Monte Cecelia (part two)

We've consulted maps, we've ridden buses, hiked paths, admired scenery, and are now ready to see the inside of this house.  Let's get right to it. 

There is the front entrance.

Nothing like pillars to dress up your front door. 

That's the front door in the distance.  For this picture, I came in, walked across the open space, turned, and I am now looking back at the lobby. This building is not being shown as a home, with period pieces of furniture and so on.  It is an art gallery.  

I'm just wandering now.  I'd call this gallery rather minimalistic, but I don't know if that is the right term.  I just mean that it doesn't have as many pieces of art as I'd expect it might. 

This room has more than some of the other rooms do.  

I was hoping that the marble in this fireplace would photograph better than it did.  I wish you could see it. It's amazing. It's a piece of art itself.  

I should probably used a flash for this picture.  It's a bit dark due to light from the window above the landing.  A sure sign that I'm not a professional.  

In this one, I'm on the landing with the window behind me and the lighting is much better. 

I'm going to call it a day, so to speak, at this point and come back to exploring the house and grounds next week.  

I wasn't really happy with many of my shots today.  Something seems to be missing.  Maybe it was the big rooms and mostly bare walls. Maybe it was that the sun is still relatively low in the sky and lighting in here is odd. Whatever the reason, my purpose in doing these posts is to share what I see in New Zealand and I think I've accomplished that at least.  

See you next week.    -djf

Monte Cecelia Pah Homestead

Allie told me about this place.  She had visited it not long ago and was impressed.  I discovered that I could easily get there.  I would take two buses; the first would let me off across the street from our favorite bread company in Point Chevalier, (You know what that means.) and the second would deliver me to a spot just 1/2 block from one of the entrances to the park which surrounds the mansion. How could I not go?   

I think the word pah in the title comes from the Maori word pa, which is a fortified hill fort-like area.  There are many such pas around the Auckland area that I've seen.  Most of them have terraces with steep sides that allowed the defenders of the pa to have the upper hand, so to speak, over the attackers.  I've read that many pa also had kumara (Like a sweet potato) plots and deep holes dug for water storage.  

This particular pa was abandoned, Wikipedia says, in the mid-1800's and the land was eventually purchased by James Williamson.  He had his 'gentleman's residence' built between 1877 and 1879. 

The home and park now belong to the Auckland Council and are maintained for the public to enjoy. The home houses an art gallery on two floors and a café which Allie tells me serves a great halloumi sandwich. 

Today, I'd like to start to show you around this beautiful place.  It'll take at least a couple of weeks worth of posts to do so, of course.  I took a bunch of pictures.  

Let's get started. Walk this way...

Oh boy, it's a grapefruit tree!  Unfortunately, even though I sort of accidentally bumped a couple of the branches, no fruit fell.  

Climbing the first hill beyond the citrus tree, I find that there are other gorgeous trees here. The early morning light makes for a lot of contrast under the dense canopy.  

I am fully inside the park now and on the top of a small hill.  I am looking toward one of the 'Kings' that made up the 'Three Kings'.  The Three Kings refer to the cones of the volcano, Te Tatua a Riukiuta, as well as the surrounding suburbs.  That cone that you see is the only one left.  The others have been removed, mined away for the pumice that formed them.  

We have a ways to go before we get to the homestead, but I'm in no hurry.  The morning is perfect.  About 55 degrees, (F.) and sunny. It's about 10 a.m. 

There it is, in the distance. I mentioned earlier that this area was originally a pa, right?  That means it's a hill and I have more work cut out for me.  

This tree I believe, is a Moreton Bay Fig, and happens to be one of the largest specimens of the species in NZ.

Here we are.  

Next week, we'll go inside.  I love exploring old buildings and this one's a keeper.   -djf

What's happening.....

Metlifecare, the corporation that owns Waitakere Gardens Retirement Village, and 32 other facilities across New Zealand, is sponsoring a photo contest among its residents.  I am entering two of the four categories with three photos each, submitted in 'Gardens and Nature', and in 'Lifestyles'.  

Because of the many thousands of entries, I think my chances of wining are extremely slim, but I like the pictures I have selected and thought I'd show them to you here, just for the fun of it.  

In Gardens and Nature.

And, in Lifestyles

Notice the operator about to enter his booth. 

This one is not entered for its beauty.  I included it because it is so unusual. (in my opinion) 

That is Jupiter and it's four Galilean moons, arranged in the straight line.  They are, starting at the top, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io.  The extraordinary part of the picture is the bit of light to the right of the moons.  I didn't know what it could be when I saw it.  It wasn't in any other picture so it had moved through my field of photographic vision very quickly.  I Googled 'satellites above Auckland,' and found a website that listed when the International Space Station had been above Auckland that night. Turns out it was visible above us at exactly the time that is date stamped for my picture.  How lucky can a guy get?  

