Friday 25th February 2011
Oh Friday today, everyone was at work and I only woke up about 9am, blaming it on the pills. Anyway was up and ready by about 10 something and we went off into Melbourne, an all day ticket to travel anywhere in Melbourne for $2.70, not bad until you try getting off the train in town. It seems we had a zone 2 ticket, great for zone 2, less great for zone 1. They let us out anyway, just pretended to be stupid tourists it always works.
I had no idea about Melbourne other that it was a City in Australia that had trams so it was over to Tantine to be the guide until I got my bearings. Did the usual tourist things, photos in the way of cars, turning for no reason and blocking people’s path’s and of course taking photos of the most mundane things. We had a quick look at Federation Square and down to the river by which time i had realised it was a grid system so bearings were found. There seemed to be a big sausage fest happening in the square, that is a culinary sausage fest and nothing seedy as I understand there are other meaning of this phrase?!
Anyway we now wandered aimlessly around the city really just having a look and somehow ending up in Myer’s the big shopping centre. Pretty standard to be honest, Men’s clothes, Women’s clothes, Blender’s, Make-up, so out we came looking for lunch. We stumbled on a great place for lunch on Burke Street, not far from the Parliament Building which has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855, but that not important right now. Lunch was good, a salad place, mainly doing salads but with the odd cake and of course coffee.
Next was on to find where Phil worked, it was all very scientific, he works for the council i think so therefore must be near the parliament building. He works on the 13th floor so if the building has 13 or more floors that where he works, i wasn’t quite right but close enough, it was apparently in the right area. After establishing i was wrong (over the phone) he suggested visiting Captain Cook in the local park, gave me great direction and i so confidently listened, only afterwards realising i hadn’t actually listened at all. At least i remember the bit about Captain Hook and the park!
We found a Cathedral, something like St Patrick’s, it looked very grand but just incase it was one of these non Christian religious establishments that charges you we didn’t go in, it would be a sin to encourage their deceitful ways. St Paul’s or Patrick’s or John’s or whatever it was called had some advantages, it allowed me to align the map with pinpoint accuracy and find the park, thus finding Cook’s place. It was cool, completely original and as it was bar the small fact that it was built in 1755 in Great Ayton, Yorkshire and shipped over.
Anyway finished with a cup of tea and a walk to the station, where we bought our bloody expensive return ticket and came back home. Not a bad first City visit but we now have bearings and there seems to be a lot more to see.
Some have asked for reflection on the future, not sure in what time frame, so….
Tomorrow a cycle,
Next week Melbourne some more oh and a year older,
After that is Adelaide and NZ
The distant future a working holiday to Oz, its pretty cool so far, lovely people, lovely weather.