“If I don’t see a rainbow everyday, I’m like ‘WTF’?”

Today (Friday for those of us in the future) was recovery day. We got up early in Martinborough (I woke up with Liza spooning me, which was a little more than I bargained for) and hit the road for Wellington in order to get back in time for her to teach her gardening class at a local elementary school. Because she’s all Mother Theresa, we did not get a chance to stop at any wineries in route. Not for lack of trying…I thought the city’s Wine Centre opened at 9 a.m. so that we could squeeze one in, but no such luck. That’s just bad luck.

While Liza was off teaching, I took advantage of my first moments of peace and quiet by staring out the window at the bay. It was great until I started to get lonely.

We said goodbye to our car friend, and grabbed lunch downtown. Wellington is currently celebrating restaurant week, so we had an awesome meal at a place called Plum. For $25 each, we got two apps, two entrees, a glass of wine and (hooray!) a flat white. Best deal in town. I got the Liza reality tour, and a quick look inside Te Papa, NZed’s wannabe Smithsonian. The walk back to her place brought me to a whole other level of respect for Liza…it is literally about a 65 degree uphill slope. I for some reason had decided to carry two Lonely Planet guidebooks, a beer mug from Tui, and a full water bottle for the first time this trip, so reeeeeeally not a great moment for me. The saving grace is that we walked by Bret Mackenzie’s house (from Flight of the Conchords), who lives at the bottom of her street, which pepped me right up (and also made me sleepy, like always).

After a quick run to the grocery store, we made a Liza trademarked overly ambitious dinner for us and her roommates: cheeses/spread/bread from Te Mata (and I even shared Jesus blue cheese with the crew), pumpkin spread, a beet-spinach-feta-toasted walnut salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette, and carbonara. It was awesome.

We’re both totally exhausted so decided to forgo going out. I was ready for bed about two hours ago, but after splitting a bottle of white I’m primed and ready to go (PSYCH). We’re off to Christchurch tomorrow first thing…we’re really never comfortable in one place for too long. NZed’s rugby team, the All Blacks (not to be confused with the basketball team, the Tall Blacks…and I’m being 100 percent serious) play South Africa Saturday night/Sunday morning at 3 a.m., and I am really hoping we can rally in some form to watch it.