The Alex & The Eleanor + 1

Saturday Dec. 29 2007
Napier to Wellington
Fluffy clouds and warm.

Check out and walk to breakfast – the kiwi’s certainly like big breakfasts and love coffee, I think I have the whole flat white thing down – its just a smoother foam then cappacino. We stop in a small gallery with some lovely jewelery and find some even more lovely prints, and we decide it’s as good a time as any to start our art collection. As we start out to Wellington, I realize its late enough we could stop back at Craggy Range for a taste at the Cellar Door, which we do and gosh was it a good call. The Gimlet Gravel (where we biked around yesterday) Chardonnay, the Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc, the Martinborough Pinot (best Pinot in NZ so far) are all amazing and I liked the Hawkes Bay Syrah (though Alex was not as crazy about that one). And the view is still amazing, just jaw dropping. With a quick stop at a cheese place for a tasting - an amazing wash ring brie style cheese and some great blues – we hit the road. Which is where we are now, as I am typing as Alex winds his way down some very windy roads with amazing vistas – earlier it looked a whole lot like Italy, now its just mountains in the distance and lots and lots and lots of sheep and cows. We stop at a grocery store and pick up some bread to go with the cheese for lunch, and switch driving and continue on. What I said about windy roads before was wrong, they get really windy now - over a pass into Wellington. Not terribly fun driving to me - unless you are fond of very narrow lane with rock faces on one side and camper vans screaming around corners on the other. Must get a car with more pep on the south island, this car is just not cutting up the hills. What can I say, I am from Detroit, I am not used to flooring it and being passed by trucks. We get to Wellington around 5:30, very cute little city, I can see it is compared to Hong Kong, but sadly all the shops close at 5, so we have a bit of a break before dinner at 8 at Logan Brow. We check out the hotel gym, Alex goes for a steam and I go for a swim - in the coldest hotel pool over. Strike that, the coldest pool ever. Strike that, ice water. I guess they don’t heat the pools here, but dear lord, I usually can get used to cold water, esp. when doing laps, but about about 20 laps my arms were still numb, and a couple more and I was so dizzy I had to stop. Why?

So for dinner I had tried to get into the Citron and Martin Boselly’s Yatch Club, but they are both closed for the holiday so we end up at Logan Brown, which still sound good, but has a number of mixed reviews. We walk there, much to amazement of the hotel receptionist who gives us directions, I don’t see why though, it’s a nice 15 walk though downtown Wellignton, a cute looking  city, though everything is closed. Everything. And we see maybe 10 people the whole time. The space is an old bank that has been converted, and is quite lovely inside. We have a bottle of the Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc because it really is that good. To start I have crab cakes that are quite tasty, all crab and no bread. But as good as they are, Alex’s hare is way better, wonderfully roasted, not at all gamey and with a really fascinating and creamy garlic panna cotta.  I have a filet of beef with potato gratin that is quite nice for my main and a strawberry and champagne dome for desert that was good, but really more interesting.