This week’s small pleasures #511

The clocks went forward this weekend, so we are now blessed with longer evenings and the promise of summer ahead. It is now week 40, to be precise, day 271, according to my desk calendar. Calculate how long it is until Christmas if you wish.

It was a sad week as I had news of a good friend who has been suffering from pancreatic cancer that she has recently had a ‘few small strokes’. She is in hospital, her sisters by her bedside. She will be sorely missed. We saw her in Stockholm, when she came to visit during our time there, and I am glad I had this time with her. Then it was the funeral of the CE of the organisation I work for on Friday, which by all accounts was a very moving affair.

But, as ever, there were numerous small pleasures, starting with…

Days off

As I had to work Wednesday, I took Friday off instead and added on Thursday as a day of leave. This gave me a four day weekend, which was absolute bliss. I spent time going for walks around town, reading and just taking some time to myself and of course bee spotting. I had forgotten these great fish on a wall on Egmont Street, and spotted an addition to the exposed fireplace on Ghuznee Street, left after a fire in a building that used to stand on that site. Now there are flowers and what I think is a statue of some saint there too. Who got up there to put the things there is an interesting question.

In the basket

The Wonky Box offered up kumara, potatoes, carrots, beetroot, more broccoli and avocados, a leek, a lettuce and bok choy. I added a grapefruit, oranges, mushrooms, asparagus, two passion fruit and some of this Monty & Sons pasta made from New Zealand wheat. It is more expensive than other pastas, but I really wanted to try it and to support NZ produced products. There was also lamb, chicken mince, bacon and other bits and pieces.

Lunches and a welcome snack

On Thursday, I popped into Midnight Espresso on Cuba Street for lunch and enjoyed some very good Eggs Florentine. On Friday I had a chicken, bacon and three cheese pie from Salut Pies which was excellent. I was on an Air New Zealand koru hour flight back from Auckland on Wednesday and enjoyed this cheese and wine. The flight time in the air is only 50 minutes in case you are wondering.

Celebrating

It was our wedding anniversary on Friday, and we headed out for dinner to the always good (and now Michelin starred) Ortega Fish Shack. I had my favourite moki ceviche with avocado, Vietnamese mint, lemongrass and crayfish oil and Karl had the duck liver paté with fig preserve (that I got to try too). For the main dish I had snapper with saffron braised fennel, white beans and button mushrooms, and Karl of course had the steak. As we were celebrating we also had dessert with Karl having the crepes with orange caramel sauce and ice-cream and I had the bush honey pannacotta with tamarillo and almonds. We enjoyed a glass of their own ‘savvy’ with the first course, a syrah with the main and we both had a dessert wine, Karl the suggested moscatel and me a riesling. It was a lovely evening and such a treat.

Verb Festival

On Sunday morning, I headed out to Hannah Playhouse to hear the Australian writer, Michelle de Kretser, in conversation with autor Kate Duignan. My favourite book of 2025 was de Kretser’s Theory and Practice, an amazing book set in Melbourne in 1986. The hour of conversation passed so quickly, and I confess to queueing up to get my copy signed. It was a wonderful start to the day and a real pick me up.

Simple things

• Having a bit of time to myself.
• Reading about this seal in the city.
• Making a very good lamb and butter bean dish from Ottolenghi’s Comfort which was perfect for a very rainy Sunday.
• Stretching out at Pilates on Saturday morning.
• Finding a few more bees – more of that on Wednesday.
• Buying more tulips.

What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life.

• Laurie greets autumn.
• And Fred shares six things from his garden.
• Jude at Cornwall in Colours also takes us around her autumn garden.
• Jo takes us to a museum I would love to go tol
• There is a stunning cape buffalo over at Anne’s blog.
• The Glasgow Gallivanter takes us to Vittoriosa.
• Meanwhile Travels Through My Lens goes to Notre-Dame.
• The Travel Sketcher reflects on the week in The Pearl.
• Mr Tootlepedal has passive and active cycling in his day.
• Have a coffee with Maria in Sweden.
• And Neal shares some five happy things.
• Ju Lyn shares some wonderful food.
• Ilze goes mushrooming.
• And Natalie goes for a walk at Sunnyside.
• Deb writes about her word of the year.
• Finally….Mr Platypus takes us to the library.
• ..…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thistlesandkiwis