A WEEKEND IN PARADISE

Sometimes the best of times are not planned and this weekend served up a fair dollop of feel goods. For a start we, on the advice of one of our lunch companions on Friday, who is as much a Wairarapian as we are a Southlander ( 6 generations), we were given a heads up on a wonderful fair at Assisi Gardens near Gladstone.
It was spectacular residence atop the hill over looking the Wairarapa valley. It was a stunning mix of natives, peppered with exotics, ponds, fruit groves and a house, that despite its size and grandeur - was a home. The veges were mixed with the flowers, stone cats peered silently at visitors and birds fought for space in the bird bath. The place also features some very quirky sculptures.

The fair, a mix of wine, food, and unbelievably interesting different and superb craft and gourmet goodies is in aid of the Cat Walk trust. It is a trust set up at the behest of Catriona Williams, one of the country's top equestriennes who was confined to a wheel chair following a riding accident.

We drank in the amazing view, sampled some tasty wares and bought some locally produced Lighthouse Gin, lovingly crafted in Greytown. We bought it after hearing a good mate of the late Garry Ward talk about his never ending quest to find the perfect gin.

It's a bloody smooth drop.

It was a good day and well worth the $20 entry fee and a nice quiet pace compared to the frenetic Toast Martinborough.

Back at the Block , one of the Rocks family arrived with some of her mates. They were all good people. Last night we had a wonderful meal, talked crap, some sense and listened with joy to the Radio as we won our place at the Football World Cup as the generator hummed in the background.

They were off to do the Toast Martinborough thing today..

And best of all they were huge fans of Bustedblondes pickles, chutneys and jelly jams.

So they can come again.

And our spuds are up, with a perky promise of little sticky jersey bennies for Christmas dinner.

We are now on the train wending our way back to the capital sadly knowing it will be another week of work till we get to put our feet back on paradise's fertile plain again.