I miss New Zealand.
I miss the easy access to clean rivers, beaches, mountains and lakes, I miss the long road trips which were always entirely possible.
And I miss Istanbul, with its magnificent Haghia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Yerebatan Sarayi, Grand Bazaar and Galata Tower.
But sometimes, biking here in Rivierhof makes it okay.
I saw my cardiologist last week, a Belgian. We were talking about movies and she mentioned that while she can't stand Tolkien, she got the Lord of the Rings trilogy because it reminded her of her home in NZ. Turns out she'd lived there for 14 months or so and has pined for it ever since.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, New Zealand does that to people. It's a stunning country.
ReplyDeleteFunny, you two mention Lords of the Rings, I just watched the first one from the trilogy and New Zealand awed me. Not that I consider moving there, Di, just a quick four-year visit could do the trick :D
ReplyDeleteYou know Di, when I was spending much of my time in Singapore (in an earlier but never fading life of mine, I'm still holding on to the moving boxes) I visited many parts of the Orient, as if somehow I realized I wouldn't be returning.
ReplyDeleteMy (ex)partner's sister flew with her husband and their son to New-Zealand from Singapore, as they did more than just being aware that Europe-NZ was not a weekend trip: they actually spent an entire month vacationing in NZ.
Way back then, I enjoyed watching their video tapes, their countless pictures and listened to their stories, but I never really felt the need to visit.
And here are you: posting ever so tempting stories about a great country I could have visited easily, but never did...
[yes, I know, I've become an insomniac ;-) ]
Sure sure Manic, I doubt you would leave. New Zealand women are lovely, modest too ;)
ReplyDeleteDear insomniac Peter, I think you would enjoy NZ, although maybe a mix of Australia and NZ, you cosmopolitan European man :)