 So, that's it. My field of entries. Short but sweet. 

Here is one last photo.  I considered sending it in, but did not because I don't have enough of our Atrium building in the picture.  It shows though, starting closest to the building, Venus, the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter. What a perfect line up. 

Again, like the Jupiter picture, I was lucky.  I had walked outside because the weather was so beautiful and looked up.  I quickly returned to our apartment for my camera. I set up just outside our café.  Having them arranged so perfectly is a very unusual occurrence.   -djf

My salute to National Cheese Day

Good morning to you all.  It's National Cheese Day today, June 4, 2023.  In honor of this day, those of you who read my blog regularly, will undoubtedly expect me to fill my post with pictures of delicious cheeses and who knows what other delights? But you'd be wrong.  

Okay, in the interest of those who were really hoping for cheese pictures, here is one good one.  It's from a wine tasting event at Maison Vauron in Newmarket.  

The rest of my post today however, will be made up of cheese inspired limericks. Yes, limericks. National Limerick Day was on May 12th, and you escaped being deluged with other limericks during that week. But there's no avoiding Doug's poetry today. 

I have always liked limericks, and every now and then sit down and spew a few of them into the computer, where I let them ferment until they're ready to spring on the unwary.        

Are you familiar with limericks?  An English poet by the name of Edward Lear is credited with making these short poems well known. (His birthday was May 12)  He wrote 212 of them I learned.  Here is what's listed as the world's most famous limerick to give you the feel of the style.

There was an old man with a beard,

who said, "It is just as I feared. 

Two owls and a hen,

four larks and a wren,

have all made their nest in my beard." 

Personally, I try not to repeat key words in my rhymes. Be that as it may, what follows are my offerings for the day.  You're free to criticize them too if you want to. It seems to me that I might have published some of these at another time, but if so, it was so long ago that hopefully, you'll have forgotten them. 

But first, It's important that you read the poems with the correct rhythm. Here's another one to get you used to the meter. 

I need a front door for my hall,

the replacement I bought was too tall.

So I hacked it and chopped it,

and carefully lopped it, 

and now the darn thing is too small.   

These are mine.

Do you like eating cheese like I do?
Camembert, Asiago, a blue?
What I say is, "Why wait, 
Reach up, grab a plate, 
I'll crack a new wheel just for you!"

I once met a man from Belize,
Who'd filled up his pockets with cheese.
The weather there: hot, and 
like it or not,
It all melted: ran down to his knees. 

Here is one in its unfermented state:

I once met a lady from Nizes.  
Who made cheese wheels of two different sizes.
She'd wear her best gown,

And roll them to town,

Always selling out ere the sun rises.     

And this is the fermented version:

I met a young lady from Nizes. 

She makes cheese wheels of two different sizes. 

She's quite the success,

Has three stores, no less,

And is currently selling franchises. 


A lady I know said, "It's true, 
my favorite cheese must be blue, 
No cheddar or brie, 
Will satisfy me,
I want Stilton, French bread and a brew!" 

As you enter a shop selling cheese,
take this advice, if you please.
As you study their wares, 
don't scratch in your hairs, 
And of foremost importance, don't sneeze.  

Mr. Casei Culture's my name, 
turning milk into cheese is my game.  
Before milk is too old,
with bacteria or mold,
I produce treasures of world-wide acclaim.  

I once tried to make a fondue, 

but it turned out more like a cheese stew. 

I used chopped paneer,

and a bottle of beer, 

Had to thicken it up with a roux.  

'Bout that cheese in Belize that got melt, 
The guy scraped off his jeans as he knelt. 
The cheese, it was blue,
What else could he do?
His pants might have looked clean but they smelt.  ( I think this one might have fermented too long) 

Well, that's it for cheese limericks for today.  I hope that some of you might be inspired to try your hand, or brain, at writing some limericks on any subject at all, but during this week, a cheese limerick would be most appropriate.  

Here are two more on other subjects that I wrote at various times.  

A limerick poet said, “Benches

rhymes with wenches, and stenches and quenches. 

I've worked out some verse

that is ribald and terse,

But can't seem to fit in the word drenches.”

Four more lines are all that I need, 

for my limerick to finally succeed.

Just two more to go,

and what do you know?

I'm a poet, I'm sure you've agreed!  

I think a limerickist's (I know, I know, I made that word up) best friend might be Rhymezone. 

https://www.rhymezone.com/

Happy Cheese Day everyone!   -djf (start thinking)