You Must Be From Away

One cafe in Nelson City is called “Lambretta” and there’s another one out in Brightwater called “Vespa’s”.

What?

Oh, it’s VESPERS.

So that’s why they’ve built it to look like an old church.

Oh, it IS an old church.

Sorry for the confusion……

Staying on the shores of the Waimea Estuary in Mapua at a place that describes itself as “renovated apple pickers’ cottages (that) are furnished “bach style” with an eclectic mix of treasures from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. ………

Which means that the furniture’s been sourced from second-hand shops.

You know the sort of stuff.

Scandinavian influences. Rounded, amoebic-shaped pieces. Bold patterns. Plastic seats. Orange.

Lots of orange

But the view makes up for it.

I’m having an ongoing disagreement with the coffee table, though, and if things don’t improve, it’ll be lucky to survive our stay.

There’s a fair chance it’ll end up back in a second-hand shop.

Or in the Kent wood stove.

1970’s furniture didn’t go much for strong verticals. It’s all curved, soft lines and the coffee table has legs that are splayed well outside the outline of the table top.

Lounge table legs that you trip over.

And break your bloody toe…..

and his brother – if they’re not both over 70, they’re pretty close – own a market garden next to the speedway track in Nelson.

They’re out in the fields (or in the shed out at the back having a beer if it’s after 4pm) and you choose your veges and flowers from the stand, pop the money in the honesty-box and away you go.

Nothing flash – they grow some specialty stuff for Matt Bouterey’s eponymous (and very good) restaurant in Richmond – but if you want spuds, tomatoes, beetroot, onions and statice, it’s the place to go to.

If fact, statice is all they had yesterday, so Mrs jb aked about the zinnias growing next the the overgrown cucumbers.

“Oh, they’re finished, dear. Go and pick as many as you like. You can have them for nothing”

That’s an attitude I like…

So

Flowers courtesy of Mr Todd
Jug courtesy of Steve Fullmer
Scenery courtesy of the Waimea Estuary

you’re 5 minutes too early….

This is the South Street Gallery in Nelson at 4:55pm yesterday.

Not that they’d just closed and there were people rattling around inside, putting stuff away and doing the things you do after you close up for the day.

Nothing like that.

Deserted.

Flashback

A guy I used to work with toured New Zealand in the 1970s.
Got to the dining room of the motel at 9:02 one morning and the owner said

“I’m sorry, you’re 2 minutes too late”

You have NO IDEA how often I’ve heard that over the last 30 years…

In Mainz’s wine bars, there’s a generation change at about 6:30pm when the geriatrics toddle off to clamber onto the last bus that’ll get them back home before curfew and their places are taken by the youngsters.

Well, baby-boomers, anyway.

Here in Nelson, it’s even more noticeable.

At 4pm, anyone who’s of voting age vacates their place at the supermarket checkout and is replaced by a school kid.

Which means that if you want to buy beer or wine, they have to ring the bell to get a supervisor.

They must have run out of school kids at Pak’n’Save in Richmond yesterday, because the checkout operator almost qualified for a free bus pass.

“Ah” I said in a weak attempt at humour “I’ve got some wine, so I guess you’ll have to call your supervisor”

And she did.

Must have been a mature student……