I’m loving Melbourne, particularly as I’ve just booked to see Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” starring Geoffrey Rush no less. An unexpected bonus!
I walked around for almost 7 hours with only a couple of breaks, it’s a beautiful city for walking, everything is so accessible. Four major sporting venues – the MCG, Rod Laver arena, the Grand Prix circuit and an Aussie Rules stadium – are virtually next to each other, all close to the City centre; contrast this with the distance between, say, Wembley and Wimbledon in London. And there are lots of great bars and restaurants, but not cheap. What Melbourne lacks is the iconic buildings and views that its big rival Sydney has, which is probably why it has a lower profile for UK tourists. The weather is unusually cool (around 19 deg), but quite pleasant and the rain is holding off.
We ended the day with dinner on a specially converted Melbourne tram, travelling around the City at night. The wine flowed freely and the food was excellent. A good time was had by all!
The Beast's Pen 