Another day in food paradise! I picked up my car and left a grey and windy Wellington behind and hit the road. After a particularly gusty drive through the rimataka ranges, I arrived at greytown for breakfast at the French baker - roast tomato tart and coffee! And sour dough for levin! The shops had great clothes and antiques to look at, but the only place I spent money at was schoc choc. New flavours to sample included curry and pappadom, rose and strawberry,...

The mojo coffee roasting shed is on the harbour just down the road from my hotel so that seemed like the logical place to go for my morning cappuchino. Today was devoted to shopping! Kircaldie and stains is an oldfashioned department store, in a beautiful building with very elegant things to buy, a great place to window shop. It has a small food department, nothing to the scale of Sydney David jones, but I added a few more foodie things to my bundle, and sampl...

When the weather is fine Wellington is the most glorious city. I awoke to clear skies and no wind! First stop is cafe l'affare, a coffee roaster and cafe that takes their coffee as seriously as I do. Across the road is food nirvana, otherwise known as Moore Wilson, a fresh food supermarket of the best of NZ and overseas. Some of the new local products I stocked up on.... Preserved limes, damson plum paste and freeze dried fruit - wait till you see what I bake wi...

I am at the end of the most fantastic holiday, and so I am trying to think of highlights (as i keep getting asked by fellow travellers). So my best of.... Bread - I salute you acme bakery San Francisco best sourdough in the world. Icecream - a combination between the salted caramel icecream in san Francisco and anything from grom in Siena. Pizza - my local trattoria in nocelle, smoked mozzarella, rocket, cherry tomatoes and Parma ham Salumi - OMG the truffl...

I sleep in, to try to make up sleep lost during the night coughing. But I am feeling a little better, maybe it's that herbal cough medicine.... I catch the bus into town and get off at the very start of positato above the town. There is basically one road in, going in one direction, and another road going out in the other. I take my time and the view constantly changes, it's quite magical. I stop for lunch at mediterannio, a recommended restaurant and have a simp...