Our second port of call was Akaroa on the south island of New Zealand. The town was founded by French settlers around 1840. To get there, our ship sailed up a narrow channel into the caldera of an extinct volcano a natural harbor sounded by mountains and rolling hills. Akaroa means 'unbelievably breathtaking' and if anything that's an understatement.

Instead of taking a tour we got off the ship and walked into the town. There are many of the old Victorian houses no converted to bed and breakfasts, all with beautiful gardens. In fact it almost looks like there is a garden competition with each garden trying to outdo the next.

We came across a statue of an artist, who was an officer on a French naval vessel but retired to Akaroa to paint. There was also a war memorial dating from World War I like the ones found in so many towns in countries that were once part of the British Empire.

A couple of years ago a major earthquake hit the area centering on Christchurch a city, that before the quake was a cruise ship stop. The quake pretty much leveled the city and the rebuilding process is only just underway. Even towns like Akaroa some 50 miles away also suffered from the quake and a number of public buildings remain closed because of earthquake damage.

Continuing our practice on this trip, we stopped into a local art gallery to talk about local artists and their work. One of the artists had actually exhibited in Pittsburgh. Laura left her card and her website address.

On the way back we looked in on a shop that specialized in blue pearls. They are produced by inplanting an object in an oyster shell which produces a irridescent blue pearl. We'd never actually seen one before.