Today was my last full day in Melbourne. Tomorrow (Friday) at noon I fly to Sydney, and then Saturday night I start my flight back to the States (and it's a long one -- I'm flying through Beijing -- it was the only flight I could get with points --- or actually the only one that wasn't a bazillion points).
It was an absolutely gorgeous day today -- sunny and in the low 60s. I took a tram over to Chapel Street in South Yarra. Chapel St. is supposed to be one of the best shopping areas in Melbourne -- I wasn't that impressed (although I did find a great little jewelry store). After walking around for a bit -- I hopped back on the tram and took it to Domain Road -- just south of the Royal Botanic Gardens. There's a row of cafes there -- so I decided to stop at one, sit outside -- and have some lunch. After lunch -- I took a long walk through the gardens (and stopped for awhile to read & enjoy the sunshine -- and to have afternoon tea of sorts -- scones with clotted cream & jam and coffee)
Ordering food in Australia is interesting. Unless it's a tiny restaurant or a ritzy restaurant -- it's rare that a waiter takes your order --- instead, you go up to the counter -- place your order & pay. They'll either give you a little number stick/stand thing --- or they'll ask you the number of your table (see pic 7). And then you go sit down -- and they bring the food to your table when it's ready. It's kind of a nice system -- when you are done -- you just leave -- don't have to wait around to pay your bill (and it works in Australia because you generally don't tip). Even at restaurants where they take your order at the table -- it's rare that you pay at the table -- you typically go up to the counter or wherever the register is and pay there. I think that in the past 3 months -- there have only been 2x that I have paid at the table.
Weather: sunny -- not a cloud in the sky, 45 - 63F
Miles Walked: 6.8
Pic Notes (order is once again a bit odd):
It was an absolutely gorgeous day today -- sunny and in the low 60s. I took a tram over to Chapel Street in South Yarra. Chapel St. is supposed to be one of the best shopping areas in Melbourne -- I wasn't that impressed (although I did find a great little jewelry store). After walking around for a bit -- I hopped back on the tram and took it to Domain Road -- just south of the Royal Botanic Gardens. There's a row of cafes there -- so I decided to stop at one, sit outside -- and have some lunch. After lunch -- I took a long walk through the gardens (and stopped for awhile to read & enjoy the sunshine -- and to have afternoon tea of sorts -- scones with clotted cream & jam and coffee)
Ordering food in Australia is interesting. Unless it's a tiny restaurant or a ritzy restaurant -- it's rare that a waiter takes your order --- instead, you go up to the counter -- place your order & pay. They'll either give you a little number stick/stand thing --- or they'll ask you the number of your table (see pic 7). And then you go sit down -- and they bring the food to your table when it's ready. It's kind of a nice system -- when you are done -- you just leave -- don't have to wait around to pay your bill (and it works in Australia because you generally don't tip). Even at restaurants where they take your order at the table -- it's rare that you pay at the table -- you typically go up to the counter or wherever the register is and pay there. I think that in the past 3 months -- there have only been 2x that I have paid at the table.
Weather: sunny -- not a cloud in the sky, 45 - 63F
Miles Walked: 6.8
Pic Notes (order is once again a bit odd):
- 1: 'Personal Islands' by Robert Jacks
- In 1988, Jacks spent 6 months in Cornwall, England, during which he filled 28 sketchbooks with drawings based on graffiti from museums and the streets. 'Personal Islands' takes its inspiration from those sketches, transforming the illicit art of graffiti into a sanctioned and more permanent form.
- 2 - 5: Chapel St. area, South Yarra
- 4: There are a lot of tattoo parlors in Melbourne -- almost one on every street -- click here for an article on their obsession with tattoos.
- 7: my lunch table
- 6, 8 - 24: Royal Botanic Gardens (lots of pictures of flowers / trees)
- 13: I went back -- still couldn't find any of the enormous pinecones
- 15 - 16: Finally spotted a Laughing Kookaburra in the wild! Made my day.
- 17: A Bell Miner aka Bellbird. There were a bunch of them flying between a couple of eucalyptus trees (they wouldn't sit still though for a picture .. ha!). They make an interesting sound -- like sonar pings (video attached)
- 18: Punt in the Gardens
- punt - a long, narrow flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation
- 24 (video): Bellbirds "singing"
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