Melbourne

   We returned yesterday from a 5 day trip to Melbourne and surrounding areas of Victoria (Melbourne's state).  It was a short one hour plane trip to get there, much quicker than our last plane trip!  We were lucky to have great weather and to stay half the time with our Chapel Hill neighbor Peter's parents.  They were lovely hosts and we'll be happy to catch up with them again, whether in this hemisphere or ours. 

     We spent our first day in Melbourne, and part of our last day there as well.  In that short time we were able to eat some very yummy food (Melbourne beats Sydney in that regard!), ride a tram, visit the Old Melbourne Gaol (jail), see a Footy (Aussie Rules Football) game at the famous MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens, check out the opulent lobby at the Crown Casino, see the juxtaposition of old and new architecture at Federation Square and wander through some of the art-filled lanes for which Melbourne is known.

     It is impossible to characterize a large city based on less than two days, but we did observe some distinct differences between Melbourne and Sydney.  With its wide streets, Melbourne feels much more spacious than Sydney.  The city center is also less noisy, in part due to fewer buses than in Sydney.  There is a lot of public art throughout the city and even on the motorways leading out to the suburbs. I wish I had had my camera handy numerous times.  Sydney has amazing natural beauty with its harbor and waterviews, perhaps lessening the interest in public art?  A few photos from our time in the city -

  

 We heard from many that Melbournians wear much more black than folks in Sydney.  Ya think?

Looking south down the Yarra River, past the MCG and Rod Laver Arena.



    In recent years, Melbourne has become known for its graffiti-filled lanes (alleys).   They are constantly changing and have become the subject of walking tours for both locals and tourists.  Apparently some folks even choose to get married there. We loved checking out several of them.

    Sam took a short walk with our host Saturday morning and arrived back at their house with the news that the neighborhood kangaroo troop/mob was just down the street.  We headed out to catch our first glimpse of wild 'roos. 



  An amazing way to start our day!  More posts to come, as soon as I sort through the hundreds of photos.