The car chugged up narrow windy roads in Lyttelton, a little south of Christchurch. It’s charming. I love the idea of perching a house on a steep hillside, the view unimpeded by the roof of the house below. It wouldn’t matter how tiny the house or how hopelessly outdated the kitchen, when one could look out at that space. There’s still a lot of earthquake damage though, with closed walkways and broken retaining walls, and I imagine living on a steep hillside in an earthquake would be terrifying.

The winter farmers market has a good selection of vegetables, citrus, and prepared foods. I particularly liked the cheery veggie lady, who called me deary and urged me to pick the biggest “pumpkin” (squash pieces, all the same price).

“Protea,” that’s what the vendor called these crazy looking flowers that have a 4 week vase life (foreground). Sounds like a protozoa. When we’ve got a steady income and a permanent place to live, I’m going back to buy a bouquet. All frivolous purchases are curbed for the time being, and peanutbutter & jelly is the standard lunch.