The Mission

We had our weekend away for the Mission concert. This concert is held every year at the Mission winery and they have had some really good acts over the years. This one wasn't one of the best - both acts were really great, talented but it just didn't seem to get going like it normally does there. Chris De Burgh had an amazing voice but I only knew one of his songs (Lady in Red) which he did sing beautifully, we all thought he was great but just not at the Mission.

MM's horoscope (if you are into reading them) said it would not be a good weekend for travel or accomodation. Well we were the first to arrive at the motel which is the one we always go to, the booking rolls on from year to year. We were told we were meant to arrive on the Friday?? We quickly phoned our friend who had booked and he said it was confirmed the day before for Saturday night only and he would sort it when he got there. so we threw our gear int he room and headed into Napier, met up with the rest of the group and wandered around the shops for a while. Meanwhile our friend's daughter phoned to say they too had arrived at the motel and was told she was meant to be there the day before?? Her father told her, don't worry, we will sort it when we get back there.

The group of us thought we would have lunch in one of the suburbs this year and then we wouldn't need much too eat at the concert - suited me as I planned to be prepared with a Subway for the concert. We left the lunch too late! There was bar food available only and no where else to go at this stage - the choices were garlic bread, wedges, nachos, fried chicken nibbles, fried fish basket or a bread platter!!! A bit like those TV programs when all the food is the same colour!! Not a bit of greenery or colour anywhere apart from yellow/orange! By then it had been ages since breakfast and I was starving, we all were - and really nothing appealed to me at all, one of our friends had said the year before she had a lovely smoked chicken salad at this place and that was what I felt like. Help - what would you have done? I chose the bread platter (five huge wedges of bread with a little olive oil and some relish) ate about half of it with some relish - not really the most appetising meal and that bread felt like a ton of bricks in my stomach:(

Then back to the motel to get ready for the concert - this is when MM's horoscope hit! We were told that when ever there is a big event on in the city the minimum stay was two nights!! Our friend said they had confirmed the booking the day before, they denied getting a phone call from him? It was a toll call so will show on the account! The friend then asked to speak to the Manager - sorry not available, so the friend said we wouldn't check in - oops we had, also one other couple. To start with we always went for two nights but the last three years only booked for one, the receptionist disagreed and said that everyone had to have a two night booking, we knew that we hadn't in the past. Our friend said o.k. if he couldn't speak to the manager and sort it we were moving on - we agreed. They soon got the manager on the phone - he said sorry two nights only! Pretty lousy service, I mean if they were expecting us on Friday and we didn't show why didn't they phone to see where we were? Why make people stay two nights if they only want one night! The manager denied the phone call confirming the booking - it was getting a bit heated but the service was almost comical. (Fawlty Tours material) Then the receptionist took the phone went back into the office and talked to the manager - we couldn't hear but then she wandered back with a bit of paper and said - you are right I just found your booking from last year and you only stayed one night, (yea we knew that) so you don't have to pay for the second night this time. And she added And the manager said sorry. Great service - we'll find somewhere else next year!

So we headed off to the concert. We had a mini bus/taxi booked which dropped us off. We had seated tickets this year, the unseated area opened at 3.00pm and it was sunny and hot and a winery!! So there were some quite entertaining people in the crowd by the time we got there!! Not the best thing drinking wine in the sun (that's one thing I've learned from my younger days) We did have wine but also a few water bottles and I had a diet coke as well so ended the night in a better state than many. LOL at some of the sights!! Quite a few almost legless people, the queues for the porta-loos, the crazy get ups people wear, MM's light up glowing glasses, bright green ones! The night was lovely, warm, the hill behind us was a glow with lights. A lot of the crowd were more subdued than normal because of the music but it was still great.

Our mini bus driver gave us his cell phone number for pickup and said we had ten minutes after we made the call and he was out of there if we couldn't find him! Not sure of the numbers at the concert about 25,000 plus I think - so it's a bit hectic at the end getting out. One of us phoned the driver, we rushed out with chilli bins and our gear trying hard not to lose anyone, it was hillarious, the person calling the driver from the cellphone was saying where we were - he was saying I'm heading that way, put your hand up and wave and I flash my lights, she did, he did and we found him - or he found us! Back to the motel for coffees, then sleep - but MM left the flashing/glowing glasses on the bed side cabinet and they lit up the room - they got thrown in the bathroom!!

Sunday morning we headed to the local Farmer's market - lots of local produce, music going, interesting just to wander around, which we did with coffees in our hand, we bought some fresh fish (we were prepared with ice packs in the chilly bin) lamb and olive sausages, some beef low fat sausages (for me), avocados, grapes, mushrooms and fruit, lots of tasting going on(not by me), great atmosphere. We left the group and headed home - but decided to go to another local town on the way for brunch, had a lovely panini with mushrooms, spinach, relish and a little camembert and a cappuchino. MM followed this with a lemon meringue pie - where does he put this food????

Then we thought we would then go for a drive out to one of the beaches we hadn't seen before, it was a lovely drive through the wineries. Very pretty countryside. Then home.

Apart from the bread platter my food was not too bad over the weekend, loads of water drunk and quite a bit of fruit eaten! Also have plenty of fruit here now for when I get onto the No count plan tomorrow, I've decided to give it a go. Today I'm getting mentally prepared and also a trip to the supermarket to stock up. Today just to get in to the swing of it the only snacks between meals is going to be fruit. I mentioned that bread was the one thing I would find hard limiting to two slices, after my bread overdose in the weekend I think I'm ready now to limit it!

Catch you later.