Christchurch (Take 2 and a hundred)

Hello, my dears,

Today I'm also telling you about one of my (what felt like) a thousand weekends in Christchurch, because at that point I was still stuck and neither had a new car nor any promotions from the car rental company or the car rental company's insurance. It was almost a blessing that Anna and Sophia were also at the campsite and we were able to start a few activities together. They both have 2 cars and that's why they were so incredibly sweet and always took me on trips.

It's also a funny coincidence that Sophia's birthday was on March 22nd and we were able to celebrate our birthdays "together". For her day, Sophia wanted us to go into town, go to the art museum and drink some super chocolatey cocoa in the local market hall. Desired - Fulfilled! We also used the day to visit a local market that only takes place once a week - the Riccarton House and Bush Market.

To my delight, there were several bakers here who sold delicious, fresh and, above all, whole-grain bread. I just had to grab it. The market is super cute and there were really all sorts of goodies to try. In particular, a fishy egg (a local and seasonal specialty) sent my taste buds on a new journey. The dish consists of super small but whole fried fish(s) that are fried in beaten eggs and a tablespoon of butter and then served on toast (untoasted and therefore quite English).

After the market we went through the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch to the Art Museum. The garden was a real blaze of color and there were all kinds of great flowers and trees to see.

The art museum is free and there were really interesting individual exhibitions on a wide variety of topics and Maori culture can actually be found again and again in all the exhibitions. I particularly liked the exhibition on feminist development in Maori culture.

After the gallery we went for a cocoa drink and then walked through the botanical garden back to the car. On the way we were able to gain a brief insight into the sailing nation of New Zealand, because the Sail GP took place in Lyttlton. This was broadcast publicly and it was a real happening in the city.

It was really refreshing that a social sporting event had nothing to do with football.

The next day was my birthday and we went to the Riccarton Sunday Market. This is more like a flea market and we browsed a bit at all the stalls and enjoyed the live music playing in the background. I gave myself a gift and treated myself to some really fresh, super sugary donuts. Maybe they were tasty.

I also bought new shoes because I didn't have any day shoes other than hiking boots and flip-flops. In the evening we cooked and ate together and also played a little cards.

A really successful weekend and a great birthday at the end of the world thanks to the two cutie pies Anna and Sophia. With that in mind, thank you both!

Very best regards,
Your Britta