We’ve just had the loveliest day for Mother’s Day! We got so lucky with the weather – we’ve been enjoying a string of the most beautiful days, blue skies and no clouds and so cold! – but I’d so much rather that than rain – and we were able to do exactly what I had been hoping we would.
After lying in bed to enjoy coffee, the NY Times, and presents (!) we got up and got ready to go out to brunch in Takapuna. We walked there with Theo and had a delicious brunch at my favourite, the Takapuna Beach Café. We didn’t even have to wait for a table, which must have been some sort of Mother’s Day miracle.
After, we walked south along Takapuna beach right to the other end, where we tucked back in then wandered down over the other side to the harbour to walk the scenic way to Devonport. It’s a long walk (especially when you’re seven) and a really beautiful one – well worth it. It’s amazing looking out over the bridge and the city, with the way the perspective changes depending on where you are on the Shore side – at times the city looks so much closer than you’d expect.
After getting to Devonport, with adventure lollies powering us some of the way of course, we got gelato then went to sit down by the water. Amelie played on the playground for a while, then we enjoyed a stroll around Devonport Village, stopping in at a secondhand bookstore to have a browse and choose a couple of good-looking books – a Tom Wolfe for me, and a Jacqueline Wilson for Amelie. Amelie started reading hers immediately – as in I ducked into another store for a quick look, and she followed me in to sit down on the floor and read – whereas I look forward to reading mine, one day, when I get through the rest of my tsundoko pile (which is never further from my mind than when I am in a bookstore, funnily enough).
We finished up our Devonport adventure sitting in the sun in the courtyard of Vic Road Wine Bar, enjoying a Spanish rosé and snacking on chunks of baguette with smoked butter. This place is just the loveliest! It reminds me a lot of one of another favourite restaurant of mine, our local Cave à Vin, but with Spanish tapas instead of French food. A musician played as we relaxed and Theo enjoyed the attention from the waitress and the other patrons.
A day like this is my idea of heaven.
For all the other mothers out there, I hope you also got to do just what you wanted for Mother’s Day!
The Judd Crew 