Urban poetry

Stick a fork in this week, it's finally done.

Here to celebrate are some stairs and their shadows dancing around some otherwise stolid tanks by the harbor in Auckland.

Geometries

It's stretching it a little to call this a geometric picture. Okay there are some triangles in a great big circle, but it's not the kind of geometric pattern I usually look for.

But I never posted this -- it's a giant gear, presumably from a ship, by the harbor in Auckland -- and just came across it while looking for something else, so here you are.

Saturday reflections

These moody and mysterious windows were in an alley just off Queen Street in Auckland. A less moody and mysterious location could hardly be imagined -- as I recall, this was next to or above a Burger King.

End of the road

We only had one day in Auckland, and part of that time was spent packing, shopping for last-minute souvenirs, and having our final dinner together. So Toronto -- um, Auckland -- didn't get quite the attention it would have earlier in the trip. After three weeks of the unique and the exotic, we had a hurried drive around the harbor, a visit to the very good museum, and dinner in our hotel. We were distracted. We were leaving.

But I took this picture on my way to the airport Sunday, because it did summarize the influences that had me feeling vaguely Canadian/Hawaiian on the opposite side of the planet. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world, but still has those English Empire roots.

If I left for the airport Sunday, it would follow that I'm home now. There were 26 hours of travel involved, I remember that, so I must have gone somewhere, and the enormous pile of mail waiting for me all has my name and address on it, so I do seem to be home. I just couldn't swear to any of it.

The only part of me that doesn't ache is my brain and that's because it appears to be missing.

City of Sails

All those thousands of miles of coastline don't go to waste. One in three households in Auckland owns a boat, and they've hosted the America's Cup twice.

I could imagine many worse things than spending a sunny Saturday afternoon out in that harbor.

Auckland

Hmmm, I don't see an Opera House, but otherwise doesn't this remind you a little of...Sydney?

From a distance, maybe. On the ground, Auckland actually reminds me more of Toronto -- international polish on good Commonwealth bones -- with the bonus of that magnificent harbor. Or, rather, harbors -- Auckland actually has two of them.