He's been very lucky with the timing of his visit - he got dragged along to a bowls match, an indoor cricket game and an Auckland City FC game. On the plus side, he got to sample the wonderful Hell's Pizza, the delights of kiwi beer on the Lion Red Brewery tour and see live kiwi music.
Me, Jo, Rob and Murv had a couple of beers in the local after he arrived on the Sunday, generally chatting all things English which probably seemed like a foreign language to Jo, but the Kilkenny slipped down nicely and it was a good catch up session. On the Tuesday we went to Shadows, the students union bar, to watch kiwi band The Tutts, who were supported by Charlie Ash. Both were pretty good and got the thumbs up from me - a renowned music critic.
Wednesday was bowls night, and what better way to prepare than a brewery tour. The only previous one I'd been on is the Guinness one in Dublin - rubbish. This one was interesting - you got your own tour guide who knew his stuff but clearly had a life's mission to persuade all booze drinkers to abandon the poncy European green bottles in favour of the more practical brown ones. To be honest, it was falling on deaf ears. We all still go for whatever is cheapest. The brewery is also still working and there's a free bar at the end where you go crazy with the taps while you get the chance.
Here's the gang in front of a marble statue of the great Captain Cook who played an interesting part in New Zealand brewing history until I fell asleep...
So on to the bowls, we were pretty nailed really which didn't seem to do any harm - Jacks Hit kept up their 100% record and Murv and Sonia helped a short-staffed team to victory. At the final end Rob tries (and fails) to de-pants Casey...
...After bowls we had a few drinks at home. There were some brotherly manlove moments...
...then hit a few places in town, some dreadful, some good (helped by the jazz music and free drinks thanks to Casey's work card).
The next exciting thing on the agenda was indoor cricket and another pre-season grading game. We got thrashed. The opposition was brilliant. We were not. Here's me perferctly well set for a big score...
It's a shame I had neither a car or much money to show Murv a bit more of NZ but it was good to catch up and especially to sample his cooking. My first ever mac'n'cheese was delicious and the Brazilian feast he cooked on his last night was great...
...Meat, meat and more meat, with some stew (with meat in), tomatos, bread and a little bit more meat on top.
I need to go to Brazil.
6 comments:
I'll need to borrow the Murv book of cookery and lend it to Janet. She seems to think we eat too much meat. She even suggested we have some vegetarian meals. I soon corrected her mistakes.
1. Explain the position of your friends' hands on the statue of Captain Cook. That's CoOk.
2. The caption to your cricketing photo says you're about to "crack off another 4". Some things never change, though 4 would surely be some kind of "personal best"?
Interesting that, about bottles. Well not interesting, but...
My dad lived in Germany for a spell. Apparently Germanians won't touch beer in brown bottles - 'cos it's darker they fear its absorbed the heat more and screwed the beer up, so they always go for green ones.
Apparently too in Germany, their darker beers (or dunkelbrau) or thought of as a woman's drink, because they are milder, much like, er, mild i suppose. And there was me ordering plenty dunkelbrau before i heard this because "it looked like bitter".
I really should know this seeing as he repeated it incessantly, but I think darker bottles are better because the green bottles let too much light in and the beer goes off.
Green ones are used because it's European and gives the beer a much 'cooler' look. Which sells.
brown bottles look manky, and clear bottles look cheap. I'm now sat here trying to think of what other colour bottle I would drink out of
yellow- would look like pss
blue- would look like a girl's drink
red- mmm, maybe for the novelty
Do you remember that woman on the Guinness tour whos entire job was to remove smutty postcards from that wall?
"Guinness rocks my face off". good times.
Boz - you can never eat enough meat. It's the best thing for you. After beer.
Smaje - 4 used to be my best, now it's 10. Hang on, what are we talking about?
James - I'll never forget the accurately drawn card of that elderly couple, with the bloke more intent on not spilling his pint. Fantastic.
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