Tuesday morning we again had breakfast of eggs benedict. We are eating well here in the Carleton area, known for its restaurants. What a place to stay! We are walking so much that we need the fuel.
After missing the visitor bus we walked a considerable distance to Federation Square to the Melbourne Motion Picture Industry museum. This intractive museum was a lot of fun as we saw how strobe lights create motion effects and recorded ourselves seeming to float. There are lots of tricks. The museum was good...and it was free.
Outside in Federation Square some people were already encamped, ready to view the Melbourne Cup on a huge screen. Pre-Melbourne Cup interviews and predictions were showing at noon...with the race scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the cup favorite, Emirraque, died shortly after the race. This has generated much controversy about abuse of horses. A second horse had to be put-down after it broke its leg when spooked by someone waving a flag. SAD! SAD! SAD!
We took the visitor bus to the Melbourne Museum and then walked back to our hotel for a nap.
Tuesday evening...we boarded The Colonial Tramcar Dinner Tour, an old tram restaurant car, for a wonderful tour and great dinner. This daily operation has pre-booked seating in an old tram car. Based on our good frirnds' recommendations we had made reservations for this journey. It was well worth it. We boarded around 5:45 p.m. and were seated at a table for four with Tom and Dianne with Larry and Val across the narrow isle. The tables were complete with linens and settings that reminded us of old times. Beginning with champagne, we had appetizers followed by a choice of main entree. The wines were very goood, the service was very personal and good. The tram lines tookk us south into some residential neighborhoods and we enjoyed viewing the old residences, and amusement park and the bay.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Melbourne
Sunday, November 2..in Carleton area of Melbourne. This is an area where Italians settled in the early days. There are so may wonderful resturants it is hard to choose where to eat. Lygon Street is on the back side of the block on which our hotel is located.
We caught the hop-on/hop-off Visitor Shuttle, a very convenient shuttle bus that runs around the city. It is very prompt with a bus every 30 minutes. It is supposed to cost $5 per day with ticket machines at each of the 13 stops or at the Visitor Center. The ticket machines take only coins or credit cards. We had tried to purchase tickets by credit card...with no luck, so we boarded at the #5 stop on Lygon Street with the driver saying, "No matter, Mate, just get a ticket at another stop." So off we went. At another stop when the driver said we would wait a couple minutes, we again tried to buys tickets using our cards, as none of us had the requisite coinage...but, again it did not work, so we again boarded the bus and rode the complete loop, which takes about 90 minutes. The tour is guided with both the driver and recorded commentary about the sights we were passing. Only trouble was that our driver spoke so fast that we could barely understand his Australian English. But the brochure helped. And the recorded commentary was very clear. With this overview of the city we began planning our next three days. At another stop, we again trird to buy tickets on credit card, slowely realizing that the driver did not give a damn and that the machines were not working for credit cards on Sunday. So we rode for free.
We wanted to see the Queen Victoria Market, in existence since 1878. It is a very large market place with produce and food on one side and merchandise on another and attracts both locals and tourists. We spent about two hours there...taking photos and talking to merchants.
We decided to walk from Victoria Market to the Old Melbourne Goal. A Crime and Justice Experience, which had been recommended to Becky by the young French woman on the plane from Hamilton Island. This old jail was in use until 1994. Tom, Dianne, Val and Becky took the tour. Paul and Larry decided to continue on back to the hotel. The jail tour included signage about Melbourne's most notorious prisoners with extensive signage and photos. In a near by building that contianed the holding cells, we were participants in a mock lock-up and decriptions of what one whould go though, if arrested. Photos for a wedding were taking place in a gtassy area outside the jail. Remember: Australia was settle by many criminals...shipped here from England and Europe.
After the "goal" experience, we walked back to our hotel. After wine in Larry and Val's room we headed out to dinner at the University Hotel on Lygon Street, a most delicious Italian eatery. The veal special was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Also, two bottles of wine at only $18 per bottle; the best wine we've had so far on our trip.
Two couples at the next table weere in from Perth for the Melbourne Cup, a horse race that is a national event. Most all Australians we have encountered are very helpful and very friendly. We chatted, they took photos of all of us. We learned what a big even the Melbourne Cup really is. It's a public holiday.
Monday morning Paul and I set out early to eat breakfast and then to the post ofice to get a box so we could mail some extra stuff from the tropical sailing trip back to California by seal mail. After that we again caught the hop-on bus...free because of the holiday to see the parade that started at 12 noon.
We caught the hop-on/hop-off Visitor Shuttle, a very convenient shuttle bus that runs around the city. It is very prompt with a bus every 30 minutes. It is supposed to cost $5 per day with ticket machines at each of the 13 stops or at the Visitor Center. The ticket machines take only coins or credit cards. We had tried to purchase tickets by credit card...with no luck, so we boarded at the #5 stop on Lygon Street with the driver saying, "No matter, Mate, just get a ticket at another stop." So off we went. At another stop when the driver said we would wait a couple minutes, we again tried to buys tickets using our cards, as none of us had the requisite coinage...but, again it did not work, so we again boarded the bus and rode the complete loop, which takes about 90 minutes. The tour is guided with both the driver and recorded commentary about the sights we were passing. Only trouble was that our driver spoke so fast that we could barely understand his Australian English. But the brochure helped. And the recorded commentary was very clear. With this overview of the city we began planning our next three days. At another stop, we again trird to buy tickets on credit card, slowely realizing that the driver did not give a damn and that the machines were not working for credit cards on Sunday. So we rode for free.
