Tabitha, Cally and Flynn ...

... arrived in Melbourne for a two week stay on Tuesday evening.

Freyja and I went to the airport to meet them. Their flight was due in at 21:45.

This would not matter, except that I am usually in bed by then, or at least getting ready for bed. 

I managed to stay awake anyway. Lindsey is in Cairns this week so I borrowed her car for the pickup. It's bigger than Ziggy and also was in East Melbourne and not Northcote. Much more convenient, especially since I would be taking the travellers to East Melbourne and not Northcote.

Waiting, waiting, waiting ...

Finally, they're here

Cally and Flynn have never been to Australia, although they have both British and Australian citizenship. Tabitha hasn't been since Stella's 70th birthday party, 23 or 24 years ago. It was an adventure for them all.

We got them settled into the flat in East Melbourne (it was free because Ian is in Canada and, as mentioned, Lindsey is in Cairns). Freyja and I went to our respective flats by taxi.

On the very top of Flynn's list of "I absolutely have to do this while I'm in Melbourne" were: visit the MCG, eat East Asian food. The flat is not far from the MCG so we dropped by on way from the airport so he could have a look at it. Yesterday morning, we all, including Freyja and Simon, walked back to the MCG for a proper look at it in daylight

Then we walked to the river and strolled along the riverside until we reached Flinders Street

We saw this sculpture from the river on Monday

Then we went to a dumpling bar in one of the laneways. I'm not sure that Cally enjoyed the dumplings much but we have now ticked off the top two wishes from Flynn's list. Top of Cally's list is to visit a bookshop. There are some specific books that she is looking for. There are lots of bookshops. Shouldn't be a problem - although finding the exact titles that she wants might be a bit more challenging.

They came to visit my flat and went back to East Melbourne on a tram. Another tick on the To Do list.

They've now gone to Ballarat for a few days. They're at the Wildlife Park today, playing with kangaroos and other fauna. The wildlife park is predominantly but not exclusively Australian animals. The weather is good. It should be a good. day. I remain in Melbourne. I have a Japanese class this evening, am down for Ghost visiting tomorrow and have various other things to do.  No trip to Ballarat for me

Boats

The Melbourne Boat Show may have ended yesterday at 4pm and the boats and the food trucks and the spruikers and the pavilions might all have gone away - but my adventure with boats was not quite over.

The Alma Doepel on her way home this morning. (The Enterprize left yesterday)

Some little while ago, when she was looking for eateries local to Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations, Lindsey came across a webpage called Seniors in Melbourne. I registered for their weekly e-newsletter.

October is Seniors' Month in Victoria. There is one week of free public transport around the state for holders of a seniors travel card. There are various events and activities. And the Seniors in Melbourne people had organised a boat trip up the Yarra at a reduced rate for subscribers to their newsletter.

I booked a ticket.

Today was the day - and it was a glorious day for a boat ride.

We were instructed to meet at Berth 2, Southbank at 9:45 for a 10:00 departure. I got there early. It's not all that far from here and didn't take as long as I expected to get there. I even got off the tram early and walked along the river.

I was a touch disconcerted when a group of older ladies began to form. They obviously knew each other. They were clearly going on the boat trip. More and more of them arrived. They were completely ignoring me. That didn't particularly worry me, they didn';t know me and didn't know I was going on the boat.  But I was beginning to wonder what I had signed up for. I was not keen to embark on another Probus-style misadventure.

Fortunately, other people also turned up. It turned out that one of the ladies had brought along pretty much her entire seniors' walking group. Probus disasters avoided.

So. We have loads of seniors. We have the organisers. What we don't have is - a boat!

No visible water craft

It did turn up, eventually,  and we did manage to board people, even not particularly agile people. And off up the river we went, past - well, let me show you:

The MCG

Boatsheds

Parks and gardens

Bridges

Melbourne landmarks

More bridges

I am glad I'm floating peacefully down the river
and not battling the traffic on the freeway

Bridge decorations

Heading back to the city

Sculpture in Birrarung Marr

Back at the starting point

It was such a lovely way to spend an hour on a sunny Monday morning. I am so glad I didn't follow my initial instinct, when I saw all those people who knew each other, to abandon the boat ride and go shopping instead. And I need to be more mindful that I LIVE BY THE RIVER!!!!!!! I have a river as my front and back yard. I also have a railway hub in my backyard. How much better could it possibly be?

The Melbourne Star

The Wheel originally opened in 2008 and almost immediately closed again, allegedly because parts of it melted in the Melbourne Heat, although I believe there were other structural issues as well as the heat. Mind you, if something made of steel melts in Melbourne's heat that would suggest some significant structural issues!

