So here we staying on the south bank of the Yarra river, surrounded by art centres and bars and restaurants.
Looking one way is a familiar looking road bridge (this one pre-dates Southwark bridge by 40 years)
The city motto and crest are on the bridge: roughly translated it means – ‘he who travels grows’ from Virgil – (we take note) hopefully not just around the tummy…
And the other way is a foot bridge
Directly opposite are city skyscrapers. There are plane trees, sparrows, foxgloves (!) pigeons, blackbirds, cool temperatures and a familiar grey sky..
But among the plane trees are palm trees; with the pigeons and seagulls are strutting miner birds; the pretty ducklings on the river are not mallards but Australian wood ducks; and taking the tram to St Kilda’s we find seaside, a pretty pier Kiosk, recently restored,
And… penguins!
These are Little penguins (their name and size) and are the cutest I have seen.
If you go just before sunset you can see the chicks (and tourists) waiting patiently for their parents to return from fishing.
Then just as it gets dark the parents return and make their way over rocks and through throngs of tourists back to their young.
On the shore, Melbourne sparkled in the sunset
The next day we followed a ‘lanes and alleys’ city walk and found it very familiar:
Bijoux stationers,
European style arcades
Statues to 19th century men (Flinders looks like anyone would with a seagull on his head)
Art Deco, Victorian & modern buildings,
The newly renovated Flinders station,
Street art (mostly not a patch on Shoreditch)
Even aboriginal art is ironically appropriating western contemporary affectation
I visited the Victoria art gallery which has some very familiar names and plenty of excellent 19th century art. Here is a Tissot- two young ladies bored to death,
Landseer’s scene of Titania with Bottom – the rabbit apparently inspired Lewis Carrol,
Elizabeth Thompson’s dramatic portrayal of the brave defenders at Quatre Bras (2 days before Waterloo)
And from Waterhouse, one of my favourites, the sirens and Ulysses,
Then there was one that was a reminder of where I really am:
Walking towards the river there are boathouses and rowers
There’s a punt in the beautiful Botanical gardens
After red earth and blazing skies we feel like we are back home …but not quite.
Now we are looking forward to visiting David’s cousin Annie and meeting her daughter Mika for the first time this evening!