I arrived here on February 27, and with the exception of 9 days in Adelaide and Perth and environs, I’ve been here in Melbourne. And it’s a really great city; easy to navigate, sophisticated but laid back, beautiful gardens and restaurants and street scenes, artsy. But I’m ready to move on. Cities aren’t really where I find my bliss these days, so as much as I’ve enjoyed this one, I’m looking forward to the next part of my adventure.
So, for my last day I wandered about on streets and lanes I’d not before wandered around, getting slightly lost, but basically heading for the Royal Botanic Gardens, which may be the only gardens in Melbourne I haven’t seen. I had some different river views of the city, and saw some different buildings and more interesting designs in the architecture. I found memorials and tributes to the wartime relationships between the Australians and the Greeks (WWII), and Australians and the Turks (WWI), and a special monument to Malta. I must say that everywhere I’ve been has tributes to the ANZAC forces and the various wars that Australians have participated in.
At the Royal Botanic Garden’s Observatory Gate there were two very quaint observatories which were critical to the success of this colony when it was established. Since most everything arrived by ship the starcharts and determination of local time made in this observatory provided the means by which mariners could navigate. Built in 1863, astronomers were able to view stars never seen from the Northern Hemisphere and produce star maps of great value to the Observatories in Europe. The Gardens themselves are lovely and green and lush and where families and lovers had gathered to picnic in the grass and enjoy the breeze. In the lake were a pair of black swans and their 5-6 cygnets, which were fluffy and gray. And there’s a water fowl with a very red beak that I’ve seen all over Australia and I wish I knew it’s name. Not that I’m bird obsessed, but have you ever seen such big blue eyes as on these white cockatoos?
The only thing disturbing the peace of this place were the flyovers of whatever the Australian version of the Blue Angels are — the 6 planes were doing a show of some sort, with dips and loops. Pretty fascinating to watch. And then there was some other jet that you could hear before you could see it, and sometimes didn’t even see it, but it was deafening — like it was breaking the sound barrier. All because the Australian Grand Prix was this weekend, and it was literally just across the road from the Gardens — pretty much in the city. So much going on at once in this city it seems.
I met Simone and Louisa (my friend and her daughter from NZ) to see Beauty & the Beast this evening. It is a favorite of 21-year-old Louisa, just as it was for Lizzie (and me). It is a glorious, wonderful movie. And I did cry a little. And really people — and uproar over a gay character? As Colbert said, shouldn’t we have been more disturbed that our daughters be exposed to someone like Gaston?!?!?
And now I say goodbye to Melbourne. A lovely place and a lovely visit. I was glad to have had so many opportunities to spend time with my sister and her family, and wish that distance didn’t make it so difficult to do more frequently.
And I’m off again.
sorry it has taken so long to chime in……I love reading about your journeys. SOOOOOOOO awesome.