We loved, I mean really LOVED Melbourne. If CSL decided to open an office in Melbourne and asked us to make the move, well, I might have started packing yesterday.
But seriously, what a fantastic city. We've both been lucky enough to zigzag around the world and we agree it was the prettiest city we've ever been too. And I don't think this is just China skewing our perception. New and old architecture just seemed to work perfectly together. It's a fantastic walking city, has a very international feel to it, with gorgeous green parks and a bustling waterfront.
We squeezed a lot in to our last few days:
- Melbourne Aquarium--was really expensive and not nearly as nice as the New England Aquarium
- National Gallery of Victoria--Vienna: Art and Design Secession exhibit. For the most part I really enjoyed getting to reminisce. The secessionists were all about making everyday, functional items into art. Brian was just excited to realize that one day, he too could have his tool chest on display in a museum if he just paints it creatively.
- Lost and found our passports. Thank goodness we came back to the same hotel after spending 3 days on the Great Ocean Road! But why on earth did they not call us to tell us they had them? We didn't realize we'd lost them until we checked back in!
- Managed to find a decent amount of summer clothes that actually fit us in the middle of Australia's (incredibly mild) winter. Everyone else was all bundled up in pea coats and scarves. We were loving it in t-shirts and windbreakers.
- Reunited with Costco. Purchased 2 liters of maple syrup for Brian, toothpaste and other essentials we can't find/don't trust in China.
- Melbourne Museum--National Geographic King Tut exhibit. Talk about HORRIBLE crowd management. We were like cattle being herded through the exhibit. Was not enjoyable at all because of it. Plus, all the ads for the exhibit showed King Tut's sarcophagus. It wasn't there. I know Egypt keeps a tight grip on it's treasures, but they didn't even have a replica on display. Just an outline on the floor of how big it would be.
- After reading/seeing 3 interviews in which Andrew's in Melbourne is declared the best burger in all of Australia, we made the trip only to be served up pretty average burgers. We've come to the conclusion that Australia is lagging fair bit behind in the beer and burger categories. Dad, don't ever brew a licorice stout.
- Got a brief reminder of home when walking thru Melbourne's (way too clean) Chinatown and a young boy walks out of a restaurant with a bucket of steaming sludge and pours it into the public trash can on the sidewalk.
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| Yarra River |
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| View from atop the Royal Botanic Gardens |
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| Shrine of Remembrance war memorial |
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| Waterfront | |
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| Royal Exhibition Hall |
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| Federation Square with Flinders Station in background |
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| Flinders Station |
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| Federation Square |
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| Essential souvenirs you can't find in China. |
And how could you not love a city that sells sneakers like these? Bri says it looks like I beat up Richard Simmons for his shoes. I call them my Rainbow Brite shoes and insisted they make me smile so much, they'll inspire me to be better about my exercise routine. I wear them all the time, but P.S., they haven't.
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| Love at first sight. |
Our month in Australia ended with the perfect finale--fireworks over the harbor.
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| Grand Farewell |
