Today I walked from Ponsonby in rain, wind and sunshine to the Auckland art gallery. I enjoyed wandering around the various galleries, absorbing art from different eras by artists from New Zealand and further afield. I liked Tony Fomison’s Ponsonby Madonna and the suspended feathers woven by Maureen Lander. But almost more than the art, I enjoyed the building with its various levels and the light from windows that look out over the street or adjacent Albert Park. I had a coffee in the cafe and watched students walking through the park and thought of my daughters (one presently at Auckland uni and the other a graduate). They love(d) passing the grumpy Queen Victoria statue and the fountain on their way to and from classes. I retraced my steps to Ponsonby, crossing the motorway on the Hopetoun bridge. Looking one way, I saw a rainbow over Mount Eden and the other way, the sun glinting on the harbour bridge. I stopped in Western Park to take off my raincoat and walked the rest of the way in warm sunshine. One more little treat was a clutch of beautiful brown chooks pecking at the grass beside the footpath on the road that I’m presently living in – an amazing sight in the middle of the city!