I've got to run to the store for some bread, want to come along?

There was a day (well, 35+ years of them) when I worked for a living. I got up early and went to work, many times for 10 hours or more. That was the focus of my day. 

Things have changed. Oh, there are still busy days when I help Jeanne with laundry, pick up around the house, or change a lightbulb. Or wash dishes, act as vegetable peeler and cheese grater. And I always shop.

Today though promised to be a day on the quiet side. Jeanne had only one load of laundry on, and it didn't sound as though I would be needed. The ever-present shopping list was minimal, and consisted of only those supplies that would be needed soon and not for today's meals, oh, except for some bread.  

I had some choices. There is the Palomino Superette in one direction and Sokol's Market in the other. There is PaK'nSave at the foot of Great North Road or Countdown in the mall in Henderson. Hmmm, let's think outside the box. Today's weather looks good. Partly cloudy skies and no chance of rain. The train is free. Downtown Auckland is only about 50 minutes away in a comfortable, gently rocking seat. 

Why not hop the train and pick up some Real bread from Pandoro on Queen Street? It's an Italian bakery that makes the kind of bread that I wish we could eat everyday. Okay, let's do it. 

You're coming along right? You ride free too. After we get the bread, let's take a quick look at the waterfront before we come home. I like to keep track of what's happening there. 

 Riding the rails...not steam, but electric, and in NZ. And I never sing on the train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-p5bTHT3e8

 Look familiar? You've been here before. Just off the train at Britomart. 

 Convenient times for our return trip. Departures for Swanson run on the hour and at 20 and 40 minutes past. 

I'm taking a short cut through the block. A little cafe with minimal lighting offers a quiet refuge in a sort of tunnel between the streets. I hope their business picks up soon. 

In this shot, I'm just exiting from the cafe shown above on to East Customs Street. 

The traffic lights at this intersection allow you to cross just one street, or on the diagonal across both. We're going on the diagonal toward the mirrored building.

We're in the middle of the intersection of Queen and Customs Streets, looking up  West Customs.

The panetteria is about 1/2 a block away now along Queen. 

There it is. I think I can already smell it. Yeasty. Oh boy. 

Just a narrow little place, but they know bread. 

And quiches and sandwiches,

...and goodies. 

But we came for bread. Darn, they're out of large Italian loaves, I'll have to get a small. But I'll get a ciabatta too. 

Now, with our bread tucked away in my backpack, (no, I won't squash it) let's head down to the waterfront and see what's going on there. 

The end of Queen Street has disappeared. The new train line connecting Britomart to Mt. Eden is in process far beneath us and extending out to our right. I don't know if Queen Street will ever be a through street again. 

 I wondered if there might be a cruise ship in port, and there is. Looking at it from the end doesn't do it justice. Let's walk a couple hundred yards up Quay Street and admire it from the side.

Wow, that's big. They have it docked on Queens Wharf. It won't fit on the Princes Wharf. 

Looks like The Hilton got a new paint job.  Big improvement. I thought it was looking a little seedy. 

They're cleaning up all over the place I guess. Here some window washers are at work. 

You know that if I'm in Auckland, I'll have to include at least one picture of the Sky Tower right?  Especially when there is somebody up there climbing around outside it. 

Here's a close up look at the safety harness system that lets people walk on the platform that surrounds the Sky Tower. That group is about 800 yards from me. (Yes, I measured using Google maps and did some math besides.) That was taken at around 48 power. I'm amazed at what cameras can do these days. 

The construction companies are all working overtime in Auckland right now. 

Well, I love wandering around and sight-seeing, but if we leave now, we'll get home just about lunch time. Let's head back to Britomart.

There's our train waiting for us on track 3. (the one straight ahead) 
Jeanne is making swiss steak for dinner tonight and either kind of bread will go well with that. Thanks for coming along. Wish you could stay for dinner.    -djf

......Ridin' the rails...ridin' the rails...dum, dum...ridin' the rails..............