Moving onto Melbourne, part 1.

Many Australians fly between cities rather than spending 12 hours on a coach, but for an Australian novice, it is the best way to see the many small towns, and the vast farms. And when we stopped, well you could be travelling through Asia and get a much better pit stop than the run down garage on its last legs that we hovered for half an hour around. But it was still fun. I got into Melbourne Saturday night and I was warned that there would be many people out drunk celebrating after the Aussie rules game, but instead I was quickly and quietly installed in the hostel and to my surprise only sharing with one other person. My schedule in Melbourne was largely influenced by the need to see several people, planned events, other people, unplanned events and some penquins, and sculptures and yet also have time to enjoy the city on my own. I person never replied, I am still on Facebook with them and Instagram and I would have loved to have had a conversation with them, but those I did see were really important people - my nephew, my honarary nephew and a sort of honarary cousin and his family and a friend of a friend.

The Tea Room, Royal Arcade. 

Sunday morning, was sunny and warm, perfect brunch weather in Melbourne, I shared with it with my honorary nephew who walked me across the river, to a place a bit like the South Bank for a meal and a catch up. His late mother, was a good friend, and he and his wife had moved only recently to be with his wife's family. No sooner had he dropped me back at the hostel than my nephew and his partner turned up and they returned me to the Flinders station area, down to an art gallery and gardens before heading back into town where we found a tea room not unlike those in the Victorian arcades in Britain. 

St Kildas. 

 Monday, my original plan was to head down to St Kildas on my own in time to try and see the penquins, and I sort of still did that, but the whole day had an unexpected dimension. DP, who previously has been living in Berlin with his wife, daughter and grandson, were starting their planned return to life in Australia earlier than expected and were in Melbourne the same week as me. So they joined me in St Kilda's for a very late lunch, for a walk along the beach to the boardwalk where a couple of penguins were and then we had tea and cake before going in our various directions. In the old days it might have been possible to stay a bit later and see a lot more penguins, but we were only allowed to stay till just after 5 so only saw those penguins looking after the home! Still very cute and better than nothing, but really most of the day was spent just enjoying hearing about DP's childhood visits to this seaside part of Melbourne.                          

Flinders Station