Napier. THE TANDEM

In 1931 a massive earthquake rocked Napier, destroying the commercial centre of the town and killing nearly 260 people.

Rebuilding started straightaway, resulting in Napier becoming one of the Art Deco capitals of the world and we liked it immediately.

We had a super day here.

On our little mooch around the shops and streets and avenues, we found a decent looking sports stadium, used for cricket and rugby.

Floodlights with palmtrees! YAY!

The town centre was Christmassy.

There were some fabulous statues dotted around.

This one reminded me of AnneThePan and her retired greyhound Reggie.

Naturally, I wanted to do this but I still have a job and I might not have if I'd fallen off.

Mr Nape-the-Juice made me a terrific Liver Flush consisting of apple, carrot, ginger (ooooosh) 

and BEETROOT, it really did hit the back of my throat and made my spine tingle.

THE TANDEM

Napier sits alongside a stunning foreshore of miles and miles of black pebbles.

But alongside that is a wide cycletrack and in a moment of brilliant madness or was it a moment of mad brilliance we walked out of NapierCityBikeHire with two helmets, a lock and a tandem.

Oh my days, were we in for a treat!

The friendly, helpful Bike Hire Staff had lathered us up with suncream, taken care of our bags, adjusted the seats accordingly, and convinced us, without question that we would be able to ride their trusty steed, no problem and off we went.

Except we didn't.

Off we definitely didn't go,

The combination of my weak right knee, Husb being several stones heavier than me on the back and him wanting to push off on his right leg meant a slight resemblance to an episode of Fawlty Towers with Basil and Manuel as we veered into the undergrowth a few times trying to get going.

The people sat drinking coffee were having a free comedy show, we must have been quite entertaining.

Plan B.

Places were swapped. 

Husb, on the lower front seat now had his knees round his ears and the height of the back seat was making my eyes water. Ooooeeerrr.

More hilarity followed.

But we have been married for 37 years and are very patient and hadn't laughed so much in ages and oh my days we actually got going. 

BUT THEN WE COULDN'T STOP!

We only went through one set of plants.

Tandems don't go round corners. Arrgghh.

They don't bend!

What a joy, what a laugh, wotahoot!

We got some speed up in the end and covered several miles in the hour.

Brilliant. Brilliant.Brilliant.

HERE IS THE PROOF!!

It was great fun and I'm sure we had better abs from all that laughing.

But just to make sure, I did a plank on some bark on the pebbles.