Baa Baa, Bilbo
We rise with the sun (well, sorta) and head across the street to L’Assiette, a French bakery run by real Frogs, who make us an almond croissant to order. Passing up Movember macarons, we then check out and hop in the Mazda to buzz down to Hobbiton.
A two-hour drive south, Hobbiton is nestled in the Irish-green hills of a many-acre sheep farm. Gloriane gets a little lamb-feeding action, and we hop into a bus that winds through the patties and around a hill to where Hobbiton is hidden from view.
And it’s REAL. So real, we can smell the second breakfasts. Serious attention to detail here, with carvings in the windows and doors, rakes and hoes and mugs and jugs on the front porches, and a rocking chair for each. Not to mention the beautiful gardens, tended daily by human gardeners, and even fake moss made from real yogurt…well, just look at the pictures to get a sense of it.
Our tour ends at the Green Dragon pub, which is still under construction but will be open soon and serving beer available *only* at the Green Dragon. With the Lord Of The Rings already completed and the Hobbit about to be released, the place was in tip-top shape.
After our Shire visit, we travel to Waitomo to settle in for the night, in preparation for tomorrow’s “black water” rafting experience. Dinner across the street from our B&B at a great spot called Huhu, and at dusk we head to Aranui Caves for a nighttime walk. Our B&B hosts recommend this place to see glowworms, and we do — on either side of a bridge, with stars in between. Eat your heart out, Walt Disney.
I hope everybody made it out with all 9 of their fingers (inside joke everybody…I’m seriously never going to watch that animated movie again! For Eric and Tony).
Looks amazing so far!