More than anything, it has a great atmosphere. Further south than Sydney, in the winter the weather is noticeably cooler. On Friday, Anne and I ventured into the city just to walk around. The architecture is an incredible blend of the old and the new. It's amazing standing at one point looking at the past and the future right next to each other in architectural form. There is also a tremendous amount of public artwork around the city for all to enjoy. It's no wonder Melnourne is known as the artistic hub of Australia, it's just so creative.
Federation square.
A piece of freestanding street art. This one is an abstract depiction of fire and warmth.
It's really very eclectic.
Old + new. This isn't the best example but I can't seem to locate my better ones.
We then went to stroll around the botanical gardens and to have lunch. The weather began to shift for the colder but they are a huge piece of public property that I'm very glad I got to see. And then we rode a tram! Melbourne has the largest tram system in the world (okay, I Think that's a fact). It's pretty slow, and a bit confusing, but nonetheless it's a big pub transit system, and so I like it!
Over the next few days, here are some other attractions I visited in Melbourne:
Collins street arcades - there are a few very charming Parisian style arcades on the upscale Collins street.
Cheese stall at Victoria Market.
Victoria market - to go along with my theme of going to a market in each location thus far, I thought it necessary to go to the biggest market in the southern hemisphere. Though definitely not as big as Chatachuk in Bangkok, this huge market had a really nice sense of order - like Chatachuk it sold pretty much everything you could think of, but everything was also "in it's place". It is definitely both a tourist attraction (there is a very knick-knacky section that I cannot imagine a native Melbourne-ian(?) bothering to visit) and a local destination (fantastic fresh food sections). the market opened in 1878 and has been going ever since!
Meat at one of the stalls. It was fun and old fashioned in the meat "district" - the butchered yelled off prices like auctioneers. When one got frustrated at the lack of attention he was getting from shoppers, he shouted "what is wrong with you people" in the middle of his spouting.
The very tame fruits and veges section.
On our last day, just before we headed out of the city, Anne's cousin, Cinti, made sure we saw the National Gallery of Victoria. Thank goodness she did. It is a phenomenal gallery. We didn't have much time so we focused on two exhibits. First, a beautiful collection of aboriginal artwork, and then the Australian art gallery, which chronologically showed the best of Australian artwork, and though not as internationally recognizable as things like the Mona Lisa, some were SO good!
One of my favorite aboriginal pieces.
John Brack's "Collins Street, 5pm". I loved the John Brack work on display here. He is definitely an artist I would like to learn more about. my other favorite piece in the exhibit was Max Dupain's "Sunbaker." In the shop later there were some well priced prints and I decided if there was one of the Sunbaker I might have to buy. Sadly (or maybe happily for my growing suitcase and depleting bank account), there was no print.
Perhaps the most fun thing about Melbourne, however, is that I got to reconnect with my childhood friend Jonelle! We were able to meet up for three really fun meals, and had some really good laughs - definitely a mix of a trip down memory lane and big catching up. Jonelle has now lived in Melbourne for a few years and funnily has started to pick up bits of the accent (I think, Australians don't think so). I had a blast getting to know a few of Jonelle's very fun friends and her Aussie boyfriend, Anthony.
Me and Jonelle at a bar called "Cookie" that had the biggest selection of specialty drinks I've ever seen. We each got one and were fortunate enough to be seated at the bar and get chatty enough with the bar tender that he gave us some amazing free samples (well, we asked for them and he obliged, we were going off Jonelle's dad always saying that "it never hurts to ask..." and lesson learned, it doesn't).
Melbourne is a funny place for tourism. I had the same exchange with various people about it:
"wow, only two days, you don't have enough time!"
"well, what would be most important for me to see?"
and then no answer. but after my few days there I get it. Melbourne doesn't have monuments and isn't abundant in "sights" yet it has a whole vibe that kind of settles on you while you are there. Jonelle put it best saying that it's really about the food and drinks and people to her. Cinti agreed.
The drive back was largely uneventful - we stayed at a cute little motel on the river that divides Victoria from New South Wales. the weather switched on and off repeatedly and we saw some dark and foreboding skies and also some incredible rainbows.
The rough Australian bush.
And there you have it - I'm back at my home away from home away from home in Australia!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We missed you!! (though good to be "forced" to detach from technology for a while!). Got your email - great photo of you - happy & beaming!
ReplyDeleteYou'll have a new appreciation for Paige's (Aboriginal) art collection. Funny we both re-connected with close childhood friends in AU! xoxo