It re-opened I think in 2013 or perhaps 2014. It continued to have a chequered and troublesome history until Covid got it  in 2020 and it closed permanently in 2021. 

And closed it remained, although it did, in fact, remain  - if nothing else as a noticeable Melbourne landmark

Somebody brave bought it last year and they have spent a considerable amount of time, money and effort restoring it. You may remember that we went to watch its lights being turned on a while ago. And I have watched it slowly, slowly, slowly coming back to life from my front windows. I can see part of it from my flat:

It opened for passengers yesterday. So Lindsey and I went to have a ride. 

The industrial giraffes in the Port of Melbourne

The Docklands Film Studio

Towards the shipping container port

Looking across Victoria Harbour and the river
to the bay, with the Bolte Bridge
to the right

I live in the building in the centre
of the picture

The Banksia building and Marina Tower

The City of Melbourne

It takes 30 minutes to do a circuit and I enjoyed it a lot. It is tempting to go again in the evening to see the city lights.

After our ride we had lunch in the Urban Alley Brewery pub in The District and then went out to Johnston Street in Collingwood so Lindsey could show me how to access her post office parcel delivery facility.

As well as the excitement of the Star finally coming back to life after such a long siesta, the Melbourne Boat Show also opened yesterday There are boats and jet skis and fishing things and water related things all the way along Harbour Esplanade and down the Newquay Promenade, and people wandering around and it's all busy and bustly and boaty. The historic ships are back too, although The Wattle hasn't come this year

The filming is due to start on Bourke Street again today until mid next week. Plus there's an event in the stadium tomorrow evening. 

No room for tumbleweeds or dust bunnies in Docklands this weekend!

Sunny Weekend

They're making a film in the part of Bourke Street which is across from me. It's a police thing set in New York. You might well wonder if it's set in New York why they would be filming it in Docklands. Apparently it's because that bit of Bourke Street could pass for New York and it's cheaper to film here and - oh, I don't know. Why not?

Anyway. That part of Bourke Street is closed to traffic and pretty much to pedestrians. I had a text message from the city council late last week to remind me that there would be event noises such as gunshots, explosions and vehicle noises and I should be mindful of my pets' health and comfort. I assume they sent it to people in this part of the city who have pets registered with them. My neighbours did not get it.

As it happens, my cats weren't particularly bothered. When loud noises happened they briefly looked up from what they were doing and then paid no further attention. I watched from my window from time to time.

I wanted to go to the supermarket to buy a mop and bucket. The flat mop/brush I bought when I moved in works excellently as a broom but quite badly as a mop. I couldn't go along Bourke Street because of - well, filming and gunshots and explosions. So I walked along the promenade. It was a beautiful, beautiful day. I came back along the promenade and sat by the water for half an hour or so, watching the boats and the rowers and the kids fishing. It was lovely. I was a bit surprised later when I looked at my activity app to find that it had me at the library and that apparently I had been there since lunchtime. I hadn't been to the library. I certainly wasn't still in it after closing time. It wouldn't let me adjust anything until I had left the library!! Fortunately, I could fix it when I went to the market on Sunday. The market is in Alphington and not in the library

The weather remained lovely on Sunday. Lindsey, Freyja, Simon and I went tov the market and then for coffee and Vegemite toast in a little cafe not far from where they lived in Westgarth. It was also the Melbourne marathon and they had perfect weather for it.The platforms at Jolimont Staton (near the MCG) were packed both when I was going to the market and on the way back. I assume the start/finish line was at the MCG. There were still lots of people running when I was on my way home.

I prepped some of the vegetables I had bought at the market when I got home and organised a few things. I did my daily puzzles, my Japanese vocab practice and my piano practice. It was a fine, sunny, relaxed and fun weekend.

I bought a cat toy that Brandy and Whiskey actually enjoyed playing with.

They absolutely loved it and kept asking for me to turn it back on, or to put it back after I took it away to charge it. Alas, it didn't come with assembly instructions and when I tried to put it together I tore the mat. When I tried to fix it this morning I broke it 😭. I've managed to cobble it back together . I've also sent for a new one. When that arrives (they aren't cheap!) I'm going to ask for proper instructions on how to attach the mat

It's been raining today, although it seems to be clearing now. In addition to the ongoing filming (although no gunshots or explosions are expected today) they are setting up for the Boat Show this coming weekend. 

It's all go in Docklands!

