Here I am in Melbourne, sitting on the steps in Federation Square and using the lovely free wifi.
I arrived on Sunday night exhausted after a long journey with little sleep. The flight into Singapore arrived about midnight UK time, meaning that just as I was beginning to feel sleepy. So I had to wake up to find the gate for my connection to Melbourne. After a long way past the kind of designer shops normally seen in exclusive areas of Paris or Milan, I find the next departure point and only had time to change my shirt before re-boarding.
Taking off over the straits of Singapore, I had a glimpse of the current inertia of the world shipping community as hundreds of cargo vessels sat idle in the water. Flying over the continental island of Oz was all a bit cloudy, disappointingly and I arrived in Melbourne on time. After the interrogation from Aussie customs about the chocolate in my backpac, I grabbed a taxi and headed to the hotel.
Monday morning came and, after a fitful night’s sleep, I eventually wandered down into the centre of the city to await Ian’s arrival from Sydney. Somehow, I managed to stumble unawares into the Melbourne Cup Parade. I had been a little naive about this, not realising that the Melbourne Cuo, the “race that stops a nation” was going to be on the same week I was there. This is quite an important cultural event in this part of the world.
The parade consisted of a couple of marching bands, a few former champion horses and then most of the jockeys and trainers in the back of convertible Saab 9-3 cars. What was interesting was not the parade itself but the incredible knowledge of those watching it, identifying the horses and commenting upon each of the participants. You don’t get that for the Grand National.
I then wandered aimlessly towards Federation Square, where I am sitting now two days later, and stumbled upon more Cup formalities, this time the official press conference. More apparently important dignitaries and then someone I’d actually heard of, the Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien. I even saw the actual cup and have a photo to prove it.
More wandering then I got a message to say Ian had arrived and would meet me back at our hotel, so I headed back there for some chillin’ time. My body wasn’t sure what time it was, my head even more befuddled and my stomach hadn’t gotten accustomed to eating in the middle of the night, or so it thought. Most annoying of all, I hadn’t yet managed to close out the rambling work musings I was having, something I am still struggling with.
Ian arrived and we headed off for an impromptu dinner with a friend of us, Amalya (I think, sorry, keep getting her name wrong!). This was on Lygon Street, home of the Italian Quarter, where an amazing pasta dish awaited. I could only eat about half of it. We finished the night with Koko Black’s for chocolate before I absolutely, desperately had to crash.
Tuesday was race day. Walking around in the morning was eery. Everywhere was closed and the only place people appeared to be was in the bars, cafes and restaurants that were actually open. A sumptuous breakfast (see above for struggling to eat issues) then Ian wanted to find the Crumpler store to buy a back. It was closed. Something about a horse race.
Eventually, despite on several occasions missing our tram stop, we were back in Fed Square, where a quick tour of the NGV Australia found us plonked in front of the big screen just in time for THE RACE.
Was that it? Two minutes of running around? The finish was close, more so than in recent years, with a nag called Viewed winning by the breadth of a flared nostrol (as described in the Melbourne papers this morning). All that excitement for two minutes. The crowd seemed distinctly underwhelmed and it wasn’t until we started to see people in their gladrags stumbling back from the racecourse that we appreciated that it really had happened. So this is the event that made it so difficult to find a hotel, harumph.
Dinner was Chinese in, erm, China Town, before we returned to the hotel to watch a couple of episodes of the West Wing, which Ian had brought with him in anticipation of a triumphant day today. As I sit, Obama is “winning” 103-34 and looking on course to return the Western World to something approaching a state of normality.
More important than something about a horse race anyway.
Its so funny reading about your journey to Oz. Is so similar to my experience…I remember how horrible it was when I was just drifting off to sleep (finally) and then it was like ‘prepare for landing in Singapore’…and then wandered around the airport for 30-45 mins in a total daze. and the eating the wrong meals and the wrong time thing really got to me!!
Woke up breathing a sigh of relief this morning when I saw Obama had won. Hopefully this means that the US will become an actual friend of the rest of the world again…
Sounds like you’re enjoying Melbourne… I love Fed Sq and Lygon St. Oddly enough Melbourne usually reminds me of Edinburgh with better weather… what do you think?
Oddly enough, I had noticed the similarities to Edinburgh – in style and feel if not necessarily in looks. What I’ve realised most in the last two days is just how much food matters in this city!
You’re in Aus. Food matters. Period.
Eight days since your last post. I hope this means you’re finding better things to do than update a blog. Look forward to hearing all about your travels once you’re home, though!