Patriot Realm

Last night, I went down memory lane and stumbled on a long forgotten holiday when I ate scones and home made apricot jam and drank freshly brewed coffee in a stone cafe in Central Otago.

It was a typical holiday. Redhead and I headed off for a 5 day jaunt around a small region of the South Island of New Zealand.

To my younger readers: There was a time when people had things called " holidays. " They were when you could go where ever you wanted and travel and explore new and interesting places. We didn't have facemasks back then. We didn't have vaccine passports and all citizens could travel and mingle and meet and eat and greet. It was known as ": fun " and the amazing thing was that, in those days, it was none of the government's business what we did and who we did it with. 

On one of our " holidays " also known as " " vacations " in the olden days,  we decided to follow the road that took us through Rocky terrain through Central Otago towards the town of Alexandra. It was late morning when we chanced upon the Speargrass Inn. 

In 1869 as the Speargrass Hotel, this beautiful historical building served the hungry and thirsty gold miners who flocked to the region in search of gold.

It was warm, bordering on hot and our tummies were feeling the lack of food.

On a Redhead holiday, you get up before dawn and are on the road at sparrows fart because it is important to get as much value out of the day as is humanly possible.

It is a bit like being in boot camp really. Redhead wakes up, goes to the motel kitchen and cheerily fills the jug with water while ensuring she bangs every cup, saucer and implement as possible. There might be a clearing of throat and a forced cough, just in case I haven't heard the aforementioned din. I then stagger out of bed and walk bleary eyed out to join her.

She would smile and say brightly " Oh, I'm sorry! Did I wake you? "

Sneaky old bugger I think to myself. She always asks me if I want a ginger nut with my cup of tea, despite having known for over 60 years that I do not like gingernuts. But each and every morning she asks.

It is a bit like milk in my tea. 

I like milk in my tea. She drinks hers black . " I don't know why you have milk in your tea " she says. 

" I like it " I reply.

I could probably give up milk in my tea but now it is a matter of principle:

I have it to piss her off I guess.

Anyway, after the happy and cheery banter, a shower and a bit of breakfast we would hit the road - long before the sun rises and long before any self respecting tourist having a " holiday " is out of bloody bed. Still, I am assured that this is what relaxing is all about. 

Yeah, right.

Anyway, back to the Speargrass Inn.

Inside smelled like my grandmother's kitchen. We sat out in the courtyard and ordered coffee and scones with homemade apricot conserve and fresh whipped cream.

The scones were light and fluffy. The apricot conserve was runny and tasted like apricots used to taste. 

I have truly never tasted apricots that tasted so apricotty and cream that tasted so creamy or scones that tasted so buttery or coffee that tasted so very much like coffee.

I have my coffee black. Redhead likes hers with milk.

I could not help it. I said " I don't know why you have milk in your coffee. "

She replied " I like it. "

So I guess this is my long winded way of saying that we are all entitled to our opinions. 

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate shouldn't rate any higher than milk or no milk.

If a vaccine works, the vaccinated should be pleased. 

We vaccine free will no doubt join you if you stop forcing us to get vaccinated.

But we will do it when we deem it safe and not because you told us to.

Fortunately Redhead and I both agreed that the apricot conserve was the best in the world and it had been worth waking up in the middle of the night to end up at our destination before the daily supply had run out.

 Isn't it time to get back to normal and instead of saying " I remember when... "

begin to say

" I look forward to ...  "

Remember where we started?

There was a time when people had things called " holidays. " They were when you could go where ever you wanted and travel and explore new and interesting places. We didn't have facemasks back then. We didn't have vaccine passports and all citizens could travel and mingle and meet and eat and greet. It was known as ": fun " and the amazing thing was that, in those days, it was none of the government's business what we did and who we did it with.