Sunset from Hill House, Mount Helen. February 2024

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Last couple of days in Melbourne

So, Christian, Yvette and Sam joined us for a very pleasant steak night on Monday evening.  I must say, I do like the steak night salad that Lindsey makes.  I might make up a big bowl of it for us (assuming I can find all the ingredients at not too extortionate a price) but for weekday lunches rather than for Monday steak nights.

Tuesday saw Lindsey back to work - and me needing a new USB cord for my iPhone.  So The Builder and I ambled into town and dropped into the newly restored and very glorious Myer, which now boasts a Macshop on the top floor.  Alas for us, the Macshop doesn't sell parts, only packaged devices.  And it seemed slightly extravagant to buy a whole new iPhone when all that was wrong with my existing one was that the USB cord had frayed!  So we trotted up Elizabeth Street to a real Macshop that does sell parts and acquired a new cord from the very helpful people in there. Finding ourselves pretty much outside Melbourne Central we went up one of the little undercover alleyways that lead into it.  And entirely by accident found a little place that did us a remarkably nice lunch.  So we didn't go into Melbourne Central after all but had lunch in Era and then strolled slowly back to East Melbourne in the sunshine.

Tuesday evening found us back in the Prince Patrick with Ian, Christian and Cassie, but not, alas with Lindsey, who was at a meeting. My steak was absolutely lovely.  Although not, of course, as lovely as the King Island steak that Lindsey gets for steak night.

Lindsey and I were up in good time for our early morning walk today - although I fear that Lindsey does not properly appreciate the need for a Proper Cup of Tea before engaging in extensive exercise at 07:00!!  This is a walk that Lindsey does regularly when in East Melbourne.  I do it too, when in East Melbourne.  This walk is seldom as exciting as it was this morning.  First, there were five hot air balloons hovering over the Fitzroy Gardens as we went past.  That was quite exciting all on its own.  But then, when we got to Federation Square, we found there were people giving away pot plants for office workers to put on their desks, thus restoring their "Plant-Life Balance".  We acquired a fern and a tiny bamboo plant and made our way onwards.  They were doing it in all the capital cities except, I think, Darwin.  And THEN, as we headed back up towards East Melbourne, we found six fire engines, two police cars and a helicopter surrounding one of the tall buildings near Parliament.  We don't know why, but it certainly added to the excitement levels of the walk.  Not sure the car drivers who were now stuck found it equally exciting, however!!  By the time we got back to the apartment we were in great need of egg and bacon sandwiches to recover!!

The Builder and I occupied ourselves during the day by heading back to Fed Square and grabbing another couple of pot plants for Lindsey's surgeries, and then wandering across to Southbank for a really unexciting lunch in one of the Italian cafes.  My wrap was so unexciting that I abandoned it and brought myself a proper souvlaki to munch on while we ambled along the Yarra and trundled back to the apartment.  I would recommend against lunching at La Camera in Southbank.  Even The Builder's spag bog was pretty ordinary.  On the other hand, the food in Cafe Italia off Lygon Street is definitely not ordinary.  Lindsey, Ian, The Builder and I met Ant and Jess there for a delicious dinner before heading to Ant and Jess's place for a last cup of coffee and a rummage with Krumm.  Then Ian headed back to East Melbourne, Lindsey went to Ballarat, and The Builder and I are at Tullamarine waiting for the plane to take us back to Tupton.  Not that the plane will take us all the way to Tupton (would be fun watching it trying to land!) but it will get us to London, which is close enough for jazz.

Thank you everyone for a really lovely time, we've really enjoyed it.  We'll see some of you in Japan in August.  And if we can manage it, we may drop by on our way home from the wedding.  I'll keep you posted

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