We wanted to see the Queen Victoria Market, in existence since 1878. It is a very large market place with produce and food on one side and merchandise on another and attracts both locals and tourists. We spent about two hours there...taking photos and talking to merchants.
We decided to walk from Victoria Market to the Old Melbourne Goal. A Crime and Justice Experience, which had been recommended to Becky by the young French woman on the plane from Hamilton Island. This old jail was in use until 1994. Tom, Dianne, Val and Becky took the tour. Paul and Larry decided to continue on back to the hotel. The jail tour included signage about Melbourne's most notorious prisoners with extensive signage and photos. In a near by building that contianed the holding cells, we were participants in a mock lock-up and decriptions of what one whould go though, if arrested. Photos for a wedding were taking place in a gtassy area outside the jail. Remember: Australia was settle by many criminals...shipped here from England and Europe.
After the "goal" experience, we walked back to our hotel. After wine in Larry and Val's room we headed out to dinner at the University Hotel on Lygon Street, a most delicious Italian eatery. The veal special was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Also, two bottles of wine at only $18 per bottle; the best wine we've had so far on our trip.
Two couples at the next table weere in from Perth for the Melbourne Cup, a horse race that is a national event. Most all Australians we have encountered are very helpful and very friendly. We chatted, they took photos of all of us. We learned what a big even the Melbourne Cup really is. It's a public holiday.
Monday morning Paul and I set out early to eat breakfast and then to the post ofice to get a box so we could mail some extra stuff from the tropical sailing trip back to California by seal mail. After that we again caught the hop-on bus...free because of the holiday to see the parade that started at 12 noon.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Hamilton Island to Melbourne
It was very hot in Shute Harbor, Hamilton Island as we docked on Friday, October 31st. Ran the A/C but it did not satisfy in our port, forward cabin.
Up very early Saturday morning to make coffee, toast and scrambled eggs. Then clean up and the last minute scramble to get everything into our bags. We said "goodbye" to Alida, our 38'4" catamaran.
We headed to the airport around 8:30 to enable use of free WiFi...and real A/C. With eight planes leaving Hamilton Saturday morning the place was eventually a mad house. But we were first in line. Got checked in...through security and got a table for six.
Our flight to Melbourne was uneventful. Paul and I slept. Landing was the roughest, most tippy I have every encountered, due to rain bursts happening in Melbourne. Temperature when we landed was 14 C/57 F. It had been a rainy day for this city.
We caught a maxi-taxi from the airport to our hotel, A Best Western The Travel Inn Hotel at the corner of Grotton and Drumond Streets. It's a small hotel in the Carlton area...Italian, students and plenty of small eateries and fun shops.
Paul and Larry went out to find some wine, which we enjoyed in Larry and Val's room before walking to the restaurant. On the other side of the block the boys had found DOC, an Italian pasta restaurant. Just ask a local who is walking his dog is Paul's method. DOC turned out to be an excellent choice. We enjoyed a glass of wine and excellent food.
At 6:26 a.m. I have been up for an hour. The sky is clear high up. Seems it may be a mostly clear day. but temps only to go up to 59 F. (I was wrong in e-mail, sent earlier.) Looking forwward to a fun day of exploring Melbourne
Up very early Saturday morning to make coffee, toast and scrambled eggs. Then clean up and the last minute scramble to get everything into our bags. We said "goodbye" to Alida, our 38'4" catamaran.
We headed to the airport around 8:30 to enable use of free WiFi...and real A/C. With eight planes leaving Hamilton Saturday morning the place was eventually a mad house. But we were first in line. Got checked in...through security and got a table for six.
Our flight to Melbourne was uneventful. Paul and I slept. Landing was the roughest, most tippy I have every encountered, due to rain bursts happening in Melbourne. Temperature when we landed was 14 C/57 F. It had been a rainy day for this city.
We caught a maxi-taxi from the airport to our hotel, A Best Western The Travel Inn Hotel at the corner of Grotton and Drumond Streets. It's a small hotel in the Carlton area...Italian, students and plenty of small eateries and fun shops.
Paul and Larry went out to find some wine, which we enjoyed in Larry and Val's room before walking to the restaurant. On the other side of the block the boys had found DOC, an Italian pasta restaurant. Just ask a local who is walking his dog is Paul's method. DOC turned out to be an excellent choice. We enjoyed a glass of wine and excellent food.
At 6:26 a.m. I have been up for an hour. The sky is clear high up. Seems it may be a mostly clear day. but temps only to go up to 59 F. (I was wrong in e-mail, sent earlier.) Looking forwward to a fun day of exploring Melbourne
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