I have been meaning to put this post up for ages but have been super lazy! Anyway this details my second week in Melbourne, picking up from here and here.
My second week in Melbourne was absolutely mental. From Sunday onwards it consisted of visitors, visiting and talking. I would be catching up with EVERYONE!
On Sunday, I ventured back to Nadine and Chris’. James was going to go to Emerald to spend time with Nadine’s mum, Jill. So Nadine and I piled in the car and went up to Emerald. We ran down the hill to watch Puffing Bill steam along the tracks and wave to everyone on the train – oh boy I cannot wait to get Bill himself onto Puffing Billy!!! We then planned to go where we would always go for dinner, Taco BILL! We went there all excited and then… closed. Of course – week between Christmas and New Year nothing is open for ANYTHING! We quickly refused to hit the Souvlaki Hut next door so ended up at the lovely Golden Dragon Palace restaurant in Doncaster where we had surprised Nadine once for her birthday! We ate up and enjoyed the simple pleasures of hanging out for no particular reason at all!
Here is the proof for Bill that a place called Taco Bill actually exists –
On Monday, the plan was to head down to Matthew’s place in Carlton so I could finally check out his Clinic and we would go out for lunch and then even though I had finished the family history I wanted go to the Melbourne Cemetery so I could see if I could find some more gravesites (if you are into genealogy this equates to a very exciting afternoon!). This is one of my favourite streets in Melbourne, Rathdowne Street –
It was great seeing Matthew’s place and I had to take some photos of the clinic so I can update his website. We then headed to a super secret place for lunch that I cannot divulge anymore information about! While I was in Carlton I wanted to see if I could get Avanti! and Sempre Avanti! which were my old Italian books from school. I want to brush up on my Italian and these books and the learning style they present are just awesome. So we dropped into the Scorpo Italian Bookshop where I was able to order them in. Dario! Dario! Dario e sempre in ritardo! The bookshop is awesome – if you are in Carlton it is a great place to check out.
It was a warm but comfortable day and perfect weather for cemetery exploring. Mum and I spent nearly three hours wandering the grounds and we had SOME success.
It took us about 1.5 hours to find this, the Cleary Family plot –
We also found this where two young children of the family were buried.
Um yes. Dirt. But I was so excited.
As for my Great, Great Grandfather’s grave – no such luck. I might give this one more try when I head back in April.
We were mainly walking in the shade, but as I had to learn the hard way, it didn’t matter a bit. Just this short amount of time and I was burnt and very sorry for myself that evening.
On Tuesday I was house bound because the iPhone I ordered for dad from Telstra was being delivered so I had to be home until that arrived. That was perfect as it meant… VISITORS!!!
One visitor was meant to be a surprise – and that was a visit from Warbo. I knew that this was planned (I know everything that is going on at all times!) and as soon as I heard his Harley pull up in the driveway I ran out and had to tell him I knew all about it. We spent the whole day catching up, eating mums chicken schnitzel sandwiches and reminiscing about old times.
Here I am on his Harley –
And here we are – friends for 14 years now!
One thing that was SO funny is he was out showing me some things on the bike when our neighbour Scott saw the bike and wandered over for a visit. Then while we were all standing in the front yard, the postie pulled up on his bike and wanted to discuss the bike as well. You want attention? Get a Harley! Having a front yard like that that is something I miss SO dearly – it is a social thing and everyone always hangs out in their front yard/driveway. Why can’t have a front yard here!? GRRR!
Then later that afternoon Fiona dropped in with Georgia and Annabelle. When I left Australia, Annabelle had just been born. It was so strange seeing her all grown up and now Georgia has just started school. Here we are and my sunburn is looking particularly gross –
The phone never got delivered – it is a long drawn out saga that drives me crazy so I cannot even go into it! But as soon as Fiona and Warbo left I had to get ready as it was time to catch up with school friends.
For some dumb reason I forgot to take photos of us all together but anyway Bernadette and Luke (yep wedding photographer Luke) and Bich all went out to dinner to Balsamic in Ringwood. We talked. And talked. And talked. And talked. And talked some more. What a lucky guy Luke was hey?! 😉 Anyway – it got to about 10.30 and Bich’s phone was ringing – we hadn’t even realized how late it was and her husband was wondering where she was. Eeeeek! Also – the actual restaurant was closing and we were still sitting there… talking. Ooops. Bich left and I stayed behind at Luke and Bernie’s to catch up some more. So again we talked. And talked. And talked. Before I knew it, it was 2.30am! OH-MY-GOODNESS-GRACIOUS. I was in a panic… had to get home! Mum and dad would kill me! (Yes I go straight back to being 18 years old and my 3am curfew where I would leave Twister at 2.30am and be home by 2.50am by going straight up Punt Road!) Of course, mum and dad had no such concerns but when you get us all together we just can’t stop talking. It is a slight problem that hasn’t changed since we were in school – especially in Legal Studies and Business Management! heheheheheh
The next day, Aunty Nean and Jaydene were coming over to visit and then mum and I would go and do my shop-up of stuff that I had to bring back. We had a little feast for lunch and then by the time they left it was 3.30. Mum and I hopped in the car and raced around Northcote Plaza doing everything we had to! We had so much fun checking out the specials and it was a real treat to spend time waiting in the Medicare office and hanging out at Australia Post. Those everyday things that mum and I would do, we were able to do again. It was such a blast.
