2 Crazy Sheilas

After much reminding from Claire that this is 2 crazy sheilas and not one I decided I better put up a post Claire covers everything we do pretty well and I don’t really have a big event to blog about at the moment so I’ll just write about the great city of Melbourne.  Melbourne is a beautiful and diverse city.  You can see a man with dread locks down to his knees (which we have!) next to a woman wearing a middle eastern veil.  There are people of all nationalities walking past you speaking in all different languages. People are always friendly striking up a conversation with you even if you’re just waiting to use the restroom (which they call toilets).  The scenery of the city changes from street to street.  One minute you’re looking at graffiti and closed shops and the next you’re looking longingly in the window of an expensive clothing store.  There are little touches of art here and there that always catch your eye.

The past two days Claire and I have taken a tram into the downtown area of the city to Bourke St.  There were musicians of all sorts up and down the road.  There was a little boy playing Beethoven on his keyboard in front of Target and a man playing a guitar and didgeridoo (a wooden aboriginal instrument) next to the tram stop.  As we walked we came upon horse-drawn carriage rides, a circle surrounding guys who were breakdancing, and my favorite: a 75 year old Asian man dressed as a clown on stilts doing the hoolihoop (may I be as in shape as he is at that age).

Our first day downtown Claire and I decided to stop for a glass of wine at this little restaurant hidden in an alleyway that you would probably miss if you weren’t paying much attention.  It was relaxing as we sat in this little nook watching people pass. Soon the sun was going below the huge buildings and the city lights were coming on.  Claire and I finished our night by going to an English pub called The Elephant and the Wheelbarrow and watched a band play before we had to catch the last tram.  Our second day downtown we decided to treat ourselves to an Easter lunch at a restaurant in the heart of the city and along the Yarra River.  The view was amazing watching boats pass on the river in front of the skyscraping buildings resting in a line.  It was hard being away from our families on a holiday but it was a lovely way to spend the day walking along the city on a nice sunny day