The first day I arrived Kellie (my friend whom is generously taking me in) picked me up at the airport and we went back to her home in Greensborough, a suburb just north of Melbourne. I did my best to stay awake all day, but after venturing out to the Plaza with Kellie, it became obvious that I needed to rest.
The Plaza is a shopping center near Kellie's home. It reminded me of Pioneer Place a bit. An indoor mall where one may find most anything one may need...including many stores we have back home like Target, Footlocker, and The Body Shop. The ease of fitting in with the English speaking Aussies surprised me. I did not feel like a tourist. Australia didn't feel like home, but felt as if I was just visiting another state, new to me (at least so far).
That night we ordered Take Away (take-out) as it is a tradition to do so on Friday evening. Many Americans do the same by ordering pizza on Fridays, here however they order Fish & Chips. I delighted in potato cakes, freshly fried fish, and chips (french fries) with Kellie, her husband Mark, and their friend Katie as we watched Footy, Aussie Rules Football. I crashed soon after the game's end.
The next morning I awoke feeling rested and was ready to explore. Kellie and Mark had decided that they would take me into the city and show me the sites. Mark was very knowledgeable of the city's history and an excellent tour guide. Kellie seemed to be just as excited as me about touring the city and had her camera out, if not even more than myself.
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| View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River (near the MCG and Rod Laver Arena) |
I started to realize that this big city was not a US city, but Melbourne as we passed by Rod Laver Arena, the home of the Australian Open. I became giddy and requested to walk over to the arena to get a better look at it. People where playing at the courts (which you can hire for $40/hr). While steep to play a set of
tennis, it may be worth it to be able to say you've played where all the tennis superstars have.
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| Mesha in front of Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
The city is divided into two parts by the Yarra River. We walked along the river to Federation Square: Melbourne's Meeting Place (similiar to Pioneer Square, but with more going on) the visiter's center, past the iconic Flinder's Street Train Station, and then we walked along the riverside to Southgate, along the southbank, which allowed us spectacular views of the city and the river.
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| Federation Square: Melbourne's Meeting Place in Melbourne, Australia |
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| Flinder's Street Station (for suburban trains in/out of Melbourne) |
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| view across the Yarra River from Southgate of a Pedestrian Bridge |
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| Another view of the city...we managed to escape just as the dark clouds rolled in. |
Sunday I was not feeling well, and so I decided to stay home from Bendigo and Nan's 90th (a 2 hr drive north) and rest. I spent the day in bed. I slept for the majority of the day and watched a video I had downloaded about food in Melbourne. By the evening I was feeling much better and was able to enjoy the company of Mark and his friends visiting from Switzerland whom were a delightful couple gearing up to backpack in Alice Springs before returning to Grindelwald, Switzerland (a place I've actually been).
I am finally caught up with today. Its a chilly 13 degrees celcius (which is about 55 degress farenheit), so as I have sat here and typed I have made sure to keep my tea close at hand. I hope to plan more of my trip and may venture out to the plaza...or stay in. I'm on holiday! - Mesha
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