Melbourne :)

As I write I’m sitting on the plane on our trip from Melbourne back to Adelaide. We’ve both got sore legs and are a wee bit tired, but have had a really really great time.

DAY ONE - Sunday - We Arrive + Time with Renee and Matthias
We were fortunate enough to be able to catch up with Renee and Matthias, our good friends who were married on January 13th and moved to Melbourne immediately after their honeymoon. Renee and Matthias picked us up from the airport at a chilly 7 degrees on Sunday morning….welcome to Victoria, eh? They then drove us into the city so we could attend church with them in their VERY conveniently located church (right on Southgate!), where Matthias’ father, Tom, is the pastor. We strolled along the river before church and then, after church, headed to Chapel Street for some VERY yummy pizzas! We had a great day with the Peitsch family, travelling out to Eltham to see Renee’s school and on to a wine tasting on the fringe of the Yarra Valley. We were super lucky to get to see their new apartment, share dinner and stay with them the night before our FIRST ANNIVERSARY ☺ on Monday…




Renee and Matthias' new apartment...

...complete with fancy fat fridge! Apparently the ice dispenser sold it for them.

In the process of moving. This is Renee's 18th or 19th move in her liftetime!

This is where Renee will be teaching prep from July. Ain't it a cute lil' prep house?!

Renee shows the brute strength she's acquired from fun-run training.


Renee and Ellie's awesome dinner :D

This is a sideways shot (still haven't figured out how to fix that) of the very cool candles that R & M's wedding guests decorated at their reception :)

DAY TWO - Monday - Our Anniversary
Renee dropped us off early Monday morning in the city to our hotel on Swanston Street. The weather was much better than we expected so we took the opportunity to wander through the parklands and botanic gardens, stumbling across the VCA campus on our way and checking out the war memorial. We grabbed a bite to eat at Southgate, strolled around the city and then caught a tram to dinner. We had a VERY scrumptious Indian meal at Bhoj at the Docklands, as a wonderful gift from our parents for our Anniversary. Thank you!!! The day seemed to fly by and by the end of the day we were exhausted.


Our hotel room.



Federation square.

A Pixar display is opening at ACMI (The Australian Centre for Moving Image) next month - these guys were there as a sneak preview.

One day, perhaps. This is the Oscar won for Harvey Krumpet.

Jordan with his favourite station ;)



The World War II memorial. It's colossal! Kinda crazy. Still, had a great view (below).


The Victorian College of Art. Now I can say, 'I went to NIDA. And VCA.' Details shmetails! :P Nowhere near as impressive as NIDA, I must say.

Yummy yummy dinner!

DAY THREE - Tuesday - More City Sights + Miss Siagon
By Tuesday my legs (and hips?!) were VERY tired from walking at Jordan pace for a whole day (two Ellie steps to one Jordan step) so we decided to take a leisurely stroll through the National (?) Gallery of Victoria…which turned out to be closed. So instead we bought an all day pass on the tram (my legs shouted 'Hooray!') and braved ghastly winds at St.Kilda beach. Despite the weather we had a great time wandering along the main street and oogling at cakes in cafes and unique gift stores. We also managed to make it to the Queen Victoria Markets and more shops, before returning to our hotel to ready ourselves for dinner with my Uncle Barrie and his partner, Katrina (YUMMY YUMMY Chinese food in Chinatown) and then ‘the main event’:
*** Written from home, after a wretched plane trip with a relentless screaming child...I swear I attract them! ***
So, the main event:
MISS SAIGON! I've been wanting to see Miss Saigon for about five years, ever since learning 'I Still Believe', 'Sun and Moon' and 'The American Dream' in Grade 11 or 12 Music. I was not disappointed (except for perhaps the helicopter...I really should've read the newspaper to hear how they'd crammed the helicopter into the 'new' Miss Saigon...I shan't spoil it here for those going to see it). The two leads had amazing, effortless voices, which always makes viewing fun. Usually Jordan and I agree on the 'bits' we liked best, but on this one we showed our genders: Jordan loved the very rhythmic, dark vietnamese dance scene and I was enthralled and moved by the tragic love songs. Haha. Something for everyone!


Chilly, chilly St.Kilda beach.

Luna Park, Melbourne.

So many yummy looking cake shops! Unfortunately I think the cakes are a little old...Turns out appearances aren't everything.

PRE-Miss Saigon!!! (Sorry family, we forgot to get a photo with Barrie and Katrina!)

Post-Miss Saigon, with our fancy souvenir program.

DAY FOUR - Wednesday - Art Gallery + Shopping
On Wednesday we only had the art gallery to check out. One forgets that kids are still at school until one's swamped by them at an art gallery! (Everyday I am more and more thankful for full-time teachers and their work. Kids are INTENSE!). We walked briskly through the gallery (Ellie stopping at every 'man seat', as Jordan calls them, on the way) spotting works by Matisse, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Picasso (the weeping woman! Lucky us!) and Warhol. It's so bizarre to me when I see works from my high school text books...Unfortunately Hokusai's 'The Great Wave Off Kanagawa' from the Mt.Fuji series wasn't on display, which was really disappointing because it's kinda special to me/us.
Then, after a two hour wander around Melbourne Central after check out, a one hour bus trip, two hours in the airport, a 1.5 hour flight and a ten minute taxi ride we were home. Home sweet, clean home. I love being home. I love our shower. That's what I always miss most when travelling - our home shower.


The National Gallery of Victoria...kinda Chinese looking?

Picasso's Weeping Woman! No flash allowed...Sorry it's sideways!

We found Mario Kart!!! Unfortunately we were out of coinage, didn't recognise the courses (we wanted to WIN, not just play!) and were a little disgusted at the thought of touching the controllers...so we just took a photo instead of playing. :)

This is me showing (with my hands) that I 'love' Samuel Beckett (if you look closely at the street sign it may make some sense).

At the Queen Victoria Markets. Such cool shopfronts.

In conclusion? Melbourne was great. Lots of quaint alley ways, public art and unique shops, but also dirty roads, cold days and crazy driving...so what made Melbourne great was celebrating one year of marriage with my awesome husband - spending time together, enjoying each other's company and rediscovering why we're made for each other. Happy Anniversary, Jordan. Thank you for a beautiful holiday.
My reflections on marriage after a year? I think this song sums up one aspect of it:

Loving a person just the way they are, it's no small thing
It takes some time to see things through
Sometimes things change, sometimes we're waiting
We need grace either way

Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through

There's a lot of pain in reaching out and trying
It's a vulnerable place to be
Love and pride can't occupy the same spaces
Only one makes you free

Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through

If we go looking for offense
We're going to find it
If we go looking for real love
We're going to find it

Loving a person just the way they are, it's no small thing
It's the whole thing.