Parliament Buildings like Tahitian Dancers

The 4 of us took a drive to the solitary turbine, high on a hill, but for a change, there wasn't enough wind to power it. Low lying fog obscured the view of the city and also cancelled all flights in and out of Wellington since lasat night.

Apparently, fog often hampers air travel. Last month the airport was closed for 5 consecutive days. The usual high winds for which Wellington is noted were quiet that week and failed to blow away the fog.

We took a guided tour of the parliament buildings and library which have been earthquake proofed with a complex systm of 417 base isolators. These isolators separate the building agove from its newly reinforced foundation. Each base isolator allows movement up to 30 cm in any horizontal direction. Imagine the building to be a Tahitian dancer. The hips and feet move rapidly but the shoulders remain steady. So it is with the parliament building.

The system of base isolators was developed by New Zealand engineers and isnow used worldwide in eathquake zones.

Wallace and Margot dropped us off at the Te Pape museum where Hans and I spent the rest of the afternoon. The museum's focus is natural sciences, and we spent a lot of time learning about the forces that created New Zealand's volcanoes and which continue to make their presence felt through earthquakes.

There was so much to see and interact with that our legs were weary when we called it a day. You really need 2-3 days to look at everything. We ended up by watching a delightful 12 minute show called Golden Days. You sit on one of several old chairs, like a torn and tatty armchair, plastic diner chairs, etc. In front of you is a collection of antiques and junk. A total mish-mash of stuff that seem to bear no relation to each other. Behind this is a screen and you appear to be looking out the shop window at the cars and people going by. The owner, and older barrel shaped man with tiny wire-rim glasses pulls down the security grill with his cane and once he's gone, the shop comes alive.

As videos of old newsreels and photographs appear on screen, the photo album in the shop is highlighted and pages flip. When New Zealand is described as a young country, the cradle in the shop lights up and rocks. Little toy soldiers march across the table when they show clips from the war. It's a delightful, interactive video blending old and new, real and imaginary.

Finally, the day was over and we dined at the Eden, a charming restaurant poised over the bay. Waves lap gently on 3 sides of the dining room and we immersed ourselves in an exquisitely presented meal. I had rack of lamb, something I always order if it's on the menu. It looked very elegant with its long, spindly bones arching over the plate.

I know I talk a lot about food. Sorry!!