The Heards Arrive; or Which House ?!?!?!

On first coming to New Zealand in 2010 I really didn't know what to expect. I knew it would be "fine" and "interesting", but almost immediately recognized how special this place and opportunity would be for Fayne and me. I looked forward to sharing that with my family and friends, and most especially our daughter Sofia.
Her life intervened: two children and a husband in the USAF requiring multiple moves. I thought they would come over Christmas, 2017, but another move from Phoenix to LA put the kibosh on that plan.So it was with excitement (and a little skepticism) she told me in May the family finally decided to make their first visit here in August. When that appeared to be happening, I had some anxiety as to how well things would go. Would the winter here be too cold, the days too short, our wee house too small? How would the four of them endure the long flight, Isaiah's first flight and their maiden long trip as a family? Would Kiwi food suit them? Would the grand-kids' stamina and interest be sustained throughout long car trips through the South Island? As it turned out, I was worried for naught, and their visit may have been our most successful to date.

3/4 of our visitors overlooking Caroline Bay, Timaru, NZ

We departed from San Francisco and the Heards from LA the evening of Thursday, August 9th. We landed in Auckland a bit earlier and waited anxiously for them to clear customs as their flight was delayed. We all then rushed from the International Terminal to the Domestic in time for the next flight to Wellington, then on to Timaru by noon Saturday.
It was a brilliantly clear day and the Southern Alps running down the spine of the South Island have never been more beautiful. Our visitors were duly impressed as the kids had never seen snow before. The rental van large enough for all of us waited at the airport. It was our transportation for the next nine days. For coming such a long way, their stay was quite short, and as the designated tour planner I knew it would be a challenge to show them as much as possible without completely exhausting everyone. I think I did pretty well with that.
We spent the first two nights in Timaru. The house was kept comfortably warm for all (and the energy bill was not as bad as I feared),  and they got a nice introduction to Timaru. This included some good local food, Caroline Bay (above), the South Canterbury Museum, and Maori Rock Art Museum. The highlight was an invitation to share Sunday night dinner with Dagmar Crosby and family. Dagmar is a local GP originally from the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) via Washington State. She and husband Paul are lovely, generous people and the two pairs of children seemed to have a lot of fun together.
Enough sitting around! Monday morning it was off to Christchurch via the Inland Scenic Route. It lives up to its name particularly when crossing the Rakaia Gorge and River.

I prepared for their visit by asking friends with small children for suggestions, and it was agreed the International Antarctic Centre adjacent to the Christchurch Airport was a good place to start. Attractions include little blue penguins, experiencing a simulated polar blizzard, a 4-D movie excursion to the continent,  and an adventurous ride in a giant Hagglund all-terrain vehicle.

Hungry birds

Hagglund Ride (Photo courtesy of International Antarctic Centre)

After walking through the still severely disrupted post-earthquake CBD, it is always fun to drop by Fred and Myrtle's Paua Shell House transplanted from Bluff to the Canterbury Museum.

The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is on the edge of the city. It is the BEST place to see the brown kiwis (photos banned as it is a "nocturnal house") and lots of other kiwi and non-kiwi fauna.

Feeding and petting the native eels, called tuna in Maori

Kea

Kimarra and friend.....

...a strange-looking Muscovy duck that seemed to want to go home with us.

Dinosaurs' distant cousin, the tuatara

The tui (also the name of a popular NZ beer)

We even managed for Marquise' sake to squeeze in a visit to the NZAF Museum.

Back to Timaru for a night and a brief introduction to other medical colleagues during their traditional Tuesday night dinner, we headed south Wednesday and first stopped in Oamaru and its fantastical playground.

Isaiah atop the elephant slide

Kimarra having a ball on the zip line

Mother cleaning up son photo-op.

The family battling a local Steampunk warrior

It would have been touristic malpractice to NOT visit the Moeraki Boulders a bit further south.

Our destination that night was the spooky Larnach Castle outside of Dunedin on the Otago Peninsula. We have toured the house and gardens before but never stayed overnight. It is a true oddity, complete with a tragic history from the latter 19th century, fortunes gained and lost, a twice-widowed banker and politician whose third wife took up with his son. William Larnach was a member of parliament and he took his own life in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898. To build the country home, he hired expert craftsmen from around the world, and it shows. The woodworking, stone masonry, and windows are all impressive.

Dinner with other guests in the castle

The view of Otago Harbour from our adjoining balconies

Isaiah enjoying breakfast tea in the converted stables

The castle stay may have been the trip highlight for all of us (and something Fayne and I had wanted an excuse to do for years), but there were plenty more sights to enjoy.

Our full contingent on the roof of the tower

Marquise had heard from friends about Queenstown, so we had to go there. It was a bit cloudy and rainy/snowy at times, but that was not going to stop us from enjoying one of this country's tourist jewels.

At the top of the gondola, overlooking Q-town and a cloudy Lake Wakatipu

On leaving town we went up towards Coronet Peak ski field, but the authorities were requiring chains. We had none, so we turned back but not before the kids had a minor snow experience.
Heading north again, despite some cloudy weather, we did drive into Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park and the Hermitage Hotel. Isaiah paid his respects to one of New Zealand's favorite sons, the late Sir Edmund Hillary.

