skies today, instead of the rain I had the last time I was here, only days ago. I tried an Okanagan Merlot tonight, probably not the best one, but I'm sure that there's the possibility of a wine country tour in the works for BC in my future.
After all, I don't have room in my luggage for any more wine this trip. A couple of bottles snuck in there from Marlborough, NZ...