Pinot Noir wine from New Zealand
Thought for the day…” They talk about the speed of light, but what is the speed of darkness”
“If a mime artist is arrested, does the policeman tell him that he has the right to remain silent? ”
Off to New Zealand for the photo today and to the very scenic Lake Hayes near Queenstown. Apart from being very scenic, Lake Hayes is also home to some good wineries, such as the famous Amisfield (which also includes a restaurant). This area (Central Otago) has now become famous for quality pinot noir wines, although in the 1860s it was the scene of the Central Otago Gold Rush. Until the 1970s, there were few vineyards, but since then they have expanded rapidly, helped by the perfect climate, being protected by high mountains and having hot, dry summers and a short, cold winter. Pinot Noir grapes originated in the Burgundy region of France, but are a difficult grape to cultivate and also to convert into wine. Pinot noir is also used in the production of champagne. Looking at the photo below, it is hard to believe that Queenstown Airport, which is just a few kilometres away (in the back left of the photo) handles over 1.2 million passengers a year, many of them heading for Queenstown, the Adventure Capital of New Zealand.
and a photo out of the archives…..a new photo made to look old. The outdoor museum in Ballarat, Australia.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com http://www.norefjellspa.com
New, looking old – Not the Quality Spa Resort Hotel, Norefjell.
Thought for the day….” Better to be a star rather than a spark. Sparks are for the moment, stars are for the future”.
“Talent is the key to success, but you have to find the door”.
Update on the story about the refund from Air France. I cancelled an air ticket with AF, and understood that the actual ticket was not refundable, as the conditions stated, but asked Air France to refund the taxes. Things like departure taxes had not been incurred, as I had not travelled, so I expected a refund of these. After many many emails to Air France, and to some very unhelpful customer ‘service’ departments, then finally I got a refund, minus a 20 euro ‘administration fee’. Still very unhappy with Air France because I had to write so many emails to them, but at least I have got most of the taxes back. So the moral of this story is that even if the airline says no in the beginning, then keep on at them as they ARE supposed to refund the taxes.
A new photo made to look old for today’s picture. The shot comes from the museum at Ballarat in Australia, and started off as a colour photo, then was converted to black & white and finally was given the sepia touch to make it look old. It was just a matter of waiting for the tourists to disappear out of the scene then an easy job to capture this scene, which could be from the 1800s but is actually quite recent.
jeritilley 