Here’s me and my doubles partner Maryan with our medals as Division 3 runners-up in the National Doubles Pétanque tournament held in Dunedin a couple weeks ago. We played terribly on the first day, which is how we ended up down in the bottom division. But we were better on the second day, so we got these medals. I also played in the National Singles competition the day before, and finished in the middle of the pack just like last year.

The South Island had a terrible storm the week before. We had one miserable rainy day and two beautiful days for the tournaments.

Dunedin was a really wealthy and beautiful city 100 years ago (shipping, timber, mining, optimism), but has declined a lot since then. It’s a university town now. Professorial gentility sits next to voluntary frat-party squalor sits next to lifelong unemployment. Here’s some pics from morning walks.

I stumbled across the National Conscientious Objectors Memorial, which tells a shameful story of how the objectors were treated during the World Wars.

This sculpture represents a man tied to a pole, a not-uncommon punishment for objectors.

I got to see our friend Emily, who has made amazing progress on her little slice of heaven.

All in all a good trip, although I was disappointed by my results in the pétanque. There’s always next year!