Sunday and Monday Sept. 1 & 2.....Last days in Melbourne

Sunday started off  slow getting cleaned up around the house for our departure in 2 days.  We rode into town about 1:00 for Lori’s first look at Melbourne.  We met up with Curt and Natasha on Degraves Lane.   Then  Lori went off to take the free Melbourne sightseeing bus to explore and C & N and I went off in search of finding some lunch.  

Wait list on the bricks!

This lane had lots of art galleries/studios,but it was Sunday !

In search of the perfect place for art

 

After lunch we strolled the streets and lanes that I hadn’t seen, Natasha looking for places to put some art installations for her art course assignment….finding some nice little nooks and crannies to place them.  She left us about 3:00 to head out for a visit and dinner  with a childhood friend who is moving to Sydney and Curt and I kept walking.  We walked along the river Curt showing me spots where they have barbeques in the summer….they have free barbeques in some of the parks, past the bells that are an art/music piece in the park then across the river and over to the open air theatre in Victoria Gardens Park…then headed back up Swanston St in search of dinner….we ended up having Japanese.

A new view of Melbourne from one of the many bars on the roofs

Bells in the park

Baby lorikeet at the amphitheater

Earlier in the afternoon we had stopped by one of the galleries that was displaying some of the fashion creations of students at various fashion and design schools in the area and we were given a couple free tickets to a fashion show at 8:30.  It was in a beautiful old building the Town Hall….Curt has been there before for concerts and it has a huge pipe organ (which we couldn‘t see for the stage and curtains for the show) and usually it is only open for concerts.  As we walked to our appointed seats we saw that some had bags on them…Curt said hey we might get a goodie bag….I said the tickets were free only the important people (family of  the students) get them….but lo and behold…we each got a large goodie bag full of licorice and chocolate!!! Yum yum!!!!.  The fashion show was about 45 minutes and was a mixture of wild and crazy designs and some more sedate outfits…it was fun! Curt walked me down to the station and we made arrangements to meet on Monday after he got off work.

Fashion week in Melbourne

Lori's Sunday
Lori here......after we met up with Curt and Natasha, I went out on my own while they did family time.  Walked around the centre of town for a bit, then got on the FREE tourist "hop on/hop off" bus.  I like these ones in a city because they usually cover a lot of ground and I like the narration.  From Flinders Station, we drove past the stadium that was just filling up for a game.  Nearby was the tennis facility for the Aussie Open.  The downtown buildings were just magnificent....old but so well preserved.  Along the route, there is really interesting "art" everywhere you look:  sculptures, statues, building designs, bridges, mosaics, lights, flames, on and on.  Definitely a whimsical flair.  The old churches are so big and imposing.  Of course the sunshine made everything so much better;  we have been extremely lucky with the weather.  Although I was planning on completing the tour without getting off, I saw the Victoria Market, and decided to visit!  Spent a bit of money there, and a lot of time browsing.  By the time I got out, the last bus had left that stop for the day.  I walked a few blocks, and got on the FREE tram that does a smaller loop around the downtown core, also narrated.  The tram went around the new Docklands area and along the Yarra River.  There is a walkway all along the river.....lots of busy things going on, and just beautiful views.  I got off near the train station and did a couple of caches.  One I could not find (the GPS has trouble settling with all the buildings) in Banana Alley.  It was dark by this time, and I looked a little suspicious (even in a suspicious area) so I headed home.  Turns out that I had actually touched the cache, I just didn't clue in....Pam set me straight on it, and we made the find later.  Whew!
The transit train is fast and efficient, and I finally got my bearings.  I was SO mixed up.....you travel NORTH to get to SOUTH Morang, and the transit book shows the order of the stops going DOWN the page, which also looks like it's South.  Oh yeah, everything is opposite here!!  The house is only a block from the stop.  It's like Fort Knox......locked doors, alarm, totally fenced (7 feet high) and locked gates.  Pam had left me with a set of keys with instructions on disarming the alarm and a warning to not go through the front door.  I tried all the keys in the big gate lock (except the right one, of course) and after about 20 minutes, I gave up.  I sat down on the sidewalk to wait for Pam....could have been a long night!  However, I did remember a little gate over at the side of the house with a padlock, and thankfully one of the keys worked.  I made a light supper, caught up on some emails, brought in the laundry, and headed to bed to read for a bit.  Needed the electric blanket going this night......yes, ME, needing heat!!
 
Monday was busy getting organized, packing and cleaning, Lori “face timed” Wayne and then Meghann and the grandkids  and both of us  getting ready for our lunch guests.  I had invited Trish and Sherryl over for an early lunch to thank them for being so helpful and welcoming to me.  Grilled cheese sandwiches (my specialty!) and Lori had picked up some pumpkin soup. This was the first time they met Lori.    We had a great visit and said goodbye. 

Then we headed into Melbourne for the last time.  First stop was the post office (Lori bought some things that she was sending to Perth ), stop in to see Curt (but he wasn’t there), checked in to the phone store, found a bunch of caches…..and bought me a new pair of shoes (the hiking sandals that I bought in June are not good once my feet have expanded with all the walking on pavement I’ve been doing  grrrr).  It was dark when we  quit, I was to meet Curt after work at 6:30 but I noticed that he had sent a text saying that he was sick (only a bad cold) and hadn’t gone to work. 

Last day in Melbourne

Lori headed back home and I went over to C & N’s place for my last evening with them.  We had our great dinner at a Mexican restaurant….Mamasita’s, while we were  waiting for our number to be called we went for a drink at a small club that looked out on the Parliament Buildings that you get to by an unmarked door.  I think it was called the Melbourne Club, obviously very established, lovely leather couches and small dinner tables. After dinner they walked me down to Flinders Station. My train was there when we arrived so it was a quick goodbye (mind you they did come in behind the gates and ran beside the train  waving and blowing kisses….crazy)   Curt will be coming for a visit home next spring.  And I am planning to come back in 2 years…..still more to explore in Melbourne and he looks like he is happy there.

Got home and finished packing….Lori phoned for a cab to pick us up at 6:30am……to start the next adventure.