Statue of Sir Ed and friends gazing on Aoraki

By nightfall we reached Lake Tekapo. Saturday morning was as bright and beautiful as could be.
Spectacular!!!

Church of the Good Shepherd, Tekapo

Selfies with Isaiah: sweet,

and spicy.

The whirlwind trip wrapped up with Saturday night back in Timaru on James Street, then to the Richard Pearse Airport mid-day Sunday. I am confident in saying that the visit was 100% successful. Much like for us, it was obvious to our guests why we decided to come and stay here. They all loved the region, felt they were leaving too soon, and talked of returning. 

Departure day, in front of James St. house...

...and at the airport.

It could be evidence of a true desire to return that Isaiah forgot his cherished shark toy (aka Finney) in our bed. When he learned Finney was missing, he was quite distressed. His mom tried to reassure him that the miniature man-eater was safe at Papou and Grandma's house, in a panic he asked "Which house ?!?!?!".  This is not an unreasonable question given our trans-Pacific life, one I ask myself frequently. It also regrettably provides fodder for my German colleague Dr. Caspritz's claim that like all American doctors, we have an over-abundance of homes.

Finney hiding in our bed......

...and planning more NZ adventures before returning to Isaiah

Four Birthdays and a Funeral

It's time for me to catch up a bit with our last visit to the States, mid-June through early August. We had the luxury of spending the most time Stateside in 4½ years, since coming back to Timaru in February, 2014. It was not relaxing, per se, but it was a very good thing. We were able to get a lot accomplished which was not possible on shorter visits.
The work-break began in LA, for my beautiful daughter Sofia's 28th birthday, which was the same day our equally gorgeous granddaughter Kimarra was promoted from the 2nd to 3rd grade.

We escaped the heart of South Island winter to the SoCal beach summer!

Grandson Isaiah (L) with his cousin Sam

In addition to Sofia, big birthdays were a major theme, from Fayne's dear friend Karen, a surprise planned by her daughters Mona and Phoebe, to Linnea (planned by her kids), to the Moo-fest that is early August for Athena (more on that later).

Karen and Family

Linnea's Cake

After a few days there, it was back to Fort Bragg, our home when not away from home since 1984, and the luxury of 2½ weeks in our our house and bed. For the first time since "commuting" to NZ for work I felt like we reclaimed our space. We enjoyed an unprecedented spell of fine clear sunny weather in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

From the trail along the Fort Bragg headlands

Details of mosaics of local fauna, some of  several artistic embellishments on the trail

Pudding Creek Beach

As loyal readers know, I LOVE the 4th of July Mendocino Parade, with good reason. This collage gives you a good idea of its essence: informal, relaxed, beautiful backdrop, very Mendonesian, and a chance to see old friends and acquaintances.

Allow me to focus on two of the images, and give a shout out to friends Haley and Nathan, who are spreading the word about their exciting new venture, The Fog Eater Cafe.

Fog Eater Bug

Haley in her natural habitat

Here in a nutshell is how the principals describe the Cafe:

Fog Eater Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant inspired by both the hearty recipes of the deep South and the fresh plant-based cuisine of Northern California.

Due to open soon in the village of Mendocino, keep a lookout for it and say "John sent me".
Keeping it all in the family, we had time to take in the improv show of The Hit and Run Theater group, featuring Haley's mom Christine and step-dad Doug Nunn (whose NZ visit was featured on my blog the post before last).

Christine (C) in a trance predicting the future, Doug (R) looking on in awe.

And while I am cross-promoting other ventures, Doug has started a new podcast project he calls  Snap Sessions. Click the link if you want to find out more. It is a magazine-type show featuring items from the news, interviews with locals, comedy, and commentary: in short, authentic Doug Nunnery.

Another annual coastal event is the World's Largest Salmon BBQ to benefit the Salmon Restoration Society (whose motto should be: "That which does not cook us makes us more plentiful") on the weekend closest to July 4. David N. flew up from Davis (with Donna R.) not once but twice  during our stay to provide crucial help in tasks like changing out a rusted in headlight on the 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser and repairing our 80 yo door chime. We were more than happy to treat them to the BBQ and later fireworks over the sea while devouring pizza.

BBQ time at Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg

As to the '85 Land Cruiser, it has been little used the last several years, and I finally had enough time to spiff it up a bit and sell it on eBay (a bit of an ordeal, but successful). We were sorry to see it go, but hope its new owners treat it well.

Adios dear friend

Summertime means baseball. Back in the Bay Area, I could finally take in a Giants v. A's game at AT&T Park with Dr. John Gallo (my original season ticket partner at the brand spanking new Pac Bell Park in 2000). The A's won, and are on track for their first post-season appearance since 2014. No hard feelings against the G-men, but all is good. I even attended another game in Oakland later.

Chi-Town

Mid-way through out visit, we spent a memorable week in Chicago. I attended a Mayo Clinic Neurology conference, but we had time for a rendezvous with family, sightseeing, and eating.

