Day 7:
I don’t know what to call Day 7, initially it was penned in as my ‘Foodie day’. But I received a call yesterday to say the 11 am tour of the chocolate factory I booked was cancelled due to numbers (apparently there were only 2 of us, and there needed to be a minimum of 5). I must admit though, I’m pretty tired after this week, it’s been fairly full on!
I’m taking the pace down a notch today, I still want to stick with the foodie theme as Wellington is renowned for its coffee / cafe culture, so I opted for brunch at Zaida’s
Sadly, the kitchen closed (literally) 5 minutes before I got there, epic fail and this is something I have encountered before in Wellington, I’m often either not out early enough or I don’t plan well enough. I opted for the mushroom quiche, with a side of roasted veggies and a beetroot, walnut and feta salad.
The beetroot was amazing. It had this consistency and texture almost like it had been candied? It was so yummy. I was kinda sad that I’d missed the brunch because I knew I’d get the Haloumi but the quiche was pretty good with the slightly spicy tomato chutney.
If you do go to Zaida’s, it’s really worthwhile heading over to Moore Wilson’s afterwards. It’s just across the road and is a haven for any foodie. If you pass the cheese section, they have one made at the estate where my sister used to work back at home – small world hey!
After brunch, I headed over to The Embassy to see the latest Star Wars film. I haven’t booked, but according to the online system, there are tickets available.
It was super busy when I arrived, but I got my ticket, and after the talk yesterday, I saw the cinema in a whole new light. I’ve taken a few photos but I’m not sure that they do it justice.
It wouldn’t be fair to go into detail about the new Star Wars film, so let’s just say, it was brilliant and I’d see it again.
Day 8 – The (official) unofficial extra day! After my failed brunch attempt yesterday, I decided to actually get up and leave earlier today and get brunch from Kelburn – it’s a suburb relatively close to where I live and it has some great eateries, including Caffe Mode.
I ordered apple and blackcurrant juice and French toast with banana, berry compote and maple syrup. I must admit, I have visited the cafe before, but it was around 3pm on a Sunday so the kitchen had already closed, so I didn’t eat there.
I’m really glad I went for brunch today, it was absolutely delicious! It cost around $20 for the food and drink, which is typical of many eateries in Wellington from what I have found so far, including yesterday at Zaida’s.
In summary:
Whilst I’ve tried to undertake a variety of activities over the week to highlight everything that Wellington has to offer, I wanted to stay true to myself and what I enjoy. Of course there are many other activities I could have tried, including water sports at the harbour, but I’ve had a pretty great week, doing what I love.
This week has shown me that I can do things by myself, including things that I thought were a big deal, but actually aren’t as big as I’d imagined. However, I’ve also come to realise that while it’s perfectly fine to do things by myself, it’s actually really nice to share experiences with other people sometimes.
Which reminds me of my travels earlier this year, I went away with friends or to stay with them, and had a great time every time. It has made me realise that perhaps travel for me, is about the people I am with as much as the places and experiences.
I’ve had this thought: this trip will probably be a significant part of my life when I look back. I mean I moved to the other side of the world by myself, not knowing anyone, chasing an ambition, not really knowing if things will work out or not. But no one else will ever really know about all of the experiences I’ve had or things that I’ll do.
I question if that is important, if it really matters, but right now, I think it does. I guess that’s part of the reason I’m committed to blogging more over this trip. Because I want to remember these times, and these experiences. And maybe by sharing them, I’m making them as important as they feel to me.
*Please note: I haven’t been asked to promote any of the businesses mentioned in this post. I’m just sharing my week of experiences in Wellington*
DistractedFlick 
❤ Wellywood