Melbourne

Day 356

Up in the morning and the ribs are not really any better (Carmen’s not mine) and so we both enjoy a day of rest and relaxation pretty much in front of the tele helped along with a few more Endone tablets (again Carmen and not me) and enjoy a quiet night in with Tom and Kate.

Day 357

The ribs are feeling slightly easier today and so we head into the city for a gentle stroll around and stop off in one of the cool laneways near to Flinders Street station for a coffee and to watch the world go by for a bit. We are meeting Tom and Kate tonight and have all got tickets for the footy (Australian rules) and whilst we wait for Kate to finish work we find ourselves outside the James Squire brewhouse and so decide to nip in to pass some time (would be a shame not to).

Kate finishes work and we all head into China Town for a delicious dinner of dumplings at Shanghai dumplings in one of the little laneways in the city, they are delicious and we think about skipping the match and sitting there eating dumplings all night instead (well I did!).

We then jump on a tram up to Ethiad stadium, meet up with Tom and head in for the match. It’s a big game tonight, Carlton Vs St Kilda and Carmen, Tom and Kate are all Carlton fans (and therefore I am by association) and so we settle into our seats, complete with the obligatory pie and beer.

It’s a close match but Carlton fall behind in the final quarter and St Kilda pull away and so (along with most of the Carlton supporters) we leave before the final whistle and make our way back to the train and home our nice warm beds.

Day 358

Time to leave Tom and Kate’s house today and so we pack up and make the short drive from Oakleigh back to Mentone and Kimberley’s (Carmen’s cousin) flat.

Carmen’s ribs are still sore and so we spend the rest of the afternoon chatting and relaxing and after a delicious dinner decide to get an early night.

Day 359

Back into the city today and a stroll around Carlton and along Lygon Street, the ribs are feeling better but we still take it pretty easy. Stop at one of the many street cafes and enjoy a coffee whilst taking in the surroundings and walk back towards the city via the Melbourne museum and the Royal Exhibition building.

Back in the city we head to the Old Treasury Building and a rather dry and dull exhibition about the history of the building.

What I do think is good though is a visit downstairs to the old Gold depository and what looks (to me) like real gold bars beneath the floor.

Try as I might I can’t prize the floor up and so we have to leave empty handed and make our way back on the train to Mentone watching out for escaped rhino’s on skateboards along the way!

Day 360

Take the train into the city again and today we head for the Docklands area where we are just across the road form Ethiad stadium (where we watched the game the other night) and across the water from the Westgate Bridge (where we took our wrong turn on our way into Melbourne).

We come across a few interesting pieces of public art, a nice little installation by the Architecture department of Melbourne university and a few of the buildings have quite interesting façades but the whole area feels a bit dead and we are quite glad to leave.

Head back into the city to catch up with a former flatmate of ours, Cass in a cool city laneway bar for a few drinks. Cass lived with us in Redfern many moons ago and we spend the evening chatting, reliving old memories and telling her a few of our many travel tales.

Day 361

Pretty much a day of rest today, we make it down to the shops and back and head out in the evening to meet Tom and Kate for dumplings (more dumplings). The dumplings are delicious again and afterwards we return to Tom and Kate’s for a few drinks and get the bus home for an early night.

Day 362

Back into the city for the final time today and meet up with Kat (another former flatmate and observer of the rib incident last weekend) to have a look around Victoria markets.

The markets are huge and filled mainly with tat but we spend an enjoyable morning strolling around and afterwards retire to the ‘pony fish island’ bar on the footing of a bridge over the Yarra.

The bar is good but after a couple of pints we resist the temptation to follow the others out (the ribs are still hurting) and head home to Mentone instead for a quiet evening relaxing in front of the tele with Kimberley.