A Day in Docklands

Now that the clocks have gone forward for the summer, my twice weekly online Japanese classes have shifted from 7:00 to 8:00 so there isn't a real need for my alarm to go off at 6:00.  I have turned it off for now.

I tend to wake around 6 anyway, if not earlier. I don't usually get up much before 6, even if I am awake.. Yesterday I got up just after 6, fed the cats, had a cup of tea and did the morning online puzzles. No Japanese class yesterday morning.

At about 6:45 I stood at the window with a cup of coffee, watching the people rowing in the harbour

At 9:15 I left the building and strolled along the water in the sunshine to my 9:30 physiotherapy appointment.  I went to the nearby supermarket after that and then bought some sushi and went and sat by the water while I ate it. It was a beautiful and relaxed morning.

I came home, organised a few things, pottered around and then went out again, stopping for a chat with the concierge on my way out.

I needed to get some replacement gas canisters for my Soda Stream. I had thought about doing it online but it costs $10 in postage. It costs nothing to go into town and swap them over in an actual shop. It is also very slightly cheaper to buy the replacements in the shop rather than online. I live in the free city tram zone. Freyja works in the free city tram zone. There is a shop which sells Soda Stream gas canisters in the complex where Freyja's office is. There is also a Daiso, and I wanted to go to Daiso. I had arranged to meet Freyja for lunch and combine all these activities.

We had bahn mi in Freyja's office. I went to Big W and replaced my gas canisters. I went to Daiso and bought some more sticker tiles so I could finish the front window sill. I came back on the City Circle tram because it was a lovely day and I wasn't in any hurry.

I realised when I got home that the stickers aren't an exact match for the existing ones. They are blue and grey rather than blue and green. I'll go back and see if they have the green ones the next time I am in town.

I did some piano practice and some Japanese practice. I prepped some vegetables for dinner. I brushed the cat. I stirred myself to sweep up the crumbs under the table. I had dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed.

Throughout the day, a bit like a string of twinkle lights, there were work things that needed attention but nothing urgent or that needed me to do something rightnowthisveryminute .

It was a lovely day. Gentle, unrushed, unhurried. Sunny but not too hot (A bit on the windy side though)

Brandy had a good day too
And both cats enjoyed the sunshine pouring into the flat

Tram Challenge Route #58. City to Toorak

The #58 route runs for about 18km from West Coburg to Toorak.

This week allows for free travel on public transport throughout Victoria for anyone with a Senior's Myki card.

The forecast for today was pleasant.

So I met Wendy at the tram stop on the corner of Flinders Street and Queens Bridge Street, which very conveniently is where the #58 stops closest to me. (I think). It would have been even more convenient if I had got off the tram I was on at Market Street opposite the Immigration Museum. Instead, I absentmindedly went on the the next stop - which would have been very convenient had it been Thursday at 4:00, when I would be on my way to my Japanese class, and not 11:30 on Wednesday when I was supposed to be going on a Tram Adventure. I walked back to Market Street, where Wendy was waiting.

We were about half way along the route and decided to go to Toorak. It was an interesting ride. We went to school in South Yarra, so parts of it were familiar. However, the #58 goes along bits of the city that I don't know well, as well as along bits that I am more familiar with. I wasn't really sure where we were once we went round the back of the Arts precinct until we reached ANZAC metro station and Melbourne Grammar School.  Then things fell into place on my mental map.

As we passed through South Yarra and went on to Toorak, the houses got bigger, the trees more lush, the air more expensive. Toorak is like another country. I can't say it's a country I would particularly want to live in. It may be a very affluent suburb but it seemed a bit - well, dull really. (And it's just as well it's not on my map of Desirable Places to Live. I couldn't possibly afford to live there, even in a tiny room in a seedy boarding house, assuming that such things exist in Toorak.)

The tram terminates at Glenferrie Road. I have no idea why. There is absolutely nothing there. Just more very big houses.

Wendy was a bit surprised that we more or less hopped back on the tram to head back into the city. But there didn't seem to be much point in lingering. There wasn't anything obvious to do. Anyway. It was lunchtime and I was hungry. We went back to South Yarra for lunch. 

South Yarra seemed to be quite a bit more vibrant - although the Toorak shops might have been vibrant too if we had got off the tram to have a look.

South Yarra:

Hidden under this mound of wholesome healthiness there is a baked potato with garlic butter, bolognaise sauce and cheese. Very deceptive!

The weather was warm enough to eat outside.

Then we headed back into the city.

