The weekend with Toast

Hi,

What a lovely weekend.  Friday night was relaxing - I rode home and chilled before Mike needed a pickup from town.  Got burgers on the way home.

Saturday was good - I got my bike all ready for Taupo - gave it a wee ride.  Made sure my gear also worked.  Took glass out of the tyres - realised I can no longer see well enough to do that sort of fine work up close.  Need to make an optometrist appointment.

Sunday saw Toast Martinborough day.  Oosshh.  Mike and I took the 7.35am number 14 down - and it was my old bus driver from the number 13 7am route that was driving.  I hadn't seen her since July when the buses all changed.  Yay.  Good to see her still driving.

Mike and I had brekkie at Maccas - although that wasn't necessary as Serge and Nina had prepared a great spread to eat on the bus!  Wow!

Mike framed by the doors of Wellington railway station

We met up at Platform 9 and got onto our Tranzit commuter bus for the ride over.  Picked up a few people in the Hutt (Celia and James from Percy's Reserve and Callum and Amanda in an awesome maneouver at traffic lights.

Sleeping cat

And then she just stretched out, spread her claws on my leg, and left them there

Nothing to see here!

We parked a the rugby ground and there were frequent shuttles in two large loops to get you to all the participating wineries.  All so well organised. 

Bus ride over to Martinborough

Gorgeous Martinborough

Fantastic skies all day!

We visited so many.  But not all.  Ata Rangi, Escarpment, Luna, Margrain, Palliser, Tirohana.  Only missed Dry River and Te Kairanga.  Others got to Dry River though.

Tirohana was first up.  Awesome cheese rolls there.  And an Elton-like piano player - doing quite well.  Then we split up.  By accident.  Went to Luna with Serge and a few others.  Met back at the bus with a picnic in the boot.   Then Palliser and Escarpment.  Escarpment had these seeds from a tree blowing all around like snowflakes.  Mike ate a Kapiti ice cream - tasty.

Margrain was pumping in the late afternoon around 3pm.  We ended at Ata Rangi and met Leo (Jo's old flatmate) and he gave us free coffees.  I tried the Cold Brew from L'Affare.  Good - although I need a bit of sugar syrup with it.

Food was good everywhere I tried some.  I would definitely go back.

How long is this veggie corn dog?

Picnic in the boot of a bus!

Southern cheese rolls - in an interesting configuration

Toast!

And with all of us!

Leo photo bombed the cold brew pic

Cold brew - and my foot

The bus was a bit of a fiasco.  The first driver who took us over said we could leave stuff int he bus and he would transfer it all to a bus now, and then later, the new driver (Sharon) would get it all and it would be there for us.

Mike and I decided to take our backpack.  It wasn't heavy and just had a few things in it.  Did get searched every now and then at the gates to wineries.

Anyway, we got the food for the lunch ok - in the boot of a bus.  And great food it was too!  Well done.  But, when we got back at 5.30pm, that bus had gone.  And none of our stuff (food or people's bags) had been transferred.  After a delay with phone calls, we left just after 6pm.

We got dropped at the train station, and others left to head to the bus depot to find their things.  I hope they found them ok.  The only glitch in an otherwise spectacular day.

Home to find the cats had created havoc. Mike had to tidy up and clean carpets after some puking.  Toby and I had to get emergency kitty litter from Countdown at 9pm.  But we eventually got into bed at 9.30, exhausted from our long day.  I certainly slept well.

Toby has history this afternoon.  And stats tomorrow morning.  A big couple of days for him.

Wish him luck.

Love,
Angela