Arrivederci Signor NIS.

 

A popular meal in Italy?

Firstly, let me emphasize that this guy's surname is in no way connected with that of Phillip Edward Nis, a well known personality on this blog. Signor NIS's name is written in capitals and stands for 'Nothing Is Simple'.

Even more popular, I suspect!

It was about six months ago that Signor NIS floated the idea of coming to Aotearoa. It would be a stay of thirteen full days (not counting the day of arrival and the day of departure) and I invited him to stay at our house. I'd known him for about ten years - we started off as 'language buddies' and we seemed to get on really well, despite him being forty two and me being a little closer to The Curmudgeon's age.

I set about planning. Thirteen days was not a lot of time, but I'd take him to Picton so that he could see the sounds and then I'd take him up north. He was keen to see the geyser in Rotorua and he was keen to walk the Tongariro crossing. My good wife and I decided that we would pay for all the motels, the ferry (I'd take my car - not cheap!) and getting in to see the geyser, among other things. Believe me, it was not cheap! Everything seems to cost more around Christmas. 

 Day 1: RBB Tour of Wellington. Admittedly he did have a bit of jet lag, but he slept through a lot of the tour.* It seemed that he didn't get excited about the things that I showed him. On this first day I realised that it was going to be a long thirteen days.

Days 2 to 4: Christmas was a nice day spent with my Grandson.

That's Harrison's cousin Evie
on the right.

Days 5 to 7: We took the ferry to Picton. He wanted to go to Tasman, but it was too far for a one day trip. I took him to Nelson. When we returned to Picton, he headed off on a long walk while I waited in a park. (This was Day 6) I thought how nothing had seemed easy and I wondered if he was actually having a good time. I'd been cracking lots of pretty good jokes which he didn't seem to understand. I'd also noticed that he wasn't a listener. At that moment in time I named him Signor NIS because he certainly wasn't making my life simple.

Day 8: We headed to Ohakune so that Signor NIS could walk the Tongariro crossing the next day. Unfortunately the weather turned bad and this was not possible. He sulked a bit, but it was not of my doing. We continued on to Rotorua, after visiting the Huka falls and a steaming park in Taupo. He got to see the geyser on Day 10 but, unfortunately, it didn't erupt very well. That's life.

This sign in Rotorua had no plaque,
so I named it 'The Clean Tooth'.

Earlier on Day 10 we had an incident. He was trying to book a tour of the Waitomo caves on line but was having no luck. The bad luck went on and on. I suggested, "I have a phone number here. Let me ring them." He finally relented. I had him paid for and booked in. It took about three minutes. As a joke I said to him, "See, Kiwis are smarter than Italians." 

THEN THE SHIT HIT THE FAN!

He was upset and wouldn't talk to me. Later (at the geyser place) he told Shelley that I had offended him twice and that he wanted to go home the next day - he would reschedule an earlier flight to Auckland. 

Day 11: We headed off at 10 to 7am and I drove for six hours, with just one fifteen minute break. After a short break I took him to Wellington Airport. Finished three days early!

YES!!!

To quote a song, like Peter might. 'Frankie and Johnny'

"This story got no moral,

This story got no end.

This story just goes to show

That there ain't no good in men."

Take that any way you like.

Bye for now.

Oh well, waste not, want not.

* The future of this once hugely successful venture is not looking promising.