I'll do the other half another day. It goes past the zoo, so I could combine finishing the #58 route with lunch or afternoon tea at the zoo

There was a sign pointing to the Prahran market near where we had lunch. It is closed on Wednesdays or we might have gone and had a look; it wasn't all that far from where we were. However, I notice that two of the tram routes I haven't done yet also go quite close. I must remember when one of those routes comes up to go on a day when it is open

Another Week Gone, who knows where

We had rain last week. A lot of rain. A VERY lot of rain!

Harbour Esplanade flooded on the corner of Bourke Street again. And again. It is somewhat alarming how few vehicles slow down as they approach the water, pushing tsunami like waves up and over the pavement. How no-one has a massive accident is a mystery. Rest assured, however, that my flat is safe from flood waters and tsunami like waves. Any flood that reached me would devastate most of bayside Melbourne and probably the CBD as well.

I went to the physio twice during the week. My knee and hip are much better but not yet perfect. I'm going back this week.

I met Lindsey in the Mail Exchange for lunch on Thursday and went with her to Japanese in the evening.

I have begun sorting out my winter garden ready for the summer. I need to get another larger pot for my runner bean experiment and one or two smaller ones so I can plant my herbs in bigger pots. I have also finally, finally, finally put down the rest of the blue and green stickers I bought months ago along the window sills. I haven't quite finished but I have run out of stickers. I'll get some more, if they have any, the next time I am near a Daiso.

I put some sticky hooks up along the top of the windows, balancing on my step stool with some trepidation. One by one they all fell off over the evening and night, even though they weren't holding anything. I have put them back up with super glue. So far they haven't fallen off and I have now attached some fairy lights and a string holding the tomato plant up. I must plant the tomato seeds I bought when I got my ginger rhizome. I think it's probably warm enough now - although so far the ginger plant hasn't pushed up any shoots. I am resisting the temptation to uncover it and see if it is still healthy. Patience, Frances. Patience.  Such is the watchword of the good gardener.

Patience is also the watchword of the very new piano learner. I want to be able to play it properly NOW, but am a long way away from that. I am, in fact, still struggling to read the bass clef and apply it to the piano keys. I can actually read the bass clef. Once upon a very long time ago I played the cello (badly). I just can't seem to translate it into piano. It's a bit like when I was in school and deeply frustrated the sports teachers because I could map field positions onto a piece of paper absolutely accurately but I couldn't translate them onto the actual field. They thought I was being obstreperous. I wasn't. I really couldn't do it, or not easily and certainly not quickly. In order to be able to translate the bass clef into piano, I have bought a book filled with exercises for learning the piano keys and their clefs. Now I just need application. And patience.

It's a bit bizarre, though. I have absolutely no trouble translating the treble clef into piano!

The weather yesterday was glorious. Not particularly warm but sunny and shiny. I went to Geelong on the train. The Sunday Lunchers were meeting at Irene's place for lunch. And a magnificent lunch it was too.  Irene made a chicken, leek and ham pie. We had mini pavlovas with raspberries and blueberries for dessert. But the absolute star was the entree. Gillie had found farm fresh, fat, new season asparagus at a farm shop and we had platefuls of them with melted butter to start. There is very little that beats farm fresh, new season asparagus (unless it is the aforementioned asparagus with new season baby broad beans and/or peas).

It was a lovely afternoon with good company as well as good food.

Then Gillie took me to the station after lunch, with a brief diversion along the beach road so we could see the sea. And my train journey home was entirely uneventful. Quite a change from the last time I tried to come home from Geelong on the train, which you might remember terminated rather abruptly at Wyndham Vale from where I took a bus to Werribee before catching a suburban train back to the city.

I had thought about doing a tram route today but the afternoon is half over and I haven't. I also haven't cleaned the flat, which was the other possibility for today. Not that it takes anything like a whole day to clean my flat, but by mid-afternoon I have usually lost interest in cleaning. I have sorted out the rubbish and I've changed the bedding and washed the sheets and pillowcases. I've sort of tidied the kitchen. I have not sorted out the vegetables, which I bought at the supermarket this week because I went to Geelong on the train yesterday instead of the Alphington market. 

I cannot argue that today has been a particularly productive day!

And, having announced to the lunch table yesterday that I had already adapted to the change in the clock to daylight saving time (I sort of started on Friday and Saturday and it is, after all, only an hour's difference, such as between Eastern Standard Time and Tokyo time, or London and Paris time), having announced that, I managed to sleep in this morning. Fortunately, Brandy and Whiskey didn't notice. They are still on Standard time 😂