27 January: Another relaxing day at Ohope. We slept until 9 this morning, read our books, and drove over to Whakatane for a late lunch with Anna. It is Auckland Anniversary Day celebrating the date the city was established; so most places were closed. We had a very nice meal at Poppy's Cafe. We did a bit of browsing at Briscoes, a home goods store, and then back to the flat to read, watch the sea, and enjoy the company of good friends. Tomorrow we leave to head s...

27 January:  Another relaxing day at Ohope. We slept until 9 this morning, read our books, and drove over to Whakatane for a late lunch with Anna. It is Auckland Anniversary Day celebrating the date the city was established; so most places were closed. We had a very nice meal at Poppy's Cafe. We did a bit of browsing at Briscoes, a home goods store, and then back to the flat to read, watch the sea, and enjoy the company of good friends. Tomorrow we leave...

20 January: Today we drove from Auckland to Tauranga. Rain was our companion all day, but it didn't keep us from checking out the antique and second-hand shops along the way. We are finding things in the antique shops quite expensive, but it is okay because we really are just browsing. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a sheltered area in the Karangahake Gorge Reserve. We arrived in Tauranga to a warm welcome from our dear friend Audrey Bowyer. At 85 she is as s...

20 January:  Today we drove from Auckland to Tauranga. Rain was our companion all day, but it didn't keep us from checking out the antique and second-hand shops along the way. We are finding things in the antique shops quite expensive, but it is okay because we really are just browsing. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a sheltered area in the Karangahake Gorge Reserve. We arrived in Tauranga to a warm welcome from our dear friend Audrey Bowyer. At 85 sh...

13 January: Everything is packed, the house is tidy, and we are at a hotel near Logan Airport. Heather and Kevin were our cheauffeurs. Kevin found a wonderful Italian restaurant in Revere.Sebastian's is small, and the food is excellent. 14 January: Our flight from Boston to SanFrancisco was uneventful. I do bemoan the loss of some of the amenities we once enjoyed on transcontinental flights. We hadn't transferred in SFO before. It is a much more pleasant experie...