Christchurch

 In 2006 and 2011, my hometown and the surrounding communities were dramatically affected by devastating flooding.  So, this month as I set out to walk around post-earthquake Christchurch I thought I had a small sense of what the local community experienced.  Not so much.  New Zealand's 2nd largest city experienced much much more than I can ever imagine.  But, what's so incredible about this place are the examples of how this city picked itself up and found ways to get back to business.

Here's the Pallet Pavillion:

It had a flea market/farmer's market vibe inside the pallet walls.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the walk around Christchurch:

In the foreground is a cafe constructed from shipping containers as part of the 'container mall'.  In the background is a parking garage that is no longer in use due to quake damage.  I just love how unique the stores look because they are made from containers of all colors.

This is part of a mural that I walked past:

It says:

Amidst the shards of glass
& twisted steel
Beside the fallen brick
& scattered concrete
we began to understand
that there is beauty in the
broken
Strangers do not live here anymore

Continuing on, we reached the section of town where the Cardboard Cathedral was constructed.

The Cathedral is the triangular object.  The white chairs are a tribute to the 185 victims of the 2011 earthquake.

Here's the front of the cathedral:

I have more photos of Christchurch (PENGUIN PHOTOS!), but those will have to wait for another day.  Stay tuned!