Sunny Sunday Glass of Wine, Browns Bay

It was a gorgeous Sunday and I thought a glass of wine in the sun would be ideal.

I went to Saints Bar, 101 Clyde Rd, Browns Bay.  Walking past I saw some empty tables out the front and a bunch of adults sitting outside enjoying the sun. Sure the empty tables were uncleared but hey, I'm not too proud to help out.  So I dropped by bag on a seat (to reserve it), smiled at the young guy at the next table,  picked up the dirty glass and took it into the bar.  Whereupon I waited... and waited... and waited!

There were about 4 people waiting at the bar, and one person serving. Over the next 15 minutes or so, a couple of other bar tenders appeared, moving around dirty glasses, serving a single person from the growing queue, then leaving. One did manage to smile at me but I remained largely ignored.

Look nobody likes waiting, and you can feel a bit self-conscious on your own, but it's infinitely worse watching people who arrive after you being served ahead of you. I've done my time in bars and the first rule I learned was to serve in order. Simply put, failing to do so put more stress on security as the inevitable grumpy, drunk, patron makes their views known.

I would have persisted but for my bag being unattended and the obnoxious young man who shoved his sweaty arm on mine in order to push into the bar. Of course, being a grown up I questioned said young man's sense of personal space, only to be met with his mate giving him a big cuddle (shoving him further up against me) and intimating that I fancied him.

Given my unexpected close proximity to bum fluff and spots, bad breath and sweat, plus the decidedly pot luck bar service, I decided to rescue my bag and head elsewhere.

Recommendation:  Do not bother.  Amateur bar service. Boorish under age drinkers. Who knows about the wine list or quality of food; it wasn't worth waiting to find out.

Rating: 1 star (out of 5)
1 for the sunshine.

Lessons learned: Take a bag, book or scarf, that you don't mind losing.  That way you can reserve a seat without worrying about your property.  This is a good general rule for all bars if you're on your own. Particularly if you think you might want a second glass or need to visit the Ladies and don't want to lose your spot while you queue again.... Note, newspapers and magazines are more likely to be construed as bar property so you could still lose your spot if you vacate it.

Top 5 Destination Cities for (Solo) Women Travelers

Just because we live in Auckland, doesn't mean we don't travel.  We do. More than most. So here's a link that might just come in handy...

Top 5 Destination Cities for (Solo) Women Travelers

How many of us are there?

In the last decade, Auckland's single household population has remained stable at around 20% of all households. An additonal 5% of all households are made up of non-family members. Single parent households and one person households are predicted to increase. In every statistic, more than half of us are women.

Over many years of travel, I've discovered some cities are great for single women while others leave a lot to be desired. I remember Sydney as one of the best, where waiters happily greeted me with "would you like some company or have you got a book?", when I wanted to dine alone. Equally, I'll never forget being kept standing in a suburban London restaurant for over 20 minutes, only to be told there were no tables available for a "single diner"!

Auckland is a terrifically cosmopolitan place. I know, I was born and raised here. Growing up we knew the world was ours. Our confidence was limitless. Maybe it was because we generally operated in crowds. Maybe it was because we were high on adolescent hormones. Maybe it was because our frontal lobes were not yet developed. Regardless, we came and went all over the city as we pleased without much hesitation.

Now in my 40's, single and having returned to my home town, increasingly my social life has been taking place on the virtual plane; email, phones and Skype. My friends of old have scattered to every corner of the earth. Some have young children. Some live hours away from my side of Auckland. Some are in complicated relationships (with people and / or work). We have different resources (time and money), different interests, different priorities. All well and good in my opinion - we've lived up to the promise of our youth and the world has indeed been ours.

However I'm not prepared to settle solely for a virtual existence. I love catching up with my friends but I'm not prepared to always wait until they can play. So I've decided not to limit my fun for lack of company.

So what is Auckland really like for a woman on her own? I’m determined to find out. I love this town and I know there’ll be lots of great stories. Consider this blog your guide, fellow singletons. Tell me if there’s a place you want me to check out. Tell us all about your experiences out and about on your own. Alone for me has never meant lonely, and I'm not about to let that change now. So to the thousands of like-minds out there, join in!