Today my friends and I ventured into town to experience the Riccarton Market, which is the giant farmer's market I mentioned in yesterday's post. We decided to walk there, since our trusty navigator Sam had a map on her phone, thus preventing us from getting lost. As we walked there, we shared our dreams of what we would find: produce, jewelry, wool, food (I in particular was crossing my fingers for a scone stand). The anticipation and excitement built steadily. Finally, we turned the corner and found...a tiny market with approximately twenty stands and a dinky coffee cart. WHAT?? We tried to hide our disappointment and make the best of the situation, but we were definitely bummed. However, Elise and I found a really awesome lady selling hand made, hand dyed wool products (scarves, hats, socks, etc.) I bought some, but will not specify because the item(s) are a gift! She was also really friendly and used to be an English teacher, so I had a lovely chat with her.
At this point, we realized that Sasha, who was meeting us there, was nowhere to be found, despite assuring us that she had, in fact, arrived. It was then that it dawned on us that perhaps we were at the wrong market. So we got directions from Sasha, hopped on a bus, and were dropped off at the biggest farmer's market I have ever seen. It reminded me of the State Fair (okay not that big but still huge). They had tons of produce stands, clothes, jewelry, food carts, drinks, books, furniture...you name it, they had it. We wandered in awe for awhile before getting down to business and shopping our hearts out. I got a ton of fresh fruit and produce (tomatoes, green beans, onions, apricots, cherries, and fresh basil), goat cheese, natural Manuka honey, and a beautiful Merino wool scarf that I am obsessed with.
Plus, this magical dreamland had the scone stand I had longed for, and I got an apricot cinnamon scone with raspberry jam and whipped cream. Y-U-M. The produce was insanely cheap, way less than what we would've paid at the supermarket (not grocery store), and it is all soooo delicious. I can't wait to go back and get more! The best part about the market? It's every Sunday! Family members who will be visiting Christchurch: I am definitely taking you there!
After this wonderful treat I allowed myself some much needed down time in my flat (which may or may not have resulted in a nap). Sasha was kind enough to invite Elise, Sam, and I over to her host mom's house for dinner, so we headed over to meet Carol.
I didn't think the weekend could've gotten any better at that point, but that's because I had never tasted Carol's cooking before. Holy Delicious, Batman. She made roast lamb, roasted potatoes and pumpkin, cooked carrots and zucchini, cheesy broccoli and cauliflower bake, and to top it all off, a lemon curd pavlova (a whipped dessert a lot like meringue, popular in New Zealand and traditionally served with fresh fruit). And for all of this, all we had to do was the dishes! It was truly a treat, and it felt nice to sit down and have a homemade meal in a cute little house. Carol is a lovely woman (and rather hilarious), and she already invited us back in a few weeks! It will be great to have a taste of home every so often.
Classes start tomorrow, and I'm excited to get going! I'm mildly nervous that I will get lost and show up late, which is the worst, but I know my way around pretty well, so I'm sure it will be fine.
Fun facts/updates:
-My bird painting is now hanging majestically on my wall. Try not to weep with envy when you see this thing.
I mean. Mona who?
-A common expression here is "Sweet as," which basically means "That's great" or "Perfect!" For example, if I was telling a story about how I was being chased by a murderer, but managed to escape his evil plot and turn him into the police, you might respond with "Sweet as!" as if to say, "Wow Bethany, you handled that perfectly!" I'm still getting used to it, but it's one of my favorites.
-As previously mentioned, my windows don't have screens. This is fine, except I get a lot of bugs in my room, especially at night. I have ruined innumerable amounts of brochures by squishing moths with them. I think I will need to invest in some tissues. Or a bug swatter.
Anywho, it's off to bed for me! Gotta catch some zzz's if I want to make it through class tomorrow.
Cheers!
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