The Chicago River as captured by Laura Fayne Hedden

If you have never been to Chicago, it is a great place to visit. From the public art, to the world class museums, innovative architecture, live sports and entertainment, it is hard to beat. I have been to Chicago before but never before visited Cloud Gate, a mirror-like sculpture by Sir Anish Kapoor installed in Millennium Park in 2006. Referred to as The Bean by locals, it is true people magnet with ever-changing reflections of the skyline and the crowd.

Cloud Gate- aka The Bean

Opened in 2004, Millennium Park is a great gift to locals and visitors alike, with art works, an open air pavilion with free concerts in the summer, food, etc. Crown Fountain (below) features two 50' tall towers with LED displays of random Chicagoans periodically "spitting" fountains into the rectangular pool between them.

Crown Fountain

Adjacent Grant Park is the home of the Buckingham Fountain (1927), one of the world's largest.

Buckingham Fountain

 Across the street the former Chicago Public Library (1897) has been re-purposed as the Chicago Culture Center, a venue for formal receptions , civic events, and a showcase for arts. The most astounding section is Preston Bradley Hall with the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. This was originally where patrons checked out their library books. The photos do not do the hall justice. The wall mosaics are made from Favrile glass, magically iridescent  tiles set in marble displaying famous learned quotations in multiple languages. It is inspiring to see a public place lavishly celebrating learning and books throughout history.

Chicago Cultural Center

The 38' wide Tiffany Dome featuring signs of the zodiac

In another part of the building you will find 36 original panels of the monumental mural created in 1989 by internationally-acclaimed artist Keith Haring with the assistance of 500 Chicago Public School students.

Keith Haring: The Chicago Mural

Five minutes away is the world-renown Chicago Art Institute, home of too many masterpieces to name. The collection includes these three panels of Marc Chagall's America Windows (1974).

After visiting the windows, I became aware that several times I walked by without noticing the Chagall monumental mosaic (70' L, 10' W, 14' H) The Four Seasons (1974), installed outside the Chase Tower (home of NPR's news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! for nerd fans like me).

Not that the Windy City is all high-brow stuff. It is also the home of the Billy Goat Tavern, made famous in the 1970's by the classic "Cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger" sketches. It is located deep in the Chicago underground, below the Tribune Building and back in the day it was a hangout for newspapermen from the three major dailies. The atmosphere seems authentic and worth a drop-in from people of my generation. Expect playful rudeness, just don't expect a good meal.

"Cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger"

Another Chicago cultural touchstone for us was catching a classic film at the Gene Siskel Film Center, proudly displaying this iconic photograph.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down photo by Victor Skrebneski (1986)

There was representation from both sides of the family during the week. Our niece Laura Fayne came down from Milwaukee to join her parents and us. They kept Fayne entertained while I was in conference with one of their favorite games: bed.

My Cousin Clay and his wife Michelle braved the stop-and-go Friday traffic to drive down for dinner in Greektown. Thanks to them and Mary, Fred, and LF for making the effort. It was fun.

The Funeral

Too many of recent postings contain sad news of people passing, Dr. Henrique Mayorga Nestler, the patriarch of the Nestler clan died somewhat suddenly in July with loving family at his bedside. He is irreplaceable, but at age 95, having survived many serious health challenges lately, it can hardly be called a surprise. I am so grateful to have had him in my life for 60 years, and I am glad I was in the States when this happened. His funeral in Watsonville was a subdued yet joyous occasion,  and exactly as he would have wanted. All of the Wallaces share his loss with all of the Nestlers.

The Nestlers and Wallaces

The photos at the memorial illustrated how deep our connection is. Nearly every important person in my life was featured: Fayne, Sofia, Kimarra, Isaiah, David, all the rest of my family. One of my favorite rituals with Dr. Nestler was after a meal he would pull out his wooden box and we would play dominoes. Whenever he won he would exclaim "Masterful!" in his unique voice. I will miss that.

Which I suppose segues into a visit with my dad, definitely NOT dead, in fact recently he turned 93. I went to San Diego for a day to see him and his wife Ruth. We spent a very relaxing day bay-side, played some gin rummy, and ate some tacos. He is slowing down a bit, but hanging in there.

Lunch at Candelas on the Bay, Coronado, CA (sorry for the dark photo)

Octopus tacos

I planned this trip so I would be around for Athena's birthday August (BD # 4 this trip if you are keeping track), and it was worth it. Her dear friend Mary Powell is a well respected SF foodie, and we were included in a birthday eve dinner at Mary's. It would have been worth it just to see the commanding SF view from atop her high-rise apartment.

Athena preparing to extinguish flame

On her actual BD, Athena (aka; Moo) wanted to go to a small French restaurant we discovered while spending time in Sausalito, Le Garage. It was fitting to end this long stay with family.

It was a highly successful visit, and apologies to the friends and family we saw who are not mentioned here. It is mainly because I didn't take any photos that did you justice.

Fireworks over the Oakland Colosseum  after another A's win

Back to Timaru, but this time with special guests! Sofia and her family joined us for 9 memorable days which I will detail in my next blog entry coming soon!