A Hidden Jewel

 Some days it feels like when you're in the right place with the right person the right things tend to happen. The culmination of my crazy week of working, going out on the town, night skiing, and meeting new people led to a lovely evening date and the discovery of the Britannia Royale, another hidden jewel in the lovely town of Queenstown.

Just moments after I had arrived in front of Harry's I saw Andrew walking up the sidewalk past Bella Cucina and Buffalo Club.

“I hope you weren't waiting long,” he said.

“No, no more than 5 minutes at most,” I responded. “Where's Stu?”

“He's not coming,” Andrew responded in his delightful Scottish accent.

Ah, it's a date then. Wonderful! I'm not sure if I was happier that we would be dining alone or that I wouldn't have to eat more pizza. In fact, Andrew didn't seem terribly particular about where we went. I mentioned if he liked curry and he said it sounded like a fabulous idea. Ok, curry it is!

I really never get sick of curry – there's so many different kinds that are all so tasty. I tend to go there at least once a week and it never gets old. We wandered over to Tandoori Palace and sat at a table next to the window. We ordered our curries and some of the yoghurt sauce for dipping. Our conversation spilled into the realms of video games, general geekiness, traveling, our experiences in Queenstown, and life in general.

We wandered around town after dinner – I was taking Andrew on a mini-tour of the town and talking about all the interesting things I had seen and describing a lot of the bars and restaurants. We wandered up the stairs and into Britannia. I had wanted to show Andrew the interior and I politely asked the waitress if it was alright to step inside. They welcomed us in and suggested we look at a menu. We said we already had dinner but took a good look at the dessert menu. Although not intending to dine we both fell in love with the description of the Britannia Royale, two scoops of raspberry and apricot ice cream sailing on a boat made of chocolate.

We took a seat in a booth in the back dining room, the area that looked most like the inside of a pirate ship. Surrounded in an ambiance of flags from the United Kingdom and old world style candle holders and old wooden seats we continued our conversation. My time with Andrew on our little date was relaxed but never boring – I felt that we had so much in common it was quite disappointing that he was going to be leaving the next day, or leaving at all. He would have been a great companion this season, allowing me to show my geeky side, and apparently being quite compatible at meals.

When our ship came in we were dazzled by the intricacies of the artwork. The two ice cream scoops lay inside of the chocolate boat, looked over by a tall mast and sails made out of hard butterscotch candy. The plate was adorned with swirls of raspberry sauce and whipped cream. After admiring it a moment we dug into it and enjoyed a pot of earl grey tea as well. This was a prime example of how perfect some moments can be in Queenstown, and in life, when you're with the right person. The right things just seem to happen.

After our dessert we went out to Pog Mahone's for a glass of Kilkenny during their 9-10pm happy hour. A little strange, but I don't mind, we shared one beer. Since we were both so full and aren't terribly keen on drinking the one glass of rich, delicious beer was enough. We sat at a table by the fire and chatted for a while, enjoying the night and the ambiance, enjoying our date, and a little tour of the delightful things Queenstown has to offer.

At the end of our night Andrew was kind enough to walk me back up to my house. I love how the Western Australians can be so chivalrous. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and I wished him a safe flight home. I have his business card so I'll be able to keep in touch. The more nice guys from Perth I meet the more I want to head out there again. Well, if not this trip, maybe next year.