Before Mom came, we were talking about fun things to do around Wellington, and she suggested that we go to a Contra Dance, which is something she's been enjoying doing in Oklahoma. I didn't even know if such a thing existed here, but she looked it up online, and it turns out that there is one every month. Not only that, but it is held in a church in Kelburn Village that I bike past every day! How funny!
So we went last weekend, and J very kindly came and danced, even though that's really not his thing. Usually these events are notably lacking in men, although on this particular evening, it was well matched. But it turns out that J is a very good contra dancer, for someone who has never done it before, and actually had a decent time. I used to know how to contra dance (loosely), and really enjoyed it, but have not gone since I was in high school, which I was somewhat shocked to discover was ten years ago! So we were both trying to find our feet, while Mom looked like a pro. Fortunately, there were other people there who were getting lost or confused right along with us, and the dancers who were always on the right step were very forgiving of the rest of us.
My partner for the swing we are about to do was very funny and exuberant (and also a good dancer, so he could get away with being silly and still be where he was meant to be).
This is a left-hand star, one of many moves that I either had never learned or forgotten.
Mom sat out one dance so she could take a video of the rest of us dancing. You can see us messing up, but also some good dancing, and an overview of the really quite wonderful live ensemble, with lots of interesting instruments. Also, the violinist reminded us of our friend Anna, which was fun. You can also see my partner trying to explain a particular move to me, as I repeatedly did it wrong. Oops!
Today, I took the day off work today to spend with Mom, and we wandered around interesting shops and especially used book stores on Cuba Street, which was great, despite the rainy weather.
One of our first stops was Louis Sergeant, which is a wonderful French café, owned and operated by the father of a child I teach. He is French, and has raised his son speaking French, so I get the unending delight of speaking to him in French throughout my days of teaching, which is so beneficial for me as well as for him. The father has encouraged me to stop by his café several times, and I hadn't made time until today, and now I'm so glad I did, because it was lovely! We had these beautiful drinks, as well as a delicious sandwich and wonderful duck fat wedges.
The most impressive part, however, were the little pastry masterpieces for dessert. Look at this amazing creation - and it was only one of many, each more unbelievable than the last! It had strawberry glaze, raspberry cheesecake, pistachio crumble, edible gold, and who knows what else! I will have to take J back there sometime and try some more! And it was so nice to say hi to the father/owner and speak French with the waitresses. A wonderful experience from every angle!
