Trip of Giants - Another 90th Birthday

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Again another failed attempt at staying up for the soccer. Somehow sitting up in the 2am freeze isn't as easy as at home (where its warmer). So the next morning, why get up? I slept in while the other nutters went for a walk up Cashmere Hills to Victoria Park.

Lunch was at the Oxford on Avon, which I was surprised to find was where an old nightclub Baileys 818 used to be - that I had frequented. We entered over where the dance floor used to be, and I had a strange sensation that the room should be much darker, with colourful flashing lights and loud music (I almost looked to see if there was someone dancing topless above the reception). That feeling took a while to shake off!

The buffet lunch was plentiful but ok as far as taste goes. Pop was absolutely amazing, still alert, clear and bushy-eyed despite being 90. Gran coped well although she was having trouble moving around. She managed to get into their car ok after the lunch, with Pop driving. I met Pop's sister Chris and sister in law Ruth whom filled me in on the 4 children, 14 grand children and 11 great grand children of hers. An invastion of Goodenoughs!

I also recognised the pronounced Goodenough nose!

Again the boys need to let off steam (and energy after stocking up on the self-serve icecream machine), so I took them down to Victoria Square where I expressed my creative photographic self in a few shots while keeping the boys from collecting coins from the fountain.

Later in the afternoon after lunch had settled, we took a ride up the Gondola. That was a nice afternoon although expensive with adults $24. Kids were free thanks to it being school holidays (there's a load of activities on for kids over the two weeks but most are booked out well in advance). We had a good look around the viewing platforms, I assisted a few foreigners (!) take shots, and we had a ride in the well-done "Time Tunnel", with an ending that made you proud to be a Cantabrian (even if you weren't a cantabrian).

For dinner Ky and I met some good friends at Vespa's bar where we had a few beers with tasty pizzas and nachos. Really cosy little spot that. Then we decided a walk to somewhere else for dessert was in order, and we walked over to Strawberry Faire where I had an enormous Tiramisu (unfortunately not authentic Italian) and Ky the Ultimate Chocolate (used to be called Death by Chocolate with good reason). I read on the menu that it'd been open 23 years, which means I must have been in it shortly after it opened (when a group of us all had the Death by Chocolate!).

Food glorious food!

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