Photos from last weekend

[vilakins]

Last weekend I went down to Hamilton to combine seeing a friend with a birthday treat. We had lunch on the paddle boat Waipa Delta, then wandered round the beautiful Hamilton Gardens (see this page for a description of the different international gardens there). As I already took pictures last time, I was more restrained. All my photos (25 of them) are in this LJ gallery, but here's a selection.


Stuffed Jeeves - This life-size Jeeves was in the Waipa Delta booking office / souvenir shop. He was made by the Fabric Art Company whose 'Stuffed Stuff' exhibition I saw years ago: scenes of soft padded domesticity. My favourite was the fat middle-aged couple in the bath, complete with satin taps and water. :-)


View of the Waikato River taken from the front of the steamboat Waipa Delta after an excellent stone-grill lunch.


The Roman pool is opposite the Italian Renaissance garden. Romulus and Remus were missing - stolen - last year. I was pleased to see that they were either returned or replaced.


The Indian Char Bagh garden was much more colourful last year, so this time I turned around and took a picture of the gate visitors come in through.


I took four of this (all in the gallery) and had a hard time picking one to show here.


They had a cow in Roman armour - a gladiator cow; how could I resist? - in the Waipa Delta souvenir shop! Why? Because the Waikato is dairy country.


So I bought it as a birthday present for myself. It's the right size for my Roman legionaries too. Here's one with it. :-D

[Edit:] These cows are collector's items; check out Cow Parade (life-sized statues painted by local artists; they had a Cow Parade in Auckland a while back). Mine is in there with a story about it. It's called Russell Cow!!! :-) I have decided however that mine is called Maxima.

Comments

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

love the Roman cow!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Isn't it cool!

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

That Roman cow is awesome.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Love the Jeeves and the Roman cow, especially as it seems to have a 5'oclock shadow!

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Wonderful cow!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

When I saw it, I had to have it. Apparently they're collector's items; check out Cow Parade (http://www.cowparade.net/WorldwideGallery.php). Mine is in there; search for 'gladiator'.

They had a Cow Parade in Auckland a while back: life-sized statues painted by local artists.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It does! Maybe it's to make it look more Italian. ;-)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Greg thought I was nuts for buying it, but I just told him all the comments were about it. :-)

[jecono.livejournal.com]

Great pictures! And what a great cow - it looks so cool!

Such a "beard" is called a 5 o'clock shadow? Funny! :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

There's a story about it! (http://www.cowparade.net/WorldwideGallery.php?id=869). It's called Russell Cow!!!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It does! I have decided to call it Maxima.

I think it's called that because some dark guys have a shadow like that by the end of the working day.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

The cow seems to be generally loved (what a surprise :) and the Jeevs is quite wonderful too.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Somebody noticed Jeeves! :-D I did rather covet him but he wasn't for sale. Besides, the cats would bite him and let his stuffing out.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I would never not notice Jeeves :)

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Pretty place, pretty pictures! I think that one of the bridge on the river would make nice wallpaper.

And I also have love for the cow. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The cow now has her own fanbase. ;-)

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

Lovely photos, especially the Roman cow (surprise). ^_^

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

And Greg thought I was weird for buying it. :-)