I want to go to New Zealand soon.
But, you know.
In order to go, a lot of things need to be in order: the COVID situation, the store, and my work on the radio.
Realistically, it will probably take some time.
Hmm, I'm itching.
That's right, there's something I can do now, especially since I'm feeling so restless.
That is , "Let your imagination run wild."
For my next trip, I'll probably take time off from my busy daily routine and have a tight schedule.
I can't relax when I get to my destination, and I don't think it's okay to just go with the flow.
After all, I'm a poor person.
My life has been plenty haphazard - graduating from university, becoming a part-time worker, working in radio, working in the restaurant industry, and being nervous about the coronavirus pandemic.
Travel is the opposite.
I want to pack in as many things as I want to do and make it as dense as possible. I want to have a highly-intensive experience. I'm really greedy.
Of course, I know that traveling is always accompanied by unexpected events.
No matter how carefully you plan your trip, things never go as planned, and that's what makes it so interesting.
That's why you need a list.
First, decide on the theme of the trip you want to take.
In my case, it is a journey to travel around New Zealand's wine producing regions, experience the local culture and people, and discover the greatness of wine (plus a journey to create a foothold for importing wine) .
Then, make a list based on that theme.
This winery looks interesting.
This restaurant looks delicious.
I'd like to take the streetcar here.
If I go here, I wonder if they'll tell me about imports.
First, make a list of everything you want to see, know, and experience.
Then rehearse it in your head a few times.
Once you have decided to go, you can choose what to do and decide on your itinerary.
On the other hand, if I don't make a list, I'll end up panicking when I suddenly have some free time. I can't think, "Oh well, I can just take it easy." Because I'm a cheapskate.
For example, if you suddenly have three hours to spare, it's a great relief to have the option of saying, "Well, when I did some research around here, I remembered there's a nice cafe."
I decided to go on a rental bicycle that day, but if it rains I can always go to the museum.
I believe that taking multiple imaginary trips like this makes one real trip more intense.
It's also fun to see the gap between the imaginary journey and the real journey, which are completely different.
The last time I went to NZ, the overwhelming feeling of the mountains was much more than I had imagined, and the distance between towns was completely unexpected. Both are fond memories.
So, I would like to use this blog to take a journey of my imagination.
The title is "New Zealand."
The beginning, the beginning.
Sozo New Zealand #1
First up is Napier, the number one city I want to visit.
This town is famous above all for its beautiful buildings.
I got off at the domestic airport and took a taxi to Napier city.
Napier was devastated by an earthquake 90 years ago, but when it was rebuilt, the entire town adopted the Art Deco style, which was popular at the time.
Art Deco's linear, geometric, functional and rational style. Is this the kind of townscape you see from the taxi window?
In Japan, I would say the Isetan flagship store in Shinjuku or the Mitsukoshi flagship store in Nihonbashi. They're a bit retro, with beautiful straight lines and curves (that's a good word).
But what would it actually be like to have an entire town unified in this style?
I was suddenly tempted to look at Google Street View, but I resisted the urge.
In today's world, travelers are required to have the sense to preserve the sense of space they experience while they are there.
For now, let's expand our imagination using just this photo of Napier city that we found in our material collection.
I see.
Indeed, the straight lines and curves of the building are beautiful. The contrast between the clear sky and the white building is also nice. I wonder if the thing on the left is a windbreak. I'm sure it's a building by the sea.
You can see things like this in Japan too. An elaborate building suddenly appears in an area surrounded by low buildings and nature. Oh, that's right, a pachinko parlor in the countryside! Lol
That's an apology to Art Deco. But it's Sozo, so they're free to do that. Maybe it would look completely different if they saw it in person.
Next is the restaurant. Food requires careful research, because memories of the place remain along with the memories of the food.
After a little research, I found a seafood restaurant called "HUNGER MONGER" that looked good.
Butter-fried oysters, squid with aioli, fish and chips. I was drooling.
The wine list is available online. Great! You can drink local wine by the glass. Of course, the pairing of local seafood and local wine is irresistible.
There are also some other bistros and Asian restaurants that I'm interested in. Yes. It might be busy during the day, but the restaurants in Napier at night look like they're quite fun.
That afternoon activity, of course, was a tour of wineries.
Napier is New Zealand's second largest wine producing region, and is also the central city of Hawke's Bay, a place I have never visited before.
I looked up how many wineries there are in the Hawke's Bay region and found out there are over 100! That's a lot!
So, to get around, we need to stay in Napier for 2 or 3 days. If we hear that we might be able to import wine from there, we can extend our stay.
I want to go to many other cities, but I wonder if I should devote so many days to it. No, it's fine for now. Sozo is the most important thing.
Next time, we'll head to a winery in Hawke's Bay.
Sozo Newz!
Next time: Sozo New Zealand #2
