Two photos taken from our room at the Premier Inn at Glasgow. I didn't expect waterfront views at £31.50 for the night (no breakfast) plus £4 parking. The third pic is artwork in our room.
Our first stop was at the Hastings Farmers' Market, which is so popular it is held every Sunday - sun, rain or hail. The queues for coffee were too long for us to wait, but we bought two lovely croissants from a French baker's stall. We picked up coffees in town at the cinema cafe. Something we don't see at home is milk being sold in reusable bottles. It is decanted from a bulk container so is labour intensive. We stopped for lunch at Palmerston North. There are several wall murals in the city but none were very good. The art deco style "Ladies Rest" was built in 1937. Inside there are arm chairs in a lounge area, original tiles and some original plumbing. When first built it was just rendered, but the current colours work really well.
I scootered 4kms along the bike path to Fingal Bay. This bay is outside Port Stephens but I was surprised to see a Surf Life Saving Club because the sea was absolutely flat. The sand spit can wash away during high tides stranding people on Mount Stephens.
The historic village of Ahuriri is 5 minutes from Napier. It was the original port before the earthquake. These days it is home to the commercial fishing fleet and recreational boats. Restaurants and bars have taken over some of the old warehouses. My favorite art deco building is the National Tobacco Company building at Ahuriri. We walked around the nearby town of Hastings, which also boasts numerous art deco and Spanish mission style buildings. These grasses by the point grow in interesting swirly patterns.
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