The haka is a Maori war dance or a challenge, which is performed by males. The word haka actually means dance and in the past, women used to take part too. These days, many of our sports teams do the haka. The All Blacks, our rugby team, do the haka before each game...
New Zealanders love their boats and fishing. Fishing is a reasonably cheap activity since you don’t need a licence, except if you want to fish for fresh-water fish such as trout. My husband’s family are all very keen fishermen. Me—not so much. I think the sport is...
I’m an A – Z virgin, and I’m looking forward to tackling this challenge. Since I live in New Zealand, I thought this would make a great theme for my posts. I intend to introduce you to my home country and also to some of my romance novels, which are set in my home...
Of all Gaudi’s designs, I think the Sagrada Familia is probably one of the most ambitious and interesting buildings. It certainly dominates the skyline. This is the Sagrada Familia as seen from a hilltop. And here is a view of the Sagrada Familia from the other side...
Hubby and I attended a wedding over the weekend. We had such a great time. The weather was beautiful, the company great, and it was a gorgeous setting looking out over Karioitahi Beach. Once in awhile, Right in the middle of an ordinary life, Loves gives us a...
Before hubby and I visited Barcelona, I’d never heard of Gaudi, but I challenge anyone to visit this vibrant city and leave without learning about this famous architect. Gaudi was born on 25 June 1852 and died on 7 June 1926 after being struck by a tram during his...
This magnificent arch is the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. It was designed by Josep Vilaseca to celebrate the 1888 World Expo. The arch was the entrance to the exposition, and it’s built of red bricks. I liked all the detailed carvings, and this one below is my...
I found this recipe when I was flicking through a cook book by Allyson Gofton, a chef who used to be a familiar face on New Zealand television. The combination of ginger and pepper sounded interesting, and I decided to give them a try. The result was a crisp and...
When we visited Shanghai everyone in our group was eager to experience the fast train. It’s a high-speed magnetic levitation train. The train travels the 30 km (18.6 miles) in seven minutes and twenty seconds. All I know is that it was incredibly fast. The scenery...