Here is one thing that I loved seeing… WENDY’S!!!
On Thursday morning we had to get up early as today I was going to be dropping into Parliament to catch up with everyone for lunch, meeting up with a uni friend and doing some more messages. We booked to have lunch at the Pavilion in the Fitzroy Gardens which was lovely because it was actually where mum and dad had their wedding and reception! It was a great lunch and as usual, talking got the better for us and while I envisaged leaving Parliament at about 1.30 – I didn’t get out of there until 4. One big – OOOPS! Wow I cannot tell you how fantastic it was to see everyone again, to sit at my old desk, to be in that gorgeous, old, glamourous library and just to enjoy all that librarian company again. I miss them all so much so I got my little Parly-Hit for the day. Just awesome.
Here are some photos –
All of us walking through the gardens to lunch.
Claire and I – we would have the best chats and the most fun with ABS Statistical data when we were both at Parl. I miss her!!
Sally and I. Sally and I job shared and she took over the role when I left. So spooky as we have so much in common!
Victoria, Julie and Emma.
Deb, Bella and Rachel.
Group photo!! Love you all so much! xxx
Victoria and I – aka the Bobbsey Twins! 😉
At my old desk – proudly displaying my visitor sticker.
Phil and I.
My fellow Collingwood fan and downstairs desk buddy, Sandra.
Sally is an awesome crafter and surprised me with this little souvenir of my visit… a pin cushion that is also… a sausage roll!! How talented is she?! I loved this as much as I love sausage rolls!
After the Parly catch up I had some HDMI cables to drop off to Damien, my uni pal who I did the Maryland Study Tour with (we are group work project experts!), so many late night/weekend classes with and who made a quick stop visit to NY here during the summer. The plan was to drop them off to him but he ended up coming up and getting them and we caught up outside the Windsor Hotel.
Here is the Windsor Hotel –
Parliament House –
Melbourne in peak hour during the summer break –
The other thing on my list was to pick up some shoes from Chapel St for Camille’s husband, Michael. Yes – we all live in NY and still need shoes from Chapel St. By this time it was nearly 5pm. I rang the store and they closed at 5.30 – so mum and I set our challenge to get to Chapel St in peak hour traffic in 30 minutes. NO WORRIES… we were there in no time and they had the shoes waiting for me – woot woot! Here I am in Chapel Street –
We got home absolutely exhausted and lucky for us Friday was also going to be another social day!
We were in the car at 11 to get to Nadine’s to spend time with her and James. We had also planned to drop into the hairdressers to visit Sofie and Michael. Their son had just left for the USA to spend a semester at the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, our times kept clashing so we thought we were going to have to leave dropping in there until Saturday. But then, driving past we saw Sofie walking to the shop. Perfect! We found a park and spent time gossiping and catching up in the salon –
Walking back to the car, we bumped into Aunty Marg who was on her wait to the salon as well. This is the stuff i miss… just ‘bumping into people’. I LOVE IT!!
We jumped in the car and jetted out to Nadine’s – the weather was so warm on Friday so the air conditioned car was a great place to be. We hang out at Nadine’s for a few hours – playing with James and catching up on news and gossip. This is one of my favourite photos of Nadine and I! I miss flatmate!! xxx
Then it was time to hop in the car and head to Aunty Wen’s on Eastlink. We were there in no time and she had Vegemite on fresh French bread waiting for us! Yummmmm!
She gave me a little present and it was such a surprise. When I opened it I was so happy – DVD of Season 2 of the Librarians and also the Sound Relief Concert DVD. Woot woot! Mum started laughing and then she let me know why – that exact present would be waiting in New York as that is what she sent me for Christmas too!! Spooky how sisters can think alike!!
My cousin Grant (who happens to live next door!) came over with his new daughter, Chloe and gorgeous Caleb and we hung around there for hours as well. Talking yet some more – he we all are here –
Then it was time to hop in the car and head to my mum’s bosses place as we promised to drop into there. We started talking to them and again… we couldn’t stop. Elham and Nancy said “Let’s get pizza!” so that we did. We ended up sneaking back in the house, trying not to wake dad up and it was after midnight. Ooops!!
The thing with that week was – I seriously spent 17 hours PLUS a day talking non-stop. It was awesome but wow I was tired at the end of it all!
Next to cover – my last two days and the